Enchanted

[KLAXXON]

A fairy tale comes to life in this thoroughly original, new Disney Classic. Drawing inspiration from its classic heritage, Disney creates an inspired story unlike any you’ve experienced before.

Filled with excitement, fun and incredible music from the legendary Alan Menken, Enchanted is the ultimate fish-out-of-water adventure. For princess-to-be Giselle, life is a fairy tale – until she’s banished from the animated land of Andalasia and thrust into the very unmagical, live-action world of modern-day Manhattan. When a cynical, no-nonsense divorce lawyer comes to her aid, little does he realise this joyful, wide-eyed innocent is about to enchant him. Enchanted – the musical comedy that will have your entire family under its spell.

DISNEY then, Disney now – this live action/animation modern fairytale uses the studio’s past to take it to the future.


Beginning like the classic animated stories, with a beautiful princess being rescued by a handsome prince, it raises a laugh immediately with a brilliant send-up of the saccharin duets the young lovers usually sing.


But then the obligatory evil stepmother banishes the Prince’s new bride to a place “where there are no happily ever afters” — modern day New York.


He won’t give up easily though, and joins the exodus to the Big Apple. As the animated characters emerge from the New York drain, they become live versions of themselves — with brilliant results.


Amy Adams’ wide-eyed Princess Giselle is rescued by a handsome, disillusioned divorce lawyer and his young daughter, who is the only one to believe her fantastic story may be true. Giselle’s innocence in the most cynical of surroundings make for the most delicious comic moments.


James Marsden is wonderful as the dumb but romantic Prince, whose first act in NYC is to stab a bus which he believes to be a mechanical beast — is he wrong?

Susan Sarandon’s spectacular evil stepmothertakes too long to emerge from her cartoon world but steals the show when she does.


The Sneak took two boys of five and seven as well as a girl of eight to the screening and all three loved it. Yes, even the boys did. Laced with humour that appeals to all ages, this magical tale is a huge blast of family fun.


Definitely the best film for young kids this year. The Sneak, of course, was Enchanted.

The good news: animated Disney princess Giselle (Adams) has found true love with a prince (Marsden). Bad news: his stepmother (Sarandon) doesn’t want him to create a new queen, so she banishes Giselle to real-world New York, which doesn’t gel with her fairy-tale ways.



For all their contribution to animation history and their near-miraculous ability to condense any emotion into a hummable melody, Disney’s animated heroines can be irritatingly earnest. Their eyes almost pop their sockets with innocence and voices that speak of independence disguise hearts that yearn for some betighted hunk to rescue them from a life populated by furry companions. They’re in dire need, in other words, of a kick up the bustled butt and a good shot of cynicism, but it’s surprising that Disney themselves would be the ones to deliver it.

Enchanted opens in the long-lost world of the Disney fairy-tale, where nobody has jobs and horses have opinions. It’s here we meet Giselle (Amy Adams), a romantic optimist, shortly before she’s thrust into the fleshier world of real-life New York, where locals will happily trample a damsel in distress if it gets them to the subway a little quicker.

It’s a cute idea and one that Kevin Lima (who directed Disney’s terrific Tarzan) and screenwriter Billy Kelly squeeze for maximum fun. Amid the fish-out-of-water gags and big musical numbers, there are nods to Disney movies past and even what looks like an homage to Beauty And The Beast’s hill-running homage to The Sound Of Music. How’s that for postmodern? The film’s best asset, though, is an extremely game cast.

Amy Adams is just wonderful. Her cartoony over-gesticulation and face writ with complete delight in the world are as wholly believable as ink and paint made flesh. It’s the sort of Johnny Depp-like commitment to daftness that could potentially see her name on award shortlists. James Marsden is an equal hoot as Giselle’s lunk-headed suitor: a hero in animation, an unwittingly misogynist snob in real life. It’s a shame that the fun doesn’t stretch to Susan Sarandon’s wicked queen, given too little screentime to make a scary or ludicrously camp impression; or Patrick Dempsey as a grumpy lawyer whose cynicism is chipped away by Giselle’s chipperness.

Though things, naturally, wrap up in a twee little bow of happy endings (this is wry Disney, but it’s still Disney), the tangle beforehand is a silly, retro blast.


It’s essentially, y’know, for kids, but the dedicated fairy tale fan will have tons of fun spotting all the references. Adams, meanwhile, gives one of the comedy performances of the year.


Julie Andrews ... Narrator (voice)
Amy Adams ... Giselle
Patrick Dempsey ... Robert Philip
James Marsden ... Prince Edward
Timothy Spall ... Nathaniel
Idina Menzel ... Nancy Tremaine
Rachel Covey ... Morgan Philip
Susan Sarandon ... Queen Narissa
Jeff Bennett ... Pip in Andalasia (voice)
Kevin Lima ... Pip in New York (voice)
Emma Rose Lima ... Bluebird / Fawn / Rapunzel (voice)
Teala Dunn ... Bunny (voice)
Fred Tatasciore ... Troll (voice)
Courtney Williams ... Sunglass Street Vendor
William Huntley ... Grumpy


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