Enchanted

Rating: 8/10 (4 January 2011)

I really liked the look of this Disney film because it was essentially sending up the traditions they themselves have created over the years, mainly in making fairytale based films, so I watched, from director Kevin Lima (A Goofy Movie, Tarzan, 102 Dalmatians). Basically, once upon a time in the animated fairytale kingdom of Andalasia, Giselle (Doubt's Golden Globe and National Movie Award nominated Amy Adams) is the beautiful maiden living in the forest cottage waiting for her prince charming to come along. Prince Edward (James Marsden) is the one who hears her singing, and when they meet they instantly fall in love and are to be married the next day and have a happily ever after. However her evil stepmother Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) has been watching over in displeasure and doesn't her son Edward marrying her, so she disguises herself as an old hag and lures her to the magical well where she is pushed in. She tumbles into a new world where she changes from animated into a real life character, and in this world apparently no-one can truly fall in love, there is no fairytale magic and there are no happy endings, it is present day New York. She soon meets hardened but friendly divorce lawyer Robert Philip (National Movie Award nominated Patrick Dempsey) and his little daughter Morgan (Rachel Covey), who insists he lets her stay with them until she can get back to where she belongs and her "true love". While Giselle keeps acting like she is still a fairytale, including getting the animals of the city to do the cleaning and dress making, such as pigeons, rats and cockroaches, Prince Edward has found his way into the city as well. The Queen wants to make sure that the "happy couple" won't find each other, so she sends henchman Nathaniel (Timothy Spall) into the real world with a poison apple to put Giselle into the deadly sleeping death. Giselle's chipmunk friend Pip (Lima himself) is also there, unable speak coherently like he could in Andalasia (voiced by Jeff Bennett), so he can't be understood properly, especially by the daft prince. Robert may be engaged to Nancy Tremaine (Idina Menzel), who is misreading the situation between him and Giselle, but they spend more time together, she discovers real life has many more complications, especially in finding true love, he is finding her optimism and idealism affectionate. Edward eventually finds Giselle in the apartment she is living in with Robert, and while he is eager to get back to Andalsia with his bride, she is not so much, learning how to really fall in love she says they should have a date. Robert with Nancy, and Giselle with Edward, they all see the advertisement for the King's and Queen's Ball, and there is the part where they swap partners and Giselle realise her true love is actually with Robert. They do not know that because Nathaniel failed three times to kill the princess, she has come to the real world herself, disguised herself as the old hag once again, and tempts Giselle with the poison apple. Confessing the evil plot and going against the Queen, who he has realised is truly evil, Nathaniel says that true love's kiss is what can save her before the strike of midnight, but it fails for Edward. Robert kisses her just in time, and the spell is broken, and that is when Narissa makes her way out, turns into a giant dragon and takes Robert hostage to the top off the roof. In the end, with the help of Pip, the Queen falls to her death, Giselle saves Robert, and meeting each other and being attracted Edward and Nancy go back to animated Andalasia to marry, while Giselle, Robert and Morgan are a happy family. Narrated by Dame Julie Andrews. Adams is enchanting as the naive but adorable fish out of water princess, Dempsey is likable, Sarandon looks like she is having fun, the animation at the beginning, end and in between is really good, the computer effects do their part, and the story is really fun viewing, with many great jokes about fairytale traditions, a must see family part-animated romantic comedy fantasy. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Song for "Happy Working Song", Best Song for "So Close" and Best Song for "That's How You Know" (it was also nominated the Golden Globe) (no wonder Take That's "Rule The World" in Stardust wasn't considered, three songs!), and it was nominated the National Movie Award for Best Musical. Very good!