Surprinsing and perky but never boring

Rating: 7/10 (3 May 2008)

To say this isn't a film I would usually see is a vast understatement. I have had little interest in Disney films and musicals since I became a teenager. Combining the two would appear to ruin any chance I would have of viewing this film. I'm also an 18 year old male accounting student, so I'm far from the target audience. Despire all of my original uneasiness, I enjoyed the film and recommend it. Enchanted is a somewhat original picture whose greatest asset is its lead actress. It also benefits from high production values and actual character development, regardless of how clichéd it is. It is an enjoyable film nevertheless and a memorable return to traditional animation.
As I'm sure most others have already mentioned, this film takes the traditional Disney princess and prince archetypes and places them in the real world. Amy Adams is the real star as Giselle and brings the same naiveté to her role as she did in Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. She is so over-the-top that her live-action role as Giselle is more damsel-in-distress than Snow White or Sleeping Beauty were in their respective films. However, unlike those two, Giselle's predicament means that she must mature and leave her ideal world behind. This presents a rarity in Disney animated (well in this case, partially animated) features: a female protagonist that the audience wants to "live happily ever after." Patrick Dempsey also makes a triumphant return to the big screen but isn't as memorable as he perhaps could have been. There is nothing wrong with his acting but it lacks the emotional variety that Timothy Spall, James Marsden and Amy Adams have in their roles. I've not seen Idina Menzel enough to access her performance but it was adequate given her role. It was not memorable.
Like the forgettable fantasy Stardust, Enchanted also shows its character development via costuming. Giselle's clothing becomes more realistic as she becomes more aware of actual romantic relationships. Robert's clothing stays the same until the ball scene when he assumes a fantastical garb, which shows his progression from a cynical businessman to an idealistic paramour. In the end, both characters have a balanced personality but the film focuses more on Giselle's development than Robert's. In contrast, Prince Edward shows no change at all and his clothing remains the same.
Where this film succeeds is its seamless unity of CGI effects, traditional animation, sensationalized acting, and homage to earlier films. The astute viewer will notice the obvious reference to Snow White, Bambi, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and a subtle reference to King Kong. The film does lose some marks for its episodic plot structure which has little logical coherence. Characters seem to float around various places with no objective in mind. It is as if the situation is supposed to develop the characters instead of the characters actually changing themselves. This is most obvious in the Central Park song. Speaking of songs, the few in this film aren't particularly memorable. They won't have the legacy that The Nightmare Before Christmas and The Lion King, among others, have had. They aren't unwatchable, but they present a great opportunity to fast-forward your DVD or Blu-ray. Also, the ending is unnecessarily awkward. Why must Queen Narissa (interesting pun) turn into a dragon? It's like Suburbia and Sunshine morphing into slasher films. If she had been arrested or somehow detained, nothing would have changed. Fortunately, the film is nearly over before the catastrophe begins, so it's forgivable.
While Enchanted isn't a film for adults, parents and reluctant dates will still get some pleasure in watching it. It presents an interesting concept that is both homage and a parody of itself. It also stars Amy Adams, and there is a bathroom scene nearly identical to the one from Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day. The film is, on occasion, genuinely funny due to PG-laced innuendo. Also, despite what some critics have said, I see this movie as a feminist critique. It shows that the idealistic wife/girl/unmarried woman may begin life sheltered due to consequences over which she has no control but can emerge from these and be a productive person. If that doesn't persuade you to watch it, then perhaps it's similarity to The Princess Bride will. Both films create an effective fantasy romance with spectacular distinguished acting. While this film isn't on par with The Princess Bride, it is much better than Disneys' latest Pirates film and last year's other romance/fantasy Stardust.