Official Synopsis:
A fairy tale comes to life in this thoroughly original, new Disney Classic. Drawing inspiration from its classic heritage, Disney creates an inspired story unlike any you've experienced before. Filled with excitement, fun, and incredible music from the legendary Alan Menken, Enchanted is the ultimate fish-out-of-water adventure. For princess-to-be Giselle, life is a fairy tale - until she's banished from the animated land of Andalasia and thrust into the very unmagical, live-action world of modern-day Manhattan. When a cynical, no-nonsense divorce lawyer comes to her aid, little does he realize that this joyful, wide-eyed innocent is about to enchant him. Enchanted - the musical comedy that will have your entire family under its spell.

  
Our Take:
There are two definitions of the word “cute” when it comes to talking about movies. There’s the semi-sarcastic, treacly “cute” that’s often applied to children’s movies when you don’t want to say how awful they were in front of your kids, and then there’s the “cute” that signifies that you watched something fun, enjoyable, lighthearted, and endearing. Well, Enchanted is definitely the latter of the two.

In fact, I don’t think “cute” is an accurate enough term to describe the film; “magical” is probably more apropos. The movie manages to send up Disney fairy tales, pay homage to them, and be one, all at the same time and all without a hint of irony or a mean bone in its celluloid body. I watched the movie with no kids around at all, and while it may be a family film, adults will really enjoy this one as well. I laughed out loud more than a few times. I also nodded knowingly at some of the scenes that paid tribute to Disney classics of time gone by. I even marveled at the animation and the style of the special effects, which aren’t particularly realistic, nor are they ever supposed to be.

One of the most… erm, enchanting aspects of the film is Amy Adams, who is completely amazing as Giselle, the cartoon-princess-to-be turned real-life girl. At first, Adams is the typically naïve waif, but watch her as the film goes on. As her character becomes more and more accustomed to the real world, not only does her attitude change, but also her mannerisms, body language, and her voice altogether. There’s a big difference in the cartoonish singsong-y voice she uses early on in the film and the voice she uses by the end. Watching that transformation is fascinating, and the way Adams makes it look so effortless is worth noting. On the surface, it’s easy to dismiss her performance as typical Disney-lite fare, but I think it’s actually quite brilliant. For all the attention Ellen Page got for her role in Juno, I think Amy Adams has been severely overlooked for her work here.

Enchanted comes to DVD with a standard array of special features, but I imagine Disney will pop out a special edition somewhere down the line when it needs a stock boost.

* Deleted Scenes (8 minutes) – Six short excised scenes.
* Bloopers (2 minutes).
* Fantasy Come To Life (19 minutes) – See how each of the film’s musical sequences were brought to life.
* Pip's Predicament: A Pop-Up Adventure (6 minutes) - A fun short cartoon.

Music Video – “Ever Ever After” by Carrie Underwood.

Enchanted isn’t just a kids’ movie and it isn’t just for girls; this is a film that almost anyone can enjoy. It’s fun and romantic and humorous, and it’s one of the best times I’ve had watching a movie in a long time. It may be “cute,” but it’s also so much more than that.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Overall Picture:
Movie: A
DVD: B-

- Mike Spring

Editor