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ARTICLE
DVD Review: Enchanted
by Doug DeBolt Published: March 18, 2008
Rating: Country: United States Release Date: March 18, 2007 Distributor: Walt Disney Video Director: · Kevin Lima Cast: · Amy Adams · Patrick Dempsey · James Marsden · Susan Sarandon · Timothy Spall · Rachel Covey · Idina Menzel Related Sites: ·IMDb: Enchanted
Grade: A
Almost 20 years ago, the Walt Disney animation studios were virtually saved from exinction by a novel concept -- a Broadway musical fused with an animated feature. The result was a string of brilliant films, starting with "The Little Mermaid." In recent years, the Disney franchise has again struggled to produce winning traditional animated features, as well as credible live-action movies.
Enter the next novel concept in the history of a studio known for rewriting the rules. "Enchanted" is at once an enthralling animated movie crossed with an endearing live action film crossed with a Broadway musical. Call it, "Beauty and the Beast Meets Sleeping Beauty Meets Mary Poppins" -- and the result is pure magic. If Disney takes advantage, the momentum from this film could resurrect the studio's flagging fortunes.
Though the bulk of the movie takes place in modern-day New York City, it starts in the far-off animated land of Andalasia, where a young woman named Giselle (Amy Adams) is assembling her dream prince (with the aid of forest animals, ala "Snow White"). As she sings, Prince Edward (James Marsden) is enraptured by her song and, on the way to find the source of the voice, saves her from a hungry troll. As with all great animated Disney films, a wedding is scheduled for the next day. The kingdom's evil queen (Susan Sarandon), who is also Edward's stepmother, has other plans, and she pushes Giselle down a well and into another reality -- New York City -- where Giselle is no longer animated and life is no longer magical.
Snowed Under? In "Enchanted," Disney pays homage to a host of its own animated classics, including "Snow White" and "Cinderella."
In her quest to find her way back home, Giselle encounters a divorce attorney named Robert (Patrick Dempsey) and his daughter, Morgan (Rachel Covey). While Giselle believes in the magic of true love's first kiss (and that Prince Edward will come to save her), Robert is somewhat more cynical. He has settled into a comfortable relationship with an almost fiancee, Nancy (Idina Menzel), though he is obviously drawn to Giselle and her romantic view of the world.
Though there are only a few twists and turns to an otherwise predictable story, "Enchanted" is completely engrossing and is perfect family fare. Like the Disney animated classics of the late 1980s and early 1990s, it features a score by Alan Menken, who teamed with the late Howard Ashman on "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin." This time, Menken's music is matched with the lyrics of Stephen Schwartz, who previously worked on Disney films "Pocahontas" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." Their efforts are as magical as the storyline, including songs like "Happy Working Song," "So Close" and "That's How You Know" (each of which earned an Academy Award nomination). Each of these songs turn into larger-than-life musical numbers with choreography and special effects that make them rival such legendary numbers as "Under the Sea" and "Be Our Guest." The film also features the tune "Ever Ever After," sung by Carrie Underwood, during the closing credits.
Under Her Spell. The eternally cheery Giselle (Amy Adams) can't help but infect cynical New Yorkers with her zest for life.
While a story like this could easily become silly, director Kevin Lima's direction instead often parodies other Disney animated films and thereby keeps "Enchanted" feeling almost animated itself during its live-action segments. There are numerous direct and veiled references to the entire Disney franchise, dating back to "Snow White." Each performance adds so much to the movie's charm, from Adams letter-perfect would-be princess, to Marsden's over-indulgent prince, to Dempsey's knight-inside-an-attorney to Sarandon's wickedly delightful queen (who spends much of the film as an animated vision appearing only to her henchman, Nathaniel, played by Timothy Spall).
In a world normally lacking in truly enjoyable family films, "Enchanted" is a delight that can be viewed often without growing old. We can only hope that Disney will learn from this success and deliver more similarly enjoyable movies in the near future.
The DVD includes a number of bonus features, including deleted scenes, bloopers, a behind-the-scenes documentary and a "pop-up adventure" about Pip, Giselle's chipmunk friend who follows her from Andalasia to New York.
