I have to admit, when I saw the previews for Disney's Enchanted, I was pretty sure I would rather die than go see this movie. I am not a fan of schmaltzy, gimmick-driven plots, and, although I like Disney animation, I have found the vast majority of their live action movies to be banal and lackluster.Imagine my surprise when Enchanted turned out to be one of the most entertaining movies I have seen all year. Maybe I was so enthralled by Enchanted because I went in with low (and I mean subterranean levels of low) expectations, or maybe I just really needed a feel good kind of movie. What ever the reason, I was in love with this film from its opening scene. I have missed Disney's 2D animated films. Enchanted opens with a hand-animated sequence that reminded me how magical Disney movies used to be. I was worried I would be disappointed when Enchanted moved into live action, but stellar performances, an infectious score, and witty writing kept me glued to the story.
Needless to say, Enchanted was thoroughly entertaining throughout. I give Enchanted my maximum rating in that category. Don't let the saccharine look of the preview fool you. Enchanted is a grown-up fairytale that makes a great date movie. Even the most cynical of movie goers will chuckle at the singing cockroaches.Overall, Enchanted is a fairly family friendly film. Parents will enjoy the humor and the amazing performance given by Amy Adams as the princess-to-be, Giselle. Susan Sarandon makes a wonderful wicked step-mother, and Patrick Dempsey is charming as the pessimistic foil to Adam's perky, plucky heroine. Kids will enjoy Pip the chipmunk as well as the buffoonish Nathanial and the confused Prince Edward. Enchanted gets a Real Mom rating of 4 for family friendly because there are a few scary scenes at the end that might be too much for very young kids.
I wish I could say that Enchanted featured some really great morals, but there is nothing new here. Sure, Giselle shows some moxy in the end, but she doesn't really slay any demons. While there is no real sexual innuendo, there is a scene with Giselle in the shower that shows a little too much skin. The feel-good nature of this movie could have really been enhanced by taking a bigger step towards making Giselle an independent role model for little girls. Still, she's come a long way from the old model of Disney princess who waits for her prince to jump in and whisk her away from danger. I give Enchanted a Real Mom rating of 3 in moral themes, but I nearly put 4.
Enchanted truly lives up to its name. Both me and my husband were delighted through the entire movie. We left the theater humming songs from the movie, holding hands, and grinning like newlyweds.
