Missy Thompson
STAFF WRITER
"Cinderella," "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and "Sleeping Beauty" are just three of the many animated films that Disney has produced over the past 50 years. More recently, live-action has combined with animation to create uniquely stylized films. But never has Disney managed to develop a masterpiece with 2-D animation and live action.
"Enchanted" is one of the more innovative and entertaining films to come from Disney in years. Movies such as "Beowulf" have distinct characteristics of animations, but "Enchanted" is more subtle and has more of an audience impact.
I may be biased toward this movie because of my ridiculous obsession with Patrick Dempsey, who stars as Robert, an uptight New York City lawyer. However, it's Amy Adams as the sweet, but clueless, princess Giselle who steals the show. In any other role, her overly peppy and bright personality would be annoying, but in this role Adams is phenomenal.
The reason for this movie being so well-done and close to perfection is the wonderful casting. With Dempsey and Adams playing the main characters, James Marsden as Prince Edward and Susan Sarandon as the deliciously evil Queen Narissa round out the supporting cast. Likewise, newcomer Rachel Covey, who plays Robert's daughter Morgan, is almost as enchanting as Adams.
Very rarely are movies directed toward children enjoyable for adults as well. And unlike many films that have innuendo that a child might not understand, "Enchanted" doesn't feature any of these characteristics. Instead, it uses other Disney references that are entertaining to watch for. This is a refreshing movie that is appropriate and engaging for audiences of all ages.
In "Enchanted" Giselle lives in the fairy-tale world of Andalasia where she sings and makes friends with furry woodland creatures. One day she falls in the lap of Prince Edward and falls immediately in love. But Edward's wicked stepmother, Queen Narissa, doesn't want Giselle to become the new queen so she pushes Giselle down a magical well where she pops up bewildered in Times Square in Manhattan.
Giselle ends up meeting the handsome Robert and his daughter Morgan, who take her in without much thought. Morgan believes Giselle is a princess -- who sings to animals and always looks perfect -- while Robert finds her strange. It causes stress between Robert and his girlfriend Nancy (Idina Menzel), who thinks he is cheating on her. All Giselle wants is to find her true love Edward, who eventually finds his own way into New York City.
As Giselle spends more time with Robert, her views on love and life start to change. It seems Robert returns her feelings, but his relationship with Nancy has already undergone many strains and he doesn't want to damage it anymore. But when Narissa shows up in the real world, she wreaks havoc for Robert, Giselle, Edward and Morgan. Will a storybook romance between a princess and a lawyer work or will Giselle go back to live happily ever after with Edward in Andalasia?
"Enchanted" is the perfect movie to see this Thanksgiving weekend. It will put audiences in a happy mindset for the holiday season. During a time typically dominated by 'R' rated movies seeking Academy Award nominations, "Enchanted" breaks the mold of family-friendly films. It holds its own as a refreshing and enjoyable film for everyone.
missy@tooeletranscript.com
Grade: A-
Rated: PG
Time: 107 minutes
Opens today