Enchanted (2007)

Life is idyllic in the fairytale world where conflict is minimal and breaking into song solves every problem, but what happens when a princess from the fairy world gets magically transported into the real world? Enchanted begins in the animated fairytale world of Andalasia where Princess Giselle (Amy Adams) is destined to marry Prince Edward (James Marsden) and live happily ever after. Problem is, Edward's step-mother Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) doesn't want to give up the throne and will do anything to get Giselle out of Edward's life. Queen Narissa's solution is to push Giselle into a well that magically lands Giselle smack in the middle of the real world--the center of Time Square in New York City, to be exact. This launches the live-action portion of the film where Giselle immediately realizes that things are frighteningly different in this new world and that she is ill-prepared for the callous ways of the people who inhabit it. Giselle finds herself alone on a stormy night in the wrong end of town, but a chance encounter with Robert (Patrick Dempsey) and his princess-loving daughter Morgan (Rachel Covey) leads to a warm, safe place to spend the night and the beginnings of a complicated, yet compelling relationship. As Giselle begins to question the fairy-tale truths she's always inherently believed, Robert's outlook on life and love also begins to change significantly. Parallels to the classic Disney fairytales, Cinderella, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty abound in the form of a King's and Queen's ball, small animals and rodents who clean house when called, the threat of poisoned apples, characters impulsively breaking into song, and the power of the kiss of true love and the absurd juxtaposition of fairytale idealism and stark reality is hilariously funny. Features music by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz of Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame fame, Wicked's Broadway Elpheba Idina Menzel as Nancy, and even a brief appearance by former Princess voice talent Judy Kuhn (Pocahontas). Enchanted is one of the best, most entertaining Disney films of the year. (Ages 6 and older with parental guidance due to some scary images and mild innuendo) --Tami Horiuchi

Beyond Enchanted

Disney Princesses on DVD

Paperback

Soundtrack

Stills from Enchanted (click for larger image)

Amazon.com

 Much better than I thought
Since Shrek, numerous studios have produced movies that overtly combined themes from classic Disney cartoons. So it was only time before Disney joined in; the result being this combination cartoon - live action flick titled "Enchanted". The story is simple enough, but the execution was actually very impressive. As a Disney movie, there is singing, and it was actually quite good. The comedy was original enough, and appropriate for both adults and children. The casting was also good, with Susan Sarandon being the perfect pick as the wicked step-mother. I could only find two drawbacks. First, like just about every other Disney classic, all the main characters are white. Second, this movie bears an eerie resemblance to Hallmark's TV miniseries, "The Tenth Kingdom". Both movies alternate between a magical land and New York City, and both movies star a single dad raising a daughter. But overall, not bad, and one of the better Hollywood productions that combined live-action and cartoon into one story. May 17, 2008

 LOVED IT!!
Confession: I am an adult...I went to see this movie with my Mom, and we absolutely loved it. We laughed, we cried, and we immedietely wanted to see it again. Its the perfect movie for the whole family. the music, the story, the artwork, everything about this movie was great. I love the special features on this disc, showing how the How Do You Know scene was filmed. I recommend this movie to anyone and everyone, young and old. :) May 16, 2008

 Not Disney's Finest Hour
I am a huge Disney fan! Since childhood I have loved every Disney Princess that has ever been created and can probably sing each one's theme songs. But each of those princesses has been animated and I believe that is the way they should stay.

I waited for the DVD release of Enchanted and sat down with high expectations. I have seen what the animators can do. But the transition to real-time from animation left me cold. Although the actors did a fine job the magic of the story didn't come across as it does in the animation. Take for example the fact that Giselle, with merely a melodious call of her voice, summons the sweet, docile, furry woodland creatures to help her clean house in the animated portion. Imagine seeing her do that in the real NYC and finding the call being answered by packs of sewer rats, flocks of pigeons and swarms of roaches. Not magical in any way. I was ready to put in a call to an exterminator!

Not really for children who aren't used to seeing the seamier side of life.

I did like two parts of this movie: the portion where the evil queen turns into a dragon (I really like dragons) and the conclusion where the viewer see the words The End.

Not one of Disney's better efforts. May 14, 2008

 fun for everyone
This film is fun and entertaining without being too, too sweet. It's Disney without the extra mushy fairy tale-ness. My family loves it, even my three year-old, though she doesn't get all of the jokes and references(which is fine with me). May 14, 2008

 great movie
my daughters and i loved it so much in the theaters we bought the dvd
May 14, 2008

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