“Strange Magic,” a new animated feature from Lucas film Ltd., tells the tale of the denizens of a fairy tale realm, and the hijinks that ensue when love–real and pharmaceutical–enters the picture.

The story, conceived by George Lucas, introduces us to a fairy tale kingdom divided into a Light Side (Fairy Kingdom,) and a Dark Side (Dark Forest.) The Light Side is ruled over by a King and his two Princess daughters. The eldest, spunky, adventurous Marianne, is engaged to be married to the handsome narcissist Roland. Unfortunately, their wedding day reveals some compatibility issues that leave Marianne determined to swear off love forever.

As it happens, the border of the Light and the Dark Side is marked by primroses–a key ingredient in a magical love potion, which would seem to be the answer to a lot of problems for both Roland and Sunny the elf, who appears to have been sadly friendzoned by the younger Princess Dawn. Unfortunately, the production of said potion has been strictly curtailed by the Bog King, who seems to rule the Dark Side on a platform of “no love potions.” It seems he too has had some unfortunate history that has left him determined to swear off love forever.

Eventually, pop songs are sung, potions are made, the wrong people are dusted, and a plethora of interesting matches are made, including what appeared to be maybe a lizard and a toadstool. In her efforts to protect her sister, Marianne must interact with the Bog King, and may discover that appearances can be deceiving, and beauty lies within.

The voice acting in the film is perfectly respectable, with such Broadway veterans as Alan (Bog King) Cumming and Kristen (Sugar Plum Fairy) Chenoweth heading up the cast and tackling the large number of pop songs that pepper the film. One standout is Elijah Kelley who invests Sunny with enough likeability to overcome the impatience one might feel at his character’s persistent credulity.

The animation is as fluid and proficient as you’d expect, coming out of Industrial Light & Magic, even if the character designs aren’t entirely appealing. The goblins of the Dark Forest come out the cutest, while the fairies suffer a little from the “uncanny valley” effect, of being a little too close to real, but not quite close enough.

Ultimately, “Strange Magic’s” main antagonist ends up being the demon of comparison: With the recent outstanding output WDAS has been producing, such as “Frozen” and “Big Hero 6,” we are currently experiencing a boom time for animation. Unfortunately, whether it’s because of relative inexperience or a smaller project scope, “Strange Magic” isn’t really competitive with them on either an artistic or story level. That is not to say it isn’t enjoyable, however, and if you and yours enjoyed “Shrek,” “Gnomio and Juliet,” and the Disney Fairies movies, this amalgamation may be right up your alley.

“Strange Magic” is presented by Lucasfilm Ltd. Rated PG, it stars Alan Cumming, Evan Rachel Wood, Kristin Chenoweth, Maya Rudolph, Sam Palladio, Meredith Anne Bull, Alfred Molina, Elijah Kelley, Bob Einstein, and Peter Stormare.

Directed by Gary Rydstrom and produced by Mark S. Miller. Screenplay by David Berenbaum, Irene Mecchi, and Gary Rydstrom, based on a story by George Lucas. Musical director and
composer is Marius de Vries.

The film enters general release on January 23, 2015, and is distributed by Touchstone Pictures.