Spirited
★★ ½
My youngest, as she walked into the room as we were watching Spirited, "Is this a musical?"
My wife: "When it wants to be."
That is a perfect way to sum up Spirited. It never quite knows what to be. There is absolutely nothing wrong with trying to mix genres, but this movie gets lost in making sure the checklist is complete for the musical, comedy and holiday genres. There is so much going on at all times, that if Spirited had narrowed its focus, it would have been much more successful.
The upside is that you can tell that everyone is having a fun time, which makes the film infectious. Despite the caliber of their other films, Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds are always interesting to watch. They always command attention, but as a pair, they surprisingly don't work together. I blame the screenplay more so than the comedic chemistry, but their characters are individually asked to overcome some big narrative arcs. You have two main leads who have two big, individual stories, and it's too much to balance in this one film. Both are also not the best singers and dancers in the world, so it's curious that they have been placed in this legit musical.
Many will find Spirited a satisfactory watch this holiday season, but I can guarantee that it won't seep into their annual watching traditions after this year.
