Enchanted (2007)

Enchanted (2007)

 7/10

Starring

Amy Adams
Patrick Dempsey
James Marsden
Timothy Spall
Idina Menzel

Directed by Kevin Lima

 

It’s not every day you watch a film that talks about its ending from the start, sets the stage for predictability, and still sticks the landing perfectly. Enchanted doesn’t try to reinvent the “happily ever after” premise, but the journey to that ending brings a refreshing dose of reality I’ve always wanted some of these fairytale characters to face. The movie takes its lead character from a fantasy world and drops her into the real world, where “happily ever after” is not guaranteed and often comes with risks.

The cringe-worthy moments of characters singing in public, paired with witty lines, add to the movie’s charm. Amy Adams’ performance feels like this is her world—it’s as if the role was tailor-made for her. She sings beautifully, and her portrayal elevates the entire movie. Enchanted caters to audiences of all ages. Even though the CGI effects of the dragon at the end are a major letdown, you can overlook that thanks to the clever reversal of the classic damsel-in-distress scenario.

Enchanted is a Disney live-action/animated musical fantasy romantic comedy about a young woman, Giselle (voiced and portrayed by Amy Adams), who lives in the animated fairy tale kingdom of Andalasia. She dreams of finding her “happily ever after” and marrying a prince. That prince, Edward (voiced and portrayed by James Marsden), happens to be the stepson of the kingdom’s evil queen, who rules Andalasia. The queen’s reign would end if Edward got married, so she keeps him distracted to maintain her power.

One day, Giselle is attacked by a troll, and Edward comes to her rescue. They fall in love instantly and decide to marry the next day. However, the evil queen tricks Giselle into making a wish at a magical pool and then pushes her in. Giselle falls through the pool and ends up in the real world as a living, breathing person. Confused and overwhelmed, she wanders around New York City searching for her prince.

A divorce lawyer named Robert (Patrick Dempsey) spots the disoriented Giselle standing in the rain. His young daughter is enchanted by Giselle, who looks like a fairy tale princess. When Robert’s daughter runs to Giselle, he follows and catches Giselle as she falls. Reluctantly, Robert agrees to help her, but he soon finds himself caught up in her chaotic fairy tale quest to reunite with her prince.

Meanwhile, Edward follows Giselle through the magical pool into the real world. Now, there are two fairy tale characters causing havoc in their search for each other.

The movie gave Amy Adams widespread recognition for her performance and was both a critical and commercial success for Disney. Despite the high production cost of $85 million, the movie performed remarkably well. Disney has been planning a sequel for a while, and pre-production has already begun. Titled Disenchanted, the sequel will see Adams, Dempsey, Marsden, and Idina Menzel returning to their roles.