thin but enjoyable fantasy

Rating: 7/10 (21 May 2008)

"Enchanted" is a fish-out-of-water tale that is also an homage to "Snow White," "Sleeping Beauty," "Mary Poppins," and countless other Disney classics that have come before it. Here, a fairy tale princess (Amy Adams) crosses over from the world of animation to the world of live-action, without losing her cheery disposition and otherworldly charm in the process.
On the day she is to be wed to her long-awaited Prince Charming, the beautiful Giselle is tossed out of the storybook kingdom of Analasia by a jealous evil queen (Susan Sarandon) who has no intention of letting some pretty little upstart usurp her throne. When Giselle finally finishes falling, she lands smack dab in the middle of a live-action Manhattan that is only a tad less immaculate and a shade less colorful than the cel-animated world she calls home. The plucky heroine is both dazzled and a bit confused by this strange looking world where the people don't seem quite as friendly or optimistic about life as the inhabitants of Analasia. Giselle is befriended by an unromantic, decidedly commitment-phobic divorce attorney (Patrick Dempsey) who doesn't know quite what to make of this odd, undoubtedly deranged creature who, when she isn't inspiring critters to help her tidy up the apartment or breaking out into full-throated, spontaneous song, is extolling the virtues of true love and declaring her undying faith in happily-ever-after endings.
Most of the fun of "Enchanted" lies in watching this almost impossibly cheerful, utterly imperturbable former cartoon character going up against the harsh realities of the real world (as harsh as the "real world" in any Disney film can be, that is), yet maintaining her sunny disposition throughout. The filmmakers have devised some spot-on parodies of the typical Disney musical number, replete with high-pitched warbling, a chorus of singing animals, and lyrics that reflect an unquenchable conviction that all is for the best in this best of all possible worlds. At times, the idea of the film is better than its execution, opting, as it often does, for silliness and strained slapstick over sophistication and wit. And sometimes, even the concept itself falls flat, as when we are left to ponder whether these creatures, with their weird behavior and exotic garb, would really be all that out of place in Times Square. And, regrettably, the filmmakers couldn't resist throwing an utterly superfluous, CGI-generated dragon into the mix at the end.
Yet, for the most part, the movie is clever, bright and beguiling, and boasts a wonderfully ditzy performance by the lovely Miss Adams that brings the whole sugarcoated confection to life. The material many be stretched a bit beyond its breaking point, but "Enchanted" casts a spell over its audience anyway.