Disney's attempt to Shrek itself, ENCHANTED benefits from the serendipity of a perfect cast. Flat material and story problems are quickly forgotten in light of lively and humorous musical numbers and a feel good theme that finds a way to be sugary sweet without threatening tooth decay. Oscar nominee Amy Adams carries the film, as well the audience, with a performance that couldn't be better.
In a 2D animated opening sequence, the fair maiden Giselle (Adams, JUNEBUG) sings of finding love's true kiss when she literally falls for Prince Edward (James Marsden, X-MEN). Fearful that her stepson's marriage will lead to her losing her crown, Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon, DEAD MAN WALKING) tricks Giselle into a portal that sends her to New York City, where her animated self is transformed into a real human. Desperately looking for Edward, Giselle is kindly taken in by divorce lawyer Robert Phillip (Patrick Dempsey, TV's GREY ANATOMY), who has a six-year-old daughter named Megan (Rachel Covey, DUANE HOPWOOD). After Edward, along with the chipmunk Pip, heads to NYC to rescue Giselle, Narissa sends her devoted henchman Nathaniel (Timothy Spall, SECRETS & LIES) to Earth to kill Giselle with poison apples. Meanwhile, Giselle's endlessly chipper attitude doesn't mesh with modern urban life, putting a kink in Robert's life, especially with his girlfriend Nancy (Idina Menzel, RENT).
Despite its problems, the overall production is so charming that you get whisked along with good cheer. The opening animated sequence wobbles between sincerity and satire, leaving an awkward feeling. Only toward the tail end of the opening song does the humor start hitting, which makes us wonder if we were supposed to be laughing before. Nonetheless, the film doesn't really take off until it stumbles through some obligatory "fish out of water" moments and puts Giselle together with Robert. We quickly warm to the characters and by the time the tacked on big finale comes we don't even care about script contrivances.
If there were awards for casting directors, this film should win. One walks away unable to think of better performers in the major roles. I was reminded of other family fantasy films that fill parts with comedians, who mug the moments for every laugh they desperately try to force out of the material. This is absent from this film. Adams and Marsden are bigger-than-life characters, but they are acting not performing. It makes potentially awkward material funny, because its not played for laughs, but with conviction. Dempsey also gives a measured performance as the less than romantic lawyer who guards his emotions like a fortified castle. Nathanial and Narissa are plot devices at best, but Spall and Sarandon have fun with their bad guy roles.
So often in movie musicals, the songs bring the story to a screeching halt. Here is an example of the musical numbers injecting fun and energy into conventional material. Though the satire of fairy tales has some bite, it's mostly done with kid gloves on. However, the first musical number in Robert's apartment where Giselle calls on the creatures of NYC — pigeons, rats and cockroaches — to help her clean up, the film bares its teeth a little and gets the biggest laughs. It's the second levels that make this irreverent material work so much better than lazy jokes where dogs pee on guy's shoes. As for the big musical number in Central Park, the song starts naturally and develops with a smile into a big routine. By this point Giselle has won over Robert, and so has the film over the audience.
If you're looking for a good family film that will inject a bit of good cheer into your holiday season, you can't go wrong with this film. ENCHANTED is like its main character — something seems off, but once you get to know her you don't mind it at all.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
