Enchanted DVD > Reviews > For The Kis In All Of Us

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Story	Outstanding
Characters / Performances	Outstanding
Special Effects	Outstanding
How does it compare to similar films?	Outstanding

Advantages:	Funny, Moving, Clever, Well Acted
Disadvantages:	Not A Lot

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Giselle is waiting for her Prince Charming; she is waiting for him to sweep her off her feet and take her to the castle and allow her to live happily ever after; then she can be like every other woman living in her animated world. So when Prince Edward saves her from a bumbling giant and carries her off on his white horse, she finally begins to feel happy. But Edward's mother is the evil queen of the village and wants Giselle gone, so after luring her to a secluded well, the queen pushes the soon to be princess down and into a place where nobody gets their happy ending - New York City. Giselle is suddenly faced with having to deal with real people and real problems, not understanding where to go she is forced to wonder the deserted streets of NYC in the pouring rain. However, a young girl insists that her single father, a jaded and cynical divorce attorney, takes her into their apartment and offer shelter for the night. But through her interactions with the real world Giselle discovers about true emotions, breaking down barriers and smashing stereotypes... but what will she do when her prince charming comes to get her?

Enchanted is a charming and stylish family flick which never fails to entertain with its magical screenplay, sparkling visuals and intelligent performances. It shows a stylistic flair and maturity which is rare in modern kiddie fare and it has some surprising plot twists up its sleeve. It impressively blends the fantasy of old time Hollywood with the sentiment of modern day moviemaking and dips its toes in enough different genres to appeal to everyone. At Enchanted's heart, underneath all of the special effects and musical numbers, is a great piece of storytelling, a story which encompasses genuine emotions, drafts wonderful characters and manages to make its hippy dippy world seem inexplicably real. The script contains some brilliant dialogue, chuckle-worthy sight gags and a genuinely emotional core (my family and I welled up one more than one occasion -I am ashamed to say.....) which stops the production spinning out of control. In short it's a witty, involving and stylish Disney hit.

Originally one of the most startling things about Enchanted is the detail and lusciousness of the opening animations; the actors are beautifully recreated into the 2-D world with vivid colours and exotic, fantastical surroundings. However this piece of the film feels a little contrived, the jibes at old Disney cartoons are funny but strained and it quickly falls into the routine and formulaic. However, once Giselle is pushed into the very real world of New York City (after a visually stunning transition scene) the story picks up and the screenplay piles on the laughs and emotion. The princess's misunderstandings are endlessly amusing and heart is injected into her character from the onset, allowing for some genuinely emotional punches later on. The script writers pull their ambitious task off because they never take themselves too seriously; there is always a wry humour behind the shenanigans and there are very few lapses in intelligence. The script is a refreshing change from the slapstick and vulgarity of recent kiddie fodder, and the scriptwriters show that they can actually craft a good story with three dimensional characterisation and a dose of originality. They also manage to include grand musical numbers which aren't irritating.....so they must be good.

Infact the musical sequences are some of the films best; they explode onto the screen like multi coloured confectionaries, sweet and silly with amazing choreography, great set pieces and extremely catchy beats. A lot of the lyrics are genuinely clever and are helped by the vocal talents of both Amy Adams and James Marsden, and the music manages to stay true to old Disney traditions whilst adding something fresh and modern. 'That How You Know' is a brilliant Jamaican-pop fusion, complete with dancing skaters and steel drum baseline, 'Happy Working Song' is a funny and sweet take on Disney's old animation roots which shows off Adam's great vocals, 'So Close' is a mushy but undeniably romantic ballad which sets up the film's most emotional sequence and 'True Loves Kiss' is a pretty little ditty between Marsden and Adams. The first three songs mentioned have just been nominated for Oscars and they deserve it - buoyant, affable and refreshingly likeable they make a great addition to the film.

Enchanted is also very funny, there are more than a few belly laughs for the whole family and some special jibes for those who are old enough or remember being a kid in Disney's glory days. But the humour is surprisingly intelligent, the film never resorts to over-used slapstick or crude jokes and there is not one moment of mean spiritedness. The comedy always has a fun edge; in an attempt to clean her apartment, Giselle whistles for animals to help her, expecting the woodland creatures that characterise her animated world and is shocked when the cockroaches, flies and rats of the city burst into the room. There is much laughter to be had from the princess's innocent reactions to a cynical world and the whole film adopts a light and breezy atmosphere which is endlessly funny. Some of the dialogue is hilarious, there are some funny plot twists and all of the performers show genuine comedic flair, with the screenplay showing great pacing and a nice mix of silly and sophisticated.

Amy Adams gives an effortlessly charming, effervescent, hilarious, involving, beautiful, intelligent, emotional performance as Giselle and manages to pick the film up onto her slender shoulders and run with it. There is no note of cynicism in her characterisation; she perfectly embodies the wonder and fun of the animated world, delivering a comedic one two punch as a optimistic princess as well as an emotional portrayal of a young woman discovering her independence, sense of self whilst battling stereotypes. She seems to connect with the dialogue, delivering it with the loose limbed fun of a Disney doll and shows that she has a wonderful singing voice as well as considerable dancing talents. She imbues the piece with such a sense of fun that's its impossible not to like her and she has great chemistry with her on screen stars.

It may sound silly, but Enchanted is actually a really moving/emotional little film with a great message for little children of all ages; one scene involving a dance at a gala hall is easy to well up to and Giselle search to find an identity away from the stereotypes of her cartoon world is uplifting, beautifully handled and easy to relate to. Because the characters are so easy to relate to, it is easy to be affected by the things which happen to them and the central romance is extremely sweet. Every character is given a great subplot (even Timothy Spall's Nathanial is given a story about loving himself and finding self confidence which is engaging) and the interactions between the fantasy figures feel very real and emotional. It's a refreshing change to see a mainstream film which has a 'message' but isn't manipulative or superficial and it makes for a great, uplifting finale. Kevin Lima directs with a lightness of touch and intelligence which makes the whole thing very poignant; his affection for the genre is evident throughout and he handles the script with wit and talent.

Enchanted looks amazing; New York City looks like the most fantastical place on the universe, the animation is amazing as is the camera work, set design, costume design and special effects. The Queens transformation into a dragon is amazingly grand and her deformation into an old hag is equally believable, there is a digitally constructed squirrel which is incredibly realistic and the set design for the main gala sequence is gorgeous. The camera work gives the film a sort of Hollywood sheen and the crews use of colours is very interesting.

Both Patrick Dempsey and James Marsden put in great performances as Giselle's two potential soul mates. Dempsey is brilliant as the film's straight man, he comes across as cynical but not hard hearted and is very believable as a single parent, the pain of his past is beautifully portrayed and his talents as a male love interest are put to good use. His charisma and chemistry with Adam's is very apparent and he manages to add depth to perhaps the most ordinary of the film characters; he is good at the mushy, love struck stuff and adds a bit of realism to all of the scenes. Marsden's over the top, sillier than silly interpretation of the prince is very funny and he manages to adopt the stance and mannerisms of an animated hero.

Overall Enchanted is an effervescent, intelligent and funny modern day fairytale for the big kid in all of us.