A fun, postmodernist ride (MILD spoilers)

Rating: 7/10 (27 November 2007)

Shaun Munro's Reviews (ShaunMunro.co.uk):
Enchanted's opening moments serve as a wonderful hark back to the classic animation of yesteryear, and even as someone not terribly fond of grand musical interludes, I was frankly taken aback and very much, dare I say, enchanted by this film.
The premise is such - Giselle (Amy Adams), soon to be Princess, is on the lookout for love in Prince Edward (James Marsden), whilst the evil Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) wishes to foil this plan to retain her prestige. The setup for Enchanted is unoriginal, but it has been so long since we have seen this dynamic in any sort of animated form that it is an instant win for director Kevin Lima.
Whilst the opening animated sequence borrows from Snow White (among other Disney classics) in many ways, the meat of the film is unlike anything else that Disney have cooked up over the years. Through the Queen's meticulous scheme, Giselle becomes banished to a world where there are no happy endings  the "real world".
As the film transforms from animation to live action, enter the gloriously dolled-up Amy Adams, traipsing around New York City in a gigantic white dress, entirely oblivious to what is going on around her. Enchanted is a classic "out of towner in the big city" story with a fantastical twist  the real world is a colossal culture shock to Giselle, as she learns upon being mugged (in hilarious fashion) by a homeless man.
Soon enough, she meets Robert, played by Patrick Dempsey, who, along with the majority of the cast of the horrendous Grey's Anatomy, I had near enough written off. Nonetheless, Giselle, who is simply looking to find her way home, becomes embroiled in Robert's life, and frankly, with her high-pitched voice and snazzy dress sense, who could blame Robert for thinking that she had escaped from the local asylum? In perhaps one of the film's few weak points of development, Robert allows Giselle to sleep at his place despite his previous trepidation, although this is very much his character all over  he buckles to her charms, and says more about Robert as a character than any sort of weak scriptwriting.
From this point, Prince Edward and his trusty chipmunk sidekick arrive on the scene to rescue Giselle. It becomes evident from James Marsden's first live-action scene in this film that he had great fun with this role, hurling himself into it completely with a rare energy seen nowadays. As with his memorable turn in this year's Hairspray, Marsden shows his knack for these melodramatic, charismatic roles, and moreover, who could resist that smile? Enchanted is not without its curiosities, such as how Giselle knows quite what a vacuum cleaner is as she sings about it, but that's probably one of the less ridiculous things about this film, considering it has vermin scrubbing a toilet with toothbrushes. The film is full of such divergences, but they are forgivable, and more to the point, acceptable ones.
As can be quite predictably expected, all of this chaos causes an upheaval in Robert's personal and professional life. Robert is given a number of opportunities to get rid of Giselle, and under normal circumstances, I would become irritated when he doesn't, but given how this is a live-action fairytale, and an ironic one at that, juxtaposing the real life and the transcendental, I can show some mercy. Also, let's face it  Amy Adams is just that charming  she adds a bravery to her role by adding a face to the would-be animated voice.
The film generally does well to steer clear from irritation, although it is not without its instances of unadulterated cheese, such as an impromptu dance number in the middle of Central Park. In its defense, it isn't anything more over-the-top than you would see in a normal Disney film, and it is just as well telegraphed.
The course of the film envisions a dichotomous change for our characters  Giselle becomes humanised, employing an air of rational thought (even at one point, quite hilariously, feeling anger), whilst Robert begins to exhibit a fresher, more romanticised outlook on life. Giselle's influence on not only Robert but the world around her is profound, her magic aura touching many lives, whilst all the positives of the corporeal world rub off on Giselle and her Prince.
Aside from the evil Queen arriving on Earth to take care of Giselle herself, the film posits a veiled question of morality, love and relationships. Regrettably, the answer didn't really seem within the ironic vein of the rest of the picture, instead leaning towards a clean, fairytale solution rather than an authentic one. I'm not sure if it sends the right message to the youngsters of 2007, but again, it hasn't done anything that Disney hasn't already been doing for the last seventy years, and like classics such as Mulan, Enchanted, by its end, presents us with an exceedingly strong female protagonist. Heck, the film even puts in a good word for stepmothers everywhere! All in all, I didn't expect, but merely hope for a more complex solution to the issues that Enchanted raises, rather than the syrupy ending we're treated to. Still, this is a solid urban fairytale with electrifying performances, namely from the wonderful Amy Adams, but also from James Marsden, and the surprisingly tolerable Patrick Dempsey. The film serves well to remain tongue-in-cheek right up until its final moments, and even despite the problematic third act, it is difficult to hold a grudge against a film where the term "feel good" has rarely been more apt.