Disenchanted, directed by Adam Shankman, has been one of the most highly anticipated releases of 2022. Whether you’re returning to the theaters, or rather Disney+, to see the sequel to the original childhood classic or you’ve never seen Enchanted before, there’s something in this movie for everyone to enjoy.
Disenchanted is set 10 years after the end of Enchanted, when Giselle (Amy Adams), Robert (Patrick Dempsey), Morgan (Gabriella Baldacchino), and the family’s newest addition decide to move to the suburbs of New York City into a town called Monroeville. The town is run by Malvina Monroe (Maya Rudolph), who is heavily involved in every aspect of town life, and everyone is either scared of her or respects her authority.
As most Disney movies tend to go, problems within the family arise and Giselle wishes for her life to be the perfect fairy-tale, just how it was in her home kingdom of Andalasia. She becomes someone unrecognizable and has to save both her family in Monroeville and her homeland of Andalasia before the clock strikes midnight and the damage is irreversible.
This movie is full of dance and song sequences, as in typical Disney fashion, such as the one where Maya Rudolph and Amy Adams compete with each other, in song form, to see who is the “baddest” of them all. The soundtrack is magical, done by the talented Alan Menken, who has proven time and time again that he is the king of creating music perfect for a magical Disney movie.
When we see Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey return to the big screen dressed as the beloved characters that many grew up watching, it creates such a sense of nostalgia that it’s impossible to look away from the screen. Adams transforms herself into the quirky yet cherished real world princess Gisele, and her acting is identical to what it was in the original. Dempsey returns as Robert, Gisele’s husband, and while his acting is also wonderful, it was somewhat odd seeing him become a character that sings and dances. However, all throughout the original film, the audience learns to see him as the character who doesn’t believe in fairytale-esque things, but tolerates them for the woman he loves.
Another character changes, Robert’s daughter Morgan, as we see her grow from a child into an angsty teenager. However, I like this character change, as it is a reasonable one that the audience can expect from a growing adolescent. Baldacchino’s acting for every emotional stage that teens go through is superb and her character also ultimately evolves throughout the movie, coming to value family and adapt to the life that Gisele and Robert have tried to create in Monroeville.
It’s a nostalgic experience to see the same beloved characters that many grew up watching return to the screen together. I love how much it combined the fantastical elements of the original with the necessary updates, such as the struggles that many teen viewers may go through like Morgan, to make it more modern for 2022.
In total, I recommend this movie and rate it a four out of five stars!