The movie disenchanted comes 15 years after we first met a rare princess from an animated fairy tale who was pushed down a well and magically moved to early 21st century New York. Giselle (Amy Adams) arrived confused, to, shortly after, begin a gradual but effective adaptation process. In this she realized that love does not have to be a straight line where, after seeing the person you like just once, “you have lunch and marry them.” However, she, with her kind and carefree actions, also managed to open their eyes to optimism and curiosity for some people who inhabit the real world –within fiction, and in turn the public on the other side of the screen. You can hug when you have the will to do so.
disenchanted, the sequel to that endearing first story, finally arrives, after multiple script rewrites and changes in the director’s chair. For a long time, the idea of a sequel was approached cautiously, as if it were an urban legend. It was not until 2020 that the project was officially announced and, from then on, all that was left to do was wait. In a way, the narrative engine of everything that happens now is the passage of time that the audience was a victim of.
We are witnesses of how Giselle, after more than a decade of living her “happily ever after” with Robert (Patrick Dempsey), begins to want a change of scenery, since they not only have to take care of their newborn baby, Sofía; In addition, they have to deal with the changing mood of Morgan (Gabriella Baldacchino), his daughter, her stepdaughter, who, as a teenager, no longer blindly believes in magic, despite experiencing it daily. Thus, the family decides to move to the suburb of Monroeville, run by the controlling Malvina Monroe (Maya Rudolph). In her new home, everything begins to change.
Thematically, this second part matches the original without a problem. In the end, both films have a universal theme at the center: facing the unknown. Nice to meet you (2007) works wonders in every way because it gracefully navigates the waves created by the concern of a globalized world whose society is going about its own business, indifferent to growing cultural diversity. It does this through a resource that, at the time was, and to date is, genius: contrasting the tropes of classic Disney stories and movies with New York culture, which was already waking up to a more open and self-reflexive reality.
Today, this questioning of the past has already been done countless times in the cinema. Now, Giselle already knows that she is not the damsel in distress; that perhaps prince charmings are not so common. She knows that, although she sings and the animals come to help her in whatever she needs, the crying of a baby is not something that she can easily silence. And that interpersonal relationships, even if they are between family members, take time to take shape. For this reason, the path that the film takes from its first minutes is an extremely logical one, because here, what matters is nostalgia. Whoever was chosen to rule the kingdom of Andalasia suddenly wonders how she would be if she returned to her magical life. Would she be better off being a princess forever?
Conveniently, the protagonist receives a gift that will help her answer her question. Without eagerness to reach the terrain of spoilers, it is necessary to reveal that this gift allows him to fulfill, thanks to a spell, his dream of having a fairy tale life again. With this, Monroeville becomes a town out of Beauty and the Beast (1991) or Cinderella (1950), which shares the same characteristics as Andalasia: there is magic, animals, mythological creatures and, obviously, evil.
It is in this aspect where disenchanted makes its nostalgic elements clear. Undoubtedly, we are facing something very close to filmed theater. Gone was the bombast of the Big Apple, in which the characters could function naturally in a more open environment. Here, the director, Adam Shankman (Hairspray) honors past works and places practically all the action in the town and in its small houses, gardens or shops. These feature a colorful but modest production design and content that does not hide from us that what we see is happening on a set. Even during the first half, it struggles to fully take off towards cinematic quality and borders on television aesthetics.
Again, this is likely deliberately done to emulate the experience of seeing a back catalog movie of yesteryear in the Wonderful World section of Disney on a Friday or Sunday night. In this sense, it must be said that, at times, the television aesthetic weighs heavily on the film. Although in its third act it displays an impressive technical display, in which the CGI is captivating. It’s a shame a theatrical release was ruled out.
The costumes, the choreography, the songs and the performances also remind us of a way of doing things that has almost no place in today’s Hollywood. The theatrical, then. Though not as memorable, the tunes composed by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz fit in well with the rest of the ensemble. In fact, this installment feels more like a musical, with great vocal work and purposeful songs. Applause for the duet between Adams and Rudolph, and for the number by Idina Menzel.
Something that stands out greatly is the weight given to the animated kingdom of Andalasia within the plot. The sequences that take place there are magical in every sense of the word. Have easter egg to the first adventure and they show us an interesting origin story for Giselle. In addition, they have an important sentimental weight by providing the group with darkness and wholesale danger.
However, what is impressive about the film are its performances. Those are the ones who, when the experiment of making a living story begins to falter, bring everything to life and remind us why the concept connected with the audience so long ago.
The charisma of Amy Adams, who is exceptional in everything she does and hasn’t lost her character’s grace or spark. The professionalism of Patrick Dempsey, who now sings and demonstrates his talent for comedy. The great presence of Idina Menzel, who finally has a song and lifts us up with her notes. And James Marsden’s talent for making us feel good when we see it. No one has lost touch.
Even the new villain Maya Rudolph, while failing to match Susan Sarandon’s terrific performance as the evil queen Narissa, comes out on top in infusing the narrative with her dry, sarcastic humor. A special mention goes to the squirrel Pip (voiced by Griffin Newman), whose cuteness and spontaneity continue to be welcomed.
disenchanted It doesn’t surpass the subversive greatness of its predecessor, but it doesn’t try to either. While it pales in certain technical aspects, it still makes us dance to a “happy beat”. Her script (written by Brigitte Hales) no longer speaks to those who, in the early 2000s, sought to break away from the conventional. In a cyclical way, it appeals to those who, in 2022, yearn for a past that will not return. Sometimes, by looking for the glories of the past, we miss out on a present that can be charming.
The movie disenchanted is now available on Disney Plus.
Jose Roberto Landaverde Movie buff and music lover. I am fascinated by writing, listening, reading and commenting on everything related to the seventh art. I’m a fan of Rocky and Back to the Future and obviously one day I’ll climb the “Philly Steps” and drive a DeLorean. Faithful believer that cinema is the best teleportation machine, and also that on the big screen we can all see ourselves represented. I constantly, like Scott Pilgrim, ask myself: “Does bread make you fat?”