Disney’s Upside-Down Magic (2020) is a children’s fantasy based on a book series of the same title. It stars Izabela Rose as Nory, a spunky shapeshifting teen who can’t seem to get her powers right. Nory and her best friend Reina (Seina Agudong) get accepted to the prestigious Sage Academy, a magic school. During their placement exams, Nory unintentionally shifts into a chimera. As a result, she fails to place in the Fluxers class, and ends up in the reviled Upside-Down Magic, where the “defective” students go. There, Nory meets Andres (Max Torina), Pepper (Alison Hernandez) and Elliot (Eli Samouhi), whose powers also have their quirks. Due to a terrible incident involving shadow magic, they learn that their powers are not only unwanted, but dangerous. Nory strives to become a better fluxer to find her place in this world.
What drew me to this film were the PoC characters, as well the magic school. I wasn’t expecting Harry Potter—it’s a DCOM after all—but I’ll admit that the concept was similar enough to catch my attention. I must say, though, that I felt a level of disappointment I didn’t expect to feel after watching this movie. I think, perhaps, it’s because of its wasted potential. It’s this disappointment that compels me to write about it today.
Here’s why I believe Upside-Down Magic left so much to be desired.
Important Themes, Poor Execution
While the one-dimensional characters and many plot holes account for the poor execution of this film, its failure stems from the poor representation of it’s thematic messages. At it’s core, Upside-Down Magic is an individual(s) vs society story. It argues that being different is not something to be feared or hated, but to be embraced. That diversity is actually a strength rather than a threat or a weakness. This is exemplified through Nory and the UDM students whose abilities are “different” from the others vs. the school’s policies to separate and deny them education because of it. However, the characters and the world lacked complexity. It felt like a binary world where one group is “good” while the other is “bad”, and evil only exists because of “dark magic”. I think this is a result of them borrowing ideas and concepts from other children’s fantasy films and stitching them together with the simple theme of “being yourself.” I understand that this film is aimed at a young audience (perhaps between the ages of 5-11), but I’m not exactly sure that the story or world needed to be so simplified to relay it’s messages.
Not Enough World-Building
For a fantasy, Upside-Down Magic lacks the world-building necessary for it’s genre. Throughout the film, I found myself asking a lot of questions about its magic system, culture, history and laws. My questions ultimately stem from a need for context; to understand why things are the way they are and why characters behave the way they do.
What is the purpose of their powers?
One of the primary questions I had watching the movie was, what is the purpose of these kids’ powers? Sage Academy has five classes: Flares, who conjure and control fire, Fluxers, who can transform into animals, Flyers, who can fly a few feet off the ground, Fuzzys, who can talk to animals telepathically, and Flickers, who move objects towards themselves with their minds. However, what are these children meant to do with these powers? Are they going to be integrated into some magical society where they’ll have to use them, or are they simply going back into the real world where there is no magic?
Secondly, why are the powers so specific? For instance, a flyer is someone who can fly a “few feet off the ground.” Why just a few and why is that deemed the appropriate flight in this world? What would even be the purpose of flying just a few feet off the ground? Is the sky a place they’re not allowed to visit? What about the Flickers; why is bringing objects to yourself, the the only way to express telekinetic abilities in this world?
How are the UDM's Powers a Problem in Their World?
Take a look at what makes Nory and the other UDM so different that they need to be segregated from the rest of the school:
- Nory turns herself into two animals at once (one of which is a mythical creature)
- Pepper flicks things away from herself but not to herself
- Elliot creates smoke but not fire
- Andres levitates higher than the rest of the Flyers, and
- Budd (Kyle Howard) can only communicate with animals through song…
How are these characteristics “bad”? They’re not even far off from the other powers. None of them are inherently problematic. So, how are these powers a problem in the world of this story?
What is the Purpose of Sage Academy?
One thing I could not comprehend was how cold and mean the faculty of that school was. They weren’t encouraging and expected perfection from their students. It was as if these kids were somehow meant to be auditioning to some prestigious art school, instead of a school where they learn to develop, control and direct their magic in healthy and productive ways. Which led me to wonder what was the point of Sage Academy?
The Fluxers were being taught to turn themselves into a goat, but to get into the school they had to shape-shift into a cat, which appears to be the basic level. Meanwhile, the Flares had to cook popcorn without burning it, even though most of these kids can conjure fireballs before they even enroll. So what exactly are they going to school for?
Why World Building Matters
JK Rowling fleshed out her world so much that Hogwarts felt like a real place. There’s a school, a town, a community, a magical system, magical laws, magical creatures, magical currency, culture, language, and foreign relations. All of which is rooted in history. Even though they were not the focus of the books, they helped provide context to Harry’s story.
Having context of the world provides complexity to characters. It gives us an understanding of their fears, goals and the stakes if neither of them are achieved or confronted. Context would have given Nory clearer goals, motivations and fears. It would also help us understand the motivations of the antagonistic forces. Why is it important for Nory to “fit into” her world? Why is it important for the school to get her to conform even though her powers are different? What happens to those who conform? What do Nory, the faculty and her friends learn in the end that changes their lives for the better?
The Bottom Line
Upside-Down Magic simply fails to tell a good story. While they certainly had interesting themes and a good concept, as well as a diverse cast, their characters and their world felt hallow. The writers relied on a cool concept and basic themes, and that’s why it’s so disappointing.
Did you watch Upside-Down Magic (2020). What did you think of the movie? Do you agree the movie lacked complex characters and a rich world? Share your thoughts below.
Hi! Shantal here. I’m a writer and a storyteller. I created Shantal Writes to share my experiences with writing fiction. I also provide new writers with tips, tools, and writing advice. I hope you find something helpful while you’re here!
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My daughter and I read the book together and loved it….this was so far removed, eliminating some of our favorite characters and introducing the cliche ‘evil entity’ battle that didn’t exist in the book at all. To anyone who was intrigued in the general idea, I highly recommend reading the books which flesh out the world they live in and present the ‘individuals vs society’ topic in a much clearer and more appropriate and entertaining manner. We were both highly disappointed in the movie version, which seemed to make an extra effort to remove the elements that were the strongest in the book and replace them with hackneyed tropes. And, the over-the-top acting and weak dialogue didn’t help either.
Thank you for your thoughts on this movie and the books. I thought the movie had many interesting elements, but they weren’t executed well. I’m glad to hear the themes are better represented in the books and that you are your dauhter thoroughly enjoyed it!