By Bren Belmonte | Staff Writer
On Nov 18, “Disenchanted,” a PG-rated film streaming on Disney+, was released. It is about parents Giselle (Amy Adams) and Robert (Patrick Dempsey), their teenage daughter Morgan (Gabriella Bandacchino), and their newborn daughter Sofia (Mila Jackson) living together.
The film takes place ten years after the events of the first movie, “Enchanted,” a romantic musical comedy taking place in the fairytale land of Andalasia, where Giselle falls in love at first sight with Prince Edward (James Marsden). On Giselle’s wedding day with the prince, his mother banishes her to the current world of New York, and along the way she meets her future husband, Robert.
In “Disenchanted,” Giselle decides to relocate her family to Monroeville, a suburban community, as life in Manhattan starts to become dull and tiring. Giselle feels miserable after a fight with her moody teenage step-daughter and uses an Andalasian wand to wish that her life would be a fairy tale. Once Giselle wishes, she transforms into an evil stepmother in a warped version of Cinderella.
This is a brilliant twist on the typical fairy tale, although the film’s writers were unsure how to handle it, giving audiences a bland plot rather than a rich take on the premise.
“Disenchanted” lacks a compelling narrative and instead is more like a game where viewers score points for identifying Disney references. For example, Morgan has a solo titled “Perfect” which makes reference to the Disney princess, Belle.
It was fascinating to observe Giselle switch between good and evil often in the same line, as she tries to navigate the upside-down world. Although the role is difficult, Adams makes it seem simple.
Malvina (Maya Rudolph), a dominant socialite from the suburban town Giselle’s family moves to, is transformed into a wicked queen. Rudolph is excellent in giving facial expressions, although it is desired that she did more in the given role.
Given the amount of potential that the screenplay gave Morgan, Bandacchino did a terrific job performing the part. As the Cinderella of the story, her character is the most intriguing.
Each scene is directed by Adam Shankman. His popular films from the past include “Bringing Down the House”, “Hairspray”, and “Hocus Pocus 2.”
“Disenchanted” features both traditional animation and computer-generated imagery, similar to the first movie. The effects were well-crafted and designed for a Disney+ production.
The film’s opening sequences present gorgeous animation as a return to the kingdom of Andalasia. Though later animation scenes in this film did not look as eye-catching, they were reminiscent of the first film.
The songs, which were written by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, are uninspiring; they are more generic Broadway than the upbeat pop of “Disenchanted” aesthetics.
The first half of the film was entertaining, and every actor appeared to be putting in their best effort. However, the movie itself is not very rewatch-worthy. “Disenchanted” definitely did not fit the standards of the original.
