The animation business has evolved over the last 25 years to where hand-drawn animation is a rarity, Disney shies away from making musical fairy tales, and there’s little room for the simple story of a princess searching for true love. That is, until now. Return to the golden age of Disney in this wonderful original story about a princess who falls out of her animated kingdom and into the real world of New York City. “Enchanted” not only appreciates the stories of a bygone era, but it gently pokes fun at the conventions of the Disney animated classics. Surprisingly fresh and authentic with wit and humor, this holiday movie is a real treat for the whole family.
Gisele (Amy Adams, “Junebug”) dreams of meeting a prince in a far-away animated land, where she sings to the woodland creatures and dances around a cottage in the woods. Prince Edward is a dashing but not-too-bright hero who slays ogres, but his evil stepmother, Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon, “Shall We Dance”), is purposefully keeping him from falling in love.
When Gisele and Edward meet by chance, it seems like destiny and they quickly plan to wed. Queen Narissa unfortunately intervenes, and Gisele is tricked into falling into the real world as a human being. Soon, the modern metropolis surrounding her overwhelms Gisele, but she wanders into the path of single father Robert Philip (Patrick Dempsey, TV’s “Grey’s Anatomy”) and his young daughter, who sees her for the princess she really is.
However, Edward (James Marsden, “X-Men: The Last Stand”) follows closely behind, trying desperately to reunite with his love while the evil Queen pulls strings to keep them apart.
Adams is splendid as the formerly animated, soon-to-be princess, bringing a vitality and sweet innocence to the role. She seemingly breaks into song, wells up with tears and remains cheerily optimistic on command. Gisele’s view on the modern world is a rather insightful one, piercing our preconceived notions of how things ought to be.
You can appreciate the film on different levels, whether a traditional fairy tale, a parody or even a social commentary. The film expresses the idea that little girls wanting to be princesses and living happily ever after does not have to be an outdated or politically incorrect concept, or that true love does not have to be an impossible ideal but rather something to look for in a relationship. Disney has decided not to give up on these notions with “Enchanted,” and perhaps neither should society.
The other characters help weave the magical spell, whether it’s the egocentric Edward, an adorable animated chipmunk, or a modern guy who had all but given up on love. The original music created for the movie, along with the singing and dancing numbers - its not as idyllic or expected in the real world as in the animated one - round out a funny yet touching film. The flipbook narrative style at the beginning and end complete the picture on this new Disney classic.
I hope audiences turn out and tell Hollywood that there’s still some room in our lives for fairy tales and finely drawn animation. While families and couples will really enjoy this film, all you moms, aunts and grandmothers should definitely take the little girls in your lives to see and enjoy this story together - let yourself be swept up in the magic of a Disney film done right.
Rated PG for some scary images and mild innuendo.
