Being a wizard is not all fun and games. At least not for Grin in A Wizard’s Tale. All he wants to do is make people happy. After all, that’s his magical gift. But he’s too good at it. Making everyone happy backfires when chaos erupts as a result of his gift. So Grin becomes Grump with a new mission: to make sure everything is gloomy now. And Grump takes that mission very seriously indeed. No one in the fantasy Kingdom of Groovynham can smile or be happy anymore. Could someone from the real world solve this problem?       

This colorful animated film might not work for many adults, but most youngsters should be entertained by all the action, whimsical creatures, and fantasy/reality jumps. Plus, there’s also a Princess and a goofy-looking dragon! My husband insists that any film with a princess is a must-see for the younger set -- and he might be right. He also adds that a dragon is icing on the cake.

Directed by Andrés Couturier (Top Cat Begins) from a creative script by Jim Hecht (Ice Age: The Meltdown) and Alicia Nunez Puerto (My Friend Bernard), A Wizard’s Tale features the fine voice talents of Ian McShane as Grin/Grump, Lily Collins as Princess Dawn, and Toby Kebbell as Terry, the amusing young hero.       

From Grin to Grump a wizard goes.

So that brings on a world of woes.

He lost his love and became sad.

Now everything he does is bad.

A young man and a princess meet.

Their awkward romance looks so sweet.

Are they the ones to break the spell?

Mayhem takes place, and I won’t tell.

Action-packed scenes with lots of fun

zoom by too fast before it’s done.

And though the sound seems much too loud,

the filmmakers should still be proud.

Vibrant colors explode on screen.

Cute and weird creatures in each scene.

Flying contraption roams the skies,

a true joy for receptive eyes.

 WARNING:  A word about the noisy soundtrack. I have a hearing problem, and it’s even too loud for me. With the fast-paced action and blasting noise, A Wizard’s Tale might be over-stimulating for some youngsters. Also, don’t expect character depth or any deep message -- other than a simple theme emphasizing the importance of happiness and change.

But do be prepared for color awe!

Well, luckily with animation, fantasy is your friend. --- Steven Spielberg

(Released by Bluefox Entertainment; not rated by MPAA.)

For more information about A Wizard’s Tale, go to the IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes site.