Mutant Reviewers from Hell do
"It's just that... it's like you escaped from a Hallmark card or something."

2007 PG / Musical Romance Directed by: Kevin Lima Starring: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden

Tagline

The real world and the animated world collide.

Summary Capsule

An animated Disney princess gets ejected to the real world for a little culture clash

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Justin's Rating: How do I know? Because I got Ghostbuster gear for my birthday, that's how.
Justin's Review: At the end of a marathon four-parks-in-four-days Walt Disney World tour, my wife and I were about as inundated with the Disney spirit (or "evil corporate brainwashing", depending on your level of cynicism) as was possible. So there really wasn't a choice as to what new movie we were going to see that evening at the theaters - it had to be the new Disney musical/animated/live-action blend Enchanted.

"She's also bringing something into our world that is sadly lacking in so many places: boundless optimism, abject horror for the epidemic of divorce, and cockroach mind control."

And after four days of bright colors, fairy tales and the goofy Disney religion (which is, I suppose, "Feel good, play nice and pay $45 for plastic souveniers"), we just about spewed during the saccerine opening moments of the film, where an animated Princess was singing to her enslaved flock of animals about True Love. Because if there's a high deity on the Disney chain, other than money, it has to be True Love. True Love. What does that even mean, any more? Wide eyes, perfect chance meetings, a romantic medley sung against the backdrop of a picnic in the park and a magical kiss that solves every problem, even upper lip hair for the girls?

Whereas Shrek was forthcoming about its fairy tale lampooning, Enchanted is more sly as it twists the three-quarters of a century of Disney tradition into a film that's parts mocking and parts sincerity. Once you get past the initial sugar shock of yet another doe-eyed bimbo singing to forest critters under her thrall and a prince in tights coming to her rescue, Enchanted dumps the tradition on its head by transplanting all of its characters into modern-day New York.

What didn't quite work in Cool World is a subversive bliss here. Giselle (Amy Adams) is unceremoniously dumped onto the rough streets of the city, with nothing but the power of unbounding optimism and the ability to call animals to do her bidding to lend a hand. She's befriended by Robert (Patrick Dempsey), a divorce lawyer and yet another single Disney parent - "Happily Ever After" in a Disney flick requires some poor spouse to die horribly a number of years back. As Prince Edward (James Marsden) pursues her from the animated world and Nathaniel (Timothy Spall) tries to keep the couple from reuniting, Giselle gets a crash course in Real World 101.

The charm of the movie is that as much as Giselle is learning how tricksy life and love can be outside of a picture-perfect Disney animatronicon, she's also bringing something into our world that is sadly lacking in so many places: boundless optimism, abject horror for the epidemic of divorce, and cockroach mind control. Robert might be world-weary and "realistic", but his developing relationship with Giselle reignites something inside of him: hope.

It's a truly funny - and fun - movie, with excellent musical numbers and sly jabs at Disney mainstays. A Disney fanatic could keep themselves occupied for a long time trying to identify all of the homages and references to older flicks held here, but the rest of us are welcome to lose ourselves in the silly fluff of it all.

"Don't cancel us Mr. Disney! We'll be good! We can shill!" Ugh. Street performers. I'm pretty fairly sure this is how most women see their universe.

Didja Notice? [some sources: IMDb]

• The bus driver's hair is shaped like Mickey Mouse's ears, as well as the green pepper slices on the pizza Robert and Giselle are served at the Bella Notte restaurant.
• When Prince Edward searches Robert's building for Giselle, one of the doors he knocks on is for apartment 714, which is the area code for Orange County, where the original Disneyland park is located.
• Two of the elderly men dancers appeared in West Side Story together, and another elderly dancers appeared in Mary Poppins as a chimney sweep.
• Wilhelm scream!

Is It Worth Staying Through End Credits?

There are cutout homages to other Disney films, so I guess so.

Intermission! [some sources: IMDb]

In the scene where Edward is on top of the bus, the people riding on tour buses next to him laughing and pointing at him weren't extras, but actual real tourists.

The actresses who provided the voices for three previous animated Disney princesses make appearances in the film: Jodi Benson (Ariel in The Little Mermaid), Paige O'Hara (Belle in Beauty and the Beast), and Judy Kuhn (Pocahontas). Also, Julie Andrews, who starred as the title character in Disney's live-action Mary Poppins, provides her voice here as the Narrator.

This is the second Disney film to cleverly switch aspect ratios, the first being Brother Bear. Like Brother Bear, the film starts in a 1.75:1 aspect ratio when in animated Andalasia, and then subtly switches to the CinemaScope ratio of 2.35:1 when Giselle becomes a live-action character.

The wedding dress that Giselle wore weighed 45 pounds. A stunt double taught Amy Adams how to move in the dress.

It kinda bugs me that Giselle is NOT being included in Disney's Princesses line. Why the heck not?

Groovy Quotes

Morgan Philip: Remember, when you go out not to put too much makeup or the boys may get the wrong idea. They are only after one thing.
Giselle: What's that?
Morgan Philip: I don't know. They won't tell me.

Robert: How do you all know this song? I've never heard this song before!

Giselle: Why are you staring at me?
Robert: I don't know. It's just that... it's like you escaped from a Hallmark card or something.

Giselle: I remember this one time, when the poor wolf was being chased around by Little Red Riding Hood around his grandmother's house, and she had an axe... oh, and if Pip hadn't been walking by to help I don't know what would've happened!
Morgan Philip: I don't really remember that version.
Giselle: Well, that's because Red tells it a little differently.

Giselle: Now if only I can find a place to rest my head for the night.
Robert Philip: What kind of place?
Giselle: I don't know. Maybe a nearby meadow or a hollow tree.
Robert Philip: A hollow tree?
Giselle: Or a house full of dwarves. I hear they're very hospitable.

Giselle: You're unhappy.
Robert: YOU MADE A DRESS OUT OF MY CURTAINS?

Soundtrack Review

Decent score, but the real reason to pick this up is for the trio of terrific musical numbers.

If you liked this movie, try these:

• Shrek
• The Sound of Music
• Cinderella