Enchanted – Film Review

There’s a certain aura of bright, bubbly energy to Kevin Lima‘s Enchanted that honestly hasn’t been replicated by the folks over at Disney since this movie’s release all the way back in the winter of 2007. It’s an incredibly heartwarming and uplifting tale that boasts an extremely sharp script from Bill Kelly who certainly had some bold ideas for a story.

Are some elements of this film quite predictable? Yes. It’s kind of hard to not see how the movie’s going to end as soon as you watch the first twenty minutes or so of it, but it doesn’t really matter because the journey here is what’s important. You’ll never see a Disney movie feel so grounded and yet so goofy in all the best ways.

Enchanted beautifully blends the tried-and-true, beloved 2D animation style that fans adore with live-action and it never once feels out of place. As a matter of fact, the first time I saw this movie switch over to live-action, I was taken aback pleasantly because I knew that it was Disney breaking out of their comfort zone which is always something good to see.

The central dynamic between Giselle and Robert in this story is so syrupy sweet without ever coming across as too strong or overbearing. Just seeing them go for a walk outside, and Robert trying to explain to Giselle what a date even is, is so endearing. It’s a classic fish-out-of-water story, and one of my personal favorites.

All of the musical numbers here are also terrific, namely “That’s How You Know” and “Ever Ever After,” two of the best love songs to ever be in a Disney film. In many ways, Enchanted really felt like the one movie where the House of Mouse pulled out all the stops, and just let director Kevin Lima do whatever he so pleased. They really need to do stuff like that more often if it means we’ll have more movies down the road with the same level as greatness as this one.

Amy Adams delivers one of the most charming and charismatic Disney performances of all-time here in the role of Giselle. She’s a a princess who finds herself sucked into the real-world and is absolutely fascinated by everything she sees around her. Along the way, we meet Robert, portrayed wonderfully by Patrick Dempsey, who is trying to help her learn the ways of the real-world.

Of course, this can sometimes end in hilarity, and sometimes it even ends up being extremely emotional. Enchanted seriously makes you go through every single emotion there is throughout it’s breezy runtime. By the time it’s all over, you’ll find yourself wanting to watch it again and relive the magic instantaneously.

Enchanted is an infectiously cheery and heartwarming musical fantasy romantic comedy, brought to life spectacularly by wonderful musical numbers, and an incredibly fun performance from Amy Adams.