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Menken |
Spellbound: (Alan Menken) Having been forced from
his perch at Disney and Pixar, famed animation producer John Lasseter
used his own fledgling studio, Skydance Animation, to produce
similarly-styled movies. Following
Luck a few years prior, the
studio's 2024 animated musical,
Spellbound, was a long time in
the making, a five-year production headache that bounced around between
distributors before finding a home on Netflix. Skydance hasn't shied
away from hiring top talent for its films, and
Spellbound is no
different, but its subject matter put it at a distinct disadvantage from
the start. Although it's a princess story, it's primarily a tale about
the effects of parental fighting and divorce on a teenage girl, and the
seriousness of that topic is so daunting on its own that this film
didn't need a conventional villain as an adversary. The magical element
takes the form of a mysterious, tornado-like cloud of evil that turns
people into monsters if their negative energy comes to dominate them.
The teenage girl's parents, the king and queen, are already monsters at
the outset of
Spellbound, the ministers and servants of the
castle trying to contain the misbehaving beasts while keeping everything
under wraps. The girl, longing for the love she once received from her
parents in human form before the adults turned on each other, goes on a
journey to find the power to transform them back to themselves. The
movie's cast is admirable, and the concept has some genuinely funny and
compelling aspects to it. Critical and popular consensus was muted at
best for the streaming picture, the concept a bit too real in a
fairytale realm to truly escape into. Lost in the poor reception to
Spellbound is a very strong soundtrack by Disney veteran Alan
Menken. The composer and songwriter's style will forever be rooted in
the 1990's, and he has at times struggled to rediscover his own magic in
this genre despite cranking out a few impressive musicals in the years
since his award-winning heyday. Since
Tangled, he has been
collaborating with stage lyricist Glenn Slater, and the two have come to
form an increasingly impressive team.
Menken, by this point in his mid-70's, has managed to
maintain his trademark style of writing for better or worse, his
songwriting and underscores reminding of the lasting, 1990's-nostalgic
gravity that also continued to guide Marc Shaiman's work. When
approaching a Menken musical in the 2010's and 2020's, you're really
evaluating how well he managed to capture the spark of catchiness that
launched him through
The Little Mermaid,
Beauty and the
Beast, and
Aladdin. Some of his sets of songs achieve
resonance while others sound proforma. That said, his ability to write
robust underscores has improved greatly over his career, with everything
from
The Shaggy Dog to the new score material in the Disney
remakes thereafter showing off an underappreciated side of the composer.
In
Spellbound, Menken provided no less than eight songs along
with the score, crafting the musical's identity from start to finish as
one of those involved with the project during the entirety of its
production journey. Because the movie was a tough nut for the whole team
to crack, Menken admits to having moved through several iterations of
his songs on his way to finding success. He and Slater nailed the
primary "yearning" ballad of the movie, "The Way It Was Before," early
in that process, but other entries, like the introductory "My Parents
are Monsters," took much longer to find. Originally, there was no
villain song or even a comedic one, making the assignment more dramatic
from the get-go despite otherwise sticking true to the princess formula.
After all the other songs were completed, Menken devised one showstopper
piece, "I Could Get Used to This," to add pure Broadway coloration close
to his heart, allowing the animators to match with a vivacious,
otherworldly blast of light and color. The vocalists in the songs are
led by the vivacious Rachel Zegler as Princess Ellian, and she extends
her wits from the recent
West Side Story remake to absolutely
shine in her performances in this role. Her inflection is spectacular in
each entry in this musical, building empathy while infusing humor,
balancing singing with spoken emphasis, and hitting all the most
important notes with perfection.
The secondary cast in
Spellbound also suits the
story well. Javier Bardem and Nicole Kidman are fleeting as the
monstrous parents (the characters don't speak for some of the story),
but their heartfelt tandem performance in "What About Us" is excellent.
(
Moulin Rouge enthusiasts will always appreciate another
opportunity to hear Kidman sing.) The duo of Nathan Lane and Tituss
Burgess as the oracles leading the princess on her journey lend
compelling Broadway experience to their songs. For the two ministers
supporting the princess in the castle, veteran character actors and
accomplished singers Jenifer Lewis and John Lithgow supply much of
spirited pizazz to the lighter songs. Lithgow's performance may be the
only point of contention for some listeners; although he's a perfect fit
for the tone of the stuffy minister and servant who is transformed
accidentally into a rodent-like creature in place of the princess' pet,
he ultimately speaks a few too many of his lines for comfort. (He's
actually quite good when he outright sings his lines.) The songs in
Spellbound are not only numerous but they are of substantial
length. Slater's lyrics are appropriately pithy ("larva-less!") and
conversational at the same time, allowing Ellian to sound like a normal
teenager throughout. These numbers espouse pure Menken characteristics
in their style and progressions, definitely throwbacks to the 1990's in
ways that will appeal to his longtime enthusiasts. The quality of the
songwriting and lyrics in these numbers aren't as uniquely catchy as
those in the concurrent
Wicked, but they run circles around the
songs in Disney's two late 2024 musicals,
Moana 2 and
Mufasa:
The Lion King. The instrumental tone of the songs follows Menken's
usual fairy tale mould and thus contains a predictably diverse
orchestral presence that applies brass for the fanfare aspect of the
castle. Few contemporary accents exist. The true distinction of
Spellbound is Menken's infusion of Brazilian samba personality
into the two songs for the supporting ministers. This acoustic guitar
and castanet influence suggests that the kingdom is actually in South
America, which is a nice change of pace for a princess story even if
it's a bit of a shock when you first encounter this aspect in the
music.
The soundtrack concentrates its emotional focus on a pair
of songs, and one of them opens
Spellbound with the princess
telling the audience about this weird situation the castle faces with
her parents as monsters. Around secondary passages for the two
ministers, "My Parents are Monsters" is a fantastic expression of range
for Zegler. A particularly tough song for Menken to coin, this opening
is a qualified success, and collectors of the composer's works will
notice components of the "Beauty and the Beast" song's instrumental
lines in its structure. The ministers commiserate and plan to deal with
the monsters in "Step by Step" with a blend of samba and tango elements
lending humor to the highly attractive vocals, particularly by Lewis.
The song provides its own reprise after an instrumental section, letting
Zegler join the plotting to install herself as queen with zeal as the
orchestra explodes with Latin flair. The brief "How to Break the Spell"
extends a palace fanfare and brief reprise of the Latin elements to
introduce the two oracles for a rising figure that ends in a humorous
conclusion. The heart of the film follows in "The Way It Was Before,"
the longstanding anchor of the soundtrack during its creation and
featuring chord progressions that will remind of
Pocahontas.
Among Menken's longing songs, this one competes favorably and is one his
loveliest dramatic ballads. It may not be as catchy as "Part of Your
World" or the interlude of "Belle," but "The Way It Was Before" isn't
far behind. The piano is a vital part of this song, as raindrops fall on
the strings of the abandoned instrument on screen in the shattered
castle. (Menken's use of that instrument in this and the later
"Remembering" reinforces the core element of family.) The soaring final
statement of the main melody features Menken's most robust orchestral
resonance, and the song finishes with a series of three-note phrases
that plays an important role in the score. The oracles' main song, "Look
for the Light," is a more contemporary and upbeat piece with the
acoustic guitar and slight Mediterranean accents. The Burgess and Lane
performances might suggest humor at the start, but the song sticks to
more aspirational purposes, even after carefree whistling joins in its
second half. The descending interlude section in this song captures the
fantasy of the princess' journey, keeping it serious, and Zegler joins
as counterpoint for the final passage just as she did in "Step by
Step."
One of the interesting aspects of "Look for the Light" is
Menken's pulling from the longing interlude of "One Jump Ahead" in
Aladdin, yet another connection back to the composer's top works.
It's because of these borrowed phrases that these songs really pull the
right strings, even if the phrasing similarities aren't overly obvious.
Perhaps redundant with "The Way It Was Before" in
Spellbound but
still welcome is the extension of the same purpose in "Remembering,"
which takes the prior song's tone and adds her parents into the
performance for a distinct melody. Zegler once again streamlines her
vocals in this piece and supports Bardem and Kidman as the parents begin
to remember their love for their daughter. The layering of vocal lines
in the latter half of this song ware well executed, the piano playing
just as important a role as in "The Way It Was Before." A very light
choir seems to accompany "Remembering" as well, and a greater role for
this magical tone would have been welcomed. The Lithgow comedy song
added late is "I Could Get Used to This," the character realizing that
being a rodent-like creature and eating larva isn't all that bad. The
Brazilian influence returns in full force, the all-out samba explosion
by the end accompanying the actor's quasi-spoken lines for this purely
Broadway showstopper tune. The song is the soundtrack's weakest, but
adults aren't really the audience for it. Another challenging song for
Menken was "What About Me," the expression of anger by Ellian that uses
the same wavering chord progressions that developed in the
Beauty and
the Beast stage production and worked their way into the live-action
remake of the film. The oppressive, descending brass figures in this
song remind of the villain's material in
The Hunchback of Notre
Dame. The orchestral backing of this moment, as the tornado of hate
overtakes Ellian, represents perhaps the most impressive ensemble
recording in the whole work. The following "What About Us" thrives on
the beauty of the Bardem and Kidman performances as it twists the minor
mode of "What About Me" and transitions it into the major key
alternative that otherwise represents the family's best moments in the
score. Attached to that song is the reprise of "The Way It Was Before,"
with only a few sections of Zegler, Bardem, and Kidman performing before
the orchestra and choir take the song's melody towards Menken's
inevitable crescendo of grandiose drama at the finale.
The coda of the songs in
Spellbound is a reprise
of "My Parents are Monsters" flipped around to "My Monsters are
Parents," the same melody and infectious up-tempo pacing closing the
soundtrack just as it opened but this time with a positive,
applause-worthy ending. The end credits performance of "The Way It Was
Before" by Lauren Spencer Smith retains the low-key, piano and guitar
personality of the actual narrative song, and it's as smooth as it is
lovely. A heftier amount of reverb in both the vocals and
instrumentation in this recording are welcome, and the rest of the songs
would have benefitted from a wetter, lively ambience. The album for
Spellbound merges 27 minutes of Menken's score into five suites,
with nearly all of the material reflecting one of the songs at each
moment. The Latin tones aren't as prevalent in the score, but the guitar
does contribute warmth and vague samba references at times. The
resonance of the full ensemble isn't always as powerful as heard in the
backing of "What About Me." Some listeners may continue to find fault
with Menken's use of high-range choirs for princess movies, but he's
paying tribute to old-school animation techniques from the Golden Age by
doing so. The mix of the choir isn't always as far front as desired, its
contributions often stuck behind the orchestral ensemble so that it
isn't all that impactful. The composer leaves the bravado of the
soundtrack's limited fright to brass rather than lower vocal tones. In
"Ellian and Her Parents Suite," the composer concentrates on the melody
of "The Way It Was Before," introducing it in an upbeat choral rendition
0:20 and supplying it an even bigger fanfare form at 1:07. A snippet of
"My Parents are Monsters" at 1:27 yields again to "The Way It Was
Before" before switching back to the opening song for another reminder
at 1:58. Quiet contemplation on "Remembering" for piano and guitar at
2:20 gives way to "The Way It Was Before" faintly on strings at 3:54,
both of them as tender as possible. At 4:27 into "Ellian and Her Parents
Suite," Menken starts mixing in "What About Us," the major-key version
of the "What About Me," but gravitates back to his core melodies for the
royal family. The fanfare mode for "The Way It Was Before" returns at
4:59, and a heartfelt performance of "Remembering" follows at 5:51. A
mildly suspenseful version of "What About Me" flirts again with the
major mode at 7:05, the suite shifting back to "What About Us" optimism
before revisiting "The Way It Was Before" for closure.
The darkest music of the score is condensed into
"Journey Suite," a soft rendition of "What About Me" opening the track
at 0:14. For several minutes thereafter, Menken takes the opportunity to
really develop "My Parents are Monsters," making it the score's second
most frequently referenced melody after "The Way It Was Before." The
action in the first half of "Journey Suite" is dominated by "My Parents
are Monsters," with several outstanding performances in various guises
exhibiting Menken at his most powerful. Snare and suggestions of deeper
choral shades contribute to the propulsion for several minutes, blurting
woodwind lines conveying panic well. The duet of trumpets and horns at
3:24, after which they hand off phrases of the melody between them, is
smart writing. At 4:57, "Step by Step" factors softly on celeste and
noodles about for a while. Elongated formations from "Look for the
Light" seem to guide the track at 6:19 before the arrangement returns to
"My Parents are Monsters" for late conflict. A suspense version of "The
Way It Was Before" interrupts at 7:27 and closes the cue's action. In a
change of pace, the "Lord Candypants" cue is wholly guided by cheery
guitar outlooks on "Look for the Light," expanding its melody well to
the full ensemble. In "Oracle's Suite," Menken opens with hints of "How
to Break the Spell" and "Look for the Light" with a theremin touch,
leading to light comedy music with some infusion of serious tonal
gravity at times. The theme of "My Parents are Monsters" explodes
several times in the middle of this track at 2:00 against a hint of "The
Way It Was Before" in brighter tones before it turns noble on horns
later. The melody of "I Could Get Used to This" defines all of "Flink's
Suite," ranging from playful minimalism to more flamboyant instrumental
interpolations later in the cue that stray towards carnival tones.
Generally, this merging of cues on album to form the longer suites is
seamless, though "Ellian and Her Parents Suite" ends somewhat awkwardly.
In the end, the score for
Spellbound represents a solid Menken
outing but isn't his finest work. The very satisfying strength of the
songs carries the whole soundtrack, the score providing the instrumental
renditions of every melody at some point and its two longest suites
impressive. If you still have a soft spot for early 1990's Menken music,
then this music is about as close to his prime as we have heard since.
The duo of "My Parents are Monsters" and "The Way It Was Before" (and
their reprises) are genuinely outstanding, with "Remembering," "Step by
Step," and "What About Us" not far behind. It's a highly enjoyable
musical overall, reinforcing Menken's unique voice in the industry.
@Amazon.com: CD or
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- Songs as Written for the Film: *****
- Score as Written for the Film: ****
- Overall: ****
Bias Check: |
For Alan Menken reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.71
(in 17 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.48
(in 59,652 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.
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