Quick review of Enchanted which I happened to see while waiting for new tires to be mounted on my car (It’s true lol!). Directed by Kevin Lima, Enchanted starts like any old school Disney animation with the lonely 2D Princess Gisele (Amy Adams) serenading a crowd of animals and waiting for her charming prince in the fairy tale land of Andalusia. Soon after comes the aforementioned charming Prince Edward (James Marsden) and the two immediately decide to marry so they can, you know… live happily thereafter like fairy tales characters are supposed to… There would however be no movie if not for Edward’s mother, Queen Narissa, who wants to hold on to the throne and thus exiles Princess Gisele down a sewer hole to that far off place called … New York City where she is not in 2D anymore, but flesh and blood! Who will save our poor fairy tale princess? Will she ever get to live happily thereafter??? Intriguing uh?

I obviously did not go blindly into this movie and knew it had received widely positive critical acclaim (92% on RT) and I can see why. This movie is nowhere near perfect but there is something magical about it that will transport you back to the times when you were watching 2D Disney animations. It is funny in a goof-ball kind of way, pokes fun at Disney while keeping its tradition going. Best of all, it does not resort to cheap jokes, or overly cheesy and sentimental moments to make the audience laugh or cry.

The Academy will never acknowledge that fact because it’s a goddamn Disney movie and she makes it look easy but the lovely Amy Adams gives an Oscar-worthy performance as Giselle. She portrays a fairy tale princess in real life New York City unbelievably well. She is light on her feet, gay and innocent as one can ever be, and best of all, she makes it look effortless. Needless to say she was perfect for the job. James Marsden also gives a very good performance as flesh and blood prince Edward, displaying solid physical comedy and timing. Patrick Dempsey, on the other hand is average but I think it was a screenplay choice to have him be understated. Finally, Susan Sarandon does a solid job as the evil mother queen in her small appearance.

Cinematography-wise, this movie is drop dead gorgeous with colorful sets, stunning shots of New York City and some truly magical musical scenes. The CGI is top notch and the musical score is brilliant.

Enchanted is not a perfect movie, far from it, but it is a delightful Disney movie with laughs for kids and adult alike.

B+