ENCANTO:
DISNEY’S LATEST ANIMATED MUSICAL REDEFINES THE TERM “DISNEY MAGIC”!
By Nico Beland
Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4
DISNEY
Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights, Hamilton, Mary Poppins Returns) joins forces with Disney to bring the lively world of Encanto to the screen, the latest film from Walt Disney Animation Studios (Their “60th Animated Feature” to be exact) written by Miranda and directed by previous Disney film director, Byron Howard (Bolt, Tangled, Zootopia) and Jared Bush (Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero) in his directorial debut. In the tradition of Disney animated films that explore different environments and cultures such as Norway for Frozen, Hawaii for Lilo & Stitch, New Orleans for The Princess and the Frog, and Polynesia for Moana, Encanto transports us to the colorful and vibrant mountains of Colombia, which are brought beautifully to life through Disney animation.
I will admit, while I had zero doubts that Encanto would end up being bad, I wasn’t quite excited for it, at least not nearly as much as Disney’s previous animated film released earlier this year, Raya and the Last Dragon. To me, Raya was game-changing in terms of Disney’s animated films that broke the mold of the Disney formula, Encanto doesn’t quite do that, though it is another Disney film that doesn’t have a villain nor a love interest, not to mention the main character isn’t a princess.
While I don’t think Encanto is quite as strong story-wise compared to other recent Disney films, I found myself thoroughly enjoying this film. From the gorgeous and vibrant Disney animation to the charming characters and hummable songs (To the point where I even bought the soundtrack on iTunes while I was writing this!), and even a thought-provoking narrative, this is one of the most feel-good movies I’ve seen so far this year and throughout most of it I had a big smile on my face.
The film follows the Madrigals, a family living in the mountains of Colombia with extraordinary gifts that resides in a magical place called the Encanto. The Madrigals are led by Abuela Alma Madrigal (voiced by Maria Cecilia Botero) and consists of people who possess all kinds of powers like a woman who is super strong and can lift bridges, buildings, and piles of donkeys, a girl who is perfect in just about every way and has flower-blooming abilities, a boy who can communicate with animals, a woman who can control the weather, another woman who hears everything in the house or “Casita” as the film calls it, and a woman who can heal people with her cooking.
Everyone has a special gift, all except for Mirabel (voiced by Stephanie Beatriz-Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Short Term 12, In the Heights), a girl with no powers and is often described as quirky and imperfect but also emotional and empathetic. However, when the magic mysteriously starts to fade away, the house begins to crumble, and everyone starts losing their powers, Mirabel makes it her mission to find out why the magic is going away before and save her home and family.
The film also features the voices of John Leguizamo (Carlito’s Way, Ice Age franchise, John Wick 1 and 2) as Mirabel’s uncle, Bruno, Diane Guerrero (Orange is the New Black, Jane the Virgin, Doom Patrol) as Mirabel’s first oldest sister, Isabela, Jessica Darrow as Mirabel’s second oldest sister with biceps that put the Hulk and Wreck-It Ralph to shame, Luisa (She also has the best song in the entire movie!), Angie Capeda (Wild Horses, The Seed of Silence, 2091) as Mirabel’s mother, Julieta, Wilmer Valderrama (That ‘70s Show, Beauty Shop, Grey’s Anatomy) as Mirabel’s father, Agustin, Carolina Gaitán (Narcos, The Greatest Showman) as Mirabel’s overly emotional aunt, Pepa, Mauro Castillo as Mirabel’s uncle, Felix, Reggaetón, Adassa as Pepa and Felix’ oldest daughter Dolores, Rhenzy Felix (Teen Wolf, Marvel’s Runaways, All Together Now) as Pepa and Felix’ son, Camilo, Ravi-Cabot Conyers as Mirabel’s cousin, Antonio, Maluma (Marry Me) as Isabela’s fiancé, Mariano, and frequent Disney voice actor, Alan Tudyk (Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) as Pico.
Overall, Encanto adds another truly magical film to Disney’s ever-growing filmography that is sure to uplift and enchant even the biggest sourpusses. The Disney animation is as lively as ever and the colors, especially on the Colombian architecture really pop, not quite on par with the animation from Frozen II or Raya and the Last Dragon, but still pretty darn amazing.
Mirabel as a character in my opinion is one of the most likable Disney characters of all time and this is for one of their non-princess characters. She’s got this happy-go-lucky, somewhat ditzy personality similar to that of other Disney characters like Rapunzel from Tangled and Anna from Frozen, and despite being the only member of the family with no special power, she still retains this compassionate and carefree personality who’s always there for her family, I also admire how this movie doesn’t technically give her a magic power at the end like a happily ever after and she finds happiness with what she’s got.
Probably my favorite out of her family members is Luisa, the older sister who’s the strongest in the land but also has a heart of gold. It’s humorous to see her lift outrageously large objects or animals like it’s nobody’s business, but she also gives some of the most heartfelt moments in the entire film…not to mention the best song in the movie!
Let’s talk about the music by Lin-Manuel Miranda, like most of his other work, the music is fantastic and it’s impossible not to tap your foot or dance a little in your seat as they play. The musical numbers are brilliantly executed and accompany the songs perfectly with catchy melodies, amusing vocals, and a kinetic energy that’s so effective you’ll want to buy the soundtrack right after seeing the movie.
Encanto is my Go-To family film of the Thanksgiving holiday and the air freshener after the giant canine dung that was Clifford the Big Red Dog from a couple weeks ago. It’s got catchy music, charming characters, and a tightly written script that celebrates the music and magic of Colombian culture with full effect.
If there is any film that best describes the term “Disney Magic”, then this is probably it.
From the blog www.moviewatchinpsychopath.blogspot.com
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