Enchanted

Starring: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Susan Sarandon, Julie Andrews (voice)
Directed by: Kevin Lima
Rating: PG
Genre: Comedy, Family, Adventure
2007

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Princess Giselle (Amy Adams) lives in the animated, fantasy world of Andalasia. She is about to marry Prince Edward (James Marsden), but the evil Queen (Susan Sarandon) tricks her by sending her to the real world of New York City. There, she meets a divorce attorney (Patrick Dempsey) who tries to help her get back home.

Review:

Tim: This movie was very well received by critics, and was nominated for 3 Oscars, each for best original songs in movie (they all lost out to the superior song from Once). While I wasn't exactly the target demographic, I figured there would be enough here to really entertain me. The movie has some strengths- namely, the originality of setting a film in both the animated and the real life world. This sets up all kinds of interesting possibilities that are explored in the film. However, there is so much that are cheesy, and a bit ridiculous.

Amy Adams is good in her role as Princess Giselle, but I felt like she was a little too over-the-top. I know she needed to convey that she's an animated character living in New York City, but she appeared a bit too ridiculous at times. James Marsden was completely over-the-top, and it was hard to take him seriously in the role. Susan Sarandon doesn't have too much screen time, but she also revels in the opportunity to make the character larger than life. Perhaps surprisingly, Patrick Dempsey gives the best performance of the film. He's the only "real" person in the movie, and he provides much needed stability and realism to the story.

Enchanted is at its best when the world of the fantasy collides with reality. These scenes, especially as the characters explore the different concepts of love and relationships, work very well. However, there are some scenes which are just hard to swallow. The film's climax is fairly weak. There are scenes throughout the movie that are just a bit too farfetched and detract from the overall film. I know this is a movie geared toward families with children, but it could have worked harder to appeal to adults as well.

Enchanted does some things well, but ultimately, not enough to be terrific. If you have children, they will love it. If you're an intelligent adult, you'll have a harder time enjoying it.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Ella Enchanted, Underdog