Enchanted

As the first ever film I was requested to review for this blog, I have to say that this is quite a charming little film. There is not a single surprise to be found within, and it never manages to reach the high points its betters (like Stardust, for instance) do, but taken for what it is, it doesn’t disappoint.

Even without the Disney logo at the start of the film, anyone could guess which company is at least stylistically responsible for the movie. Starting off in an animated world not unlike Cinderella’s or Sleeping Beauty’s, it focuses on a beautiful maiden named Giselle who, along with the help of her animal friends, is searching for a prince to call her own. Fortunately for her, there just so happens to be a nearby Prince Edward who is looking for a maiden to marry, but unfortunately for them both, his wicked stepmother wants him to remain unmarried forever so that she can retain the power of the throne. Banishing her to the farthest realm she can think of, she’s dumped out into the real world of Times Square, where she is helped by an attractive New Yorker named Robert, who awkwardly already has a girlfriend. Having told you this much, if you can’t figure out where the film ends up, and which character ends up with whom, you should really stop drinking. It’s clouding your mind too much.

There are quite a few clever moments, most notably on Giselle’s second day in New York, when she enlists the aid of the city’s animal population to help her do some housecleaning, and even the roaches pitch in to help. There’s also some good natural chemistry between Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey, who play Giselle and Robert, and upon which most of the film rests. Unfortunately, Disney is not known for really taking risks with its films, and this attention to standardness keeps the film from achieving the heights that, say, Stardust (to use it as an example again) does. Still, it’s amusing enough, and you’re not likely to walk away from it feeling like you’ve wasted your time. I just wish it could have given me a bit more than it did.

Rating: ** ½