A pleasant diversion from typically bland Disney fare...

Rating: 7/10 (8 October 2008)

...that I probably wouldn't have even commented upon but for the somewhat unusual breakdown of IMDb user ratings. As of this writing, nearly 2 out of 5 voters are female--a bias not totally unexpected, but still seemingly out of the ordinary on this site. Also unsurprisingly, the ladies liked "Enchanted" more than their male counterparts, by a full half a point or more, with the interesting exception of the 45+ cohort, who for whatever reason (no patience for sappiness?) liked it less than their male counterparts to an equally significant degree. I would bet you someone could write a decent term paper on the situation, given the chance to do further research and/or surveys/interviews with the voters.
No matter. "Enchanted," the brainchild of screenwriter Bill "Premonition" Kelly and director Kevin "102 Dalmatians" Lima, is a decidedly on-target send-up of formulaic Disney product that takes a great premise (how would the inhabitants of a typical Disney animated fairy tale fare in the "real" world?) and gently satirizes the genre and its conventions while still delivering a very standard Disneyesque message (true love isn't blind, but thrives with mutual understanding and respect). Well-acted by a fine ensemble cast, and gorgeously produced in every aspect, "Enchanted" is meant to appeal to all ages, just as many of the old classic Disney films were, animated or otherwise. Amy "Psycho Beach Party" Adams is all naïveté and saccharine goodness as the misplaced Giselle, James "The Notebook" Marsden is perfect as her well-intentioned but utterly boneheaded Prince Char--I mean, Edward, Patrick "Grey's Anatomy" Dempsey is winningly vulnerable as Giselle's real world swain, while Timothy "Sweeney Todd..." Spall, Susan "Joe" Sarandon, and Idina "Rent" Menzel all have great turns in support. There are plenty of in-jokes and tributes and what-not, amusing product placement (what, you expected anything else in a Disney film?), and a script that refuses to treat its audience like brain-dead consumer units. "The Princess Bride" this is not, nor is it as funny as, say, "Looney Tunes: Back in Action," but "Enchanted" is still highly recommended by this viewer as quality family entertainment that adults can enjoy without blushing.