Enchanted

PASSING THOUGHTS
Though it probably goes without saying, if you’re old enough to read this review, this movie is not for you. And if you’re a parent with children…this movie may not be for them either.

“Enchanted” is not the first movie to combine live-action with animation; “Roger Rabbit”, “Mary Poppins” and “The Incredible Mr. Limpet” are just a few of the flicks that used this technique decades before. However, “Enchanted” takes the merging a step further and brings the idyllic elements and themes of animation into the reality we live in. While initially there is a stark and seemingly irreconcilable contrast between the two worlds, eventually that contrast is muted; fantasy becomes reality and reality escapes into fantasy.

This blurring between the real world and an animated one can be a dangerous thing in a time when more and more people are trying to escape into fantasy.

Millions of people lose themselves every day in games like World of Warcraft and The Sims. Fantasy sports teams provide the same effect, albeit on a far more subdued and socially-acceptable level. For many, living in a fantasy is vastly more enjoyable than coping with the tedious and painful events that occupy a lifetime. Diversions become escape, and people look to that escape more and more as time goes on. The world of animation—particularly the brand of animation that Disney cultivates—illustrates the very core of fantastic desire. Harmony with nature, enduring love, incomprehensible bravery and heroism, purity, good’s triumph over evil, and happily ever after are just some of the fantastic elements found in most animated features. While it’s a wonderful thing for children (and even adults) to be exposed to the very best the human condition has to offer, it is a tragedy to create the illusion that this life can become a fairy tale.

A couple in the vicious throes of divorce suddenly rekindles their love after a strange girl makes a comment about how lucky the man is to have his wife because her eyes sparkle. A single father who was abandoned by his wife almost immediately drops his baggage, pain, fears and current girlfriend to embrace his true love. A woman, obviously in love with her boyfriend, completely forgives his fickle heart and encourages him to go after another woman.

I understand that almost every movie requires some suspension of disbelief. …I understand that this movie requires the ultimate suspension of disbelief, and so I’m not even touching on the countless contrived plot devices, or the continual divergence from any semblance of reality and its consequences. However, the few fairy tale episodes mentioned above take real life scenarios and resolve them with the impossible simplicity that everyone so desperately desires.

People old enough to know better aren’t going to watch “Enchanted”. While I think the concept is great and the performances showed some interesting potential, the movie itself is a regurgitation of practically every Disney flick ever made. Unlike many of the kid’s movies released these days, this one makes no attempt to appeal to an older audience. The only people who will be enchanted by this work are children who won’t understand why mommy and daddy can’t see the sparkle in each other’s eyes, or why mommy’s boyfriend disappeared after true love’s kiss.

BASICS

Your Cup O’ Tea:
If you are a friend or family member of the cast and crew of this film, or if you are on heavy medication.

Steer Clear:
If you’re anyone else.

Nothing New Under the Sun:
Style of “Roger Rabbit” and “Space Jam” with unending references to every Disney feature under the sun.

Buy or Rent:
NEITHER. Again, if you’re old enough to appreciate the few and subtle entertainment tidbits of this movie, you’ll be miserable for the rest of it. If you’re looking for a movie for your children, there are plenty of quality features out there that won’t muddy the water of reality.

FEATURES

-Scene Selection

-Subtitles

-Register DVD

-Bloopers:
Approx 2 minutes. Typical amusing mistakes. Missed lines, faulty equipment, etc..,

-Deleted Scenes (With Intro by director Kevin Lima):
6 total. As usual, the animated scenes are mostly storyboards and rough sketches. There are live-action scenes as well, but they are short and relatively uninteresting. Kevin Lima talks like he’s addressing children, which is good, although why a child would be interested in pacing is beyond me.

-Fantasy Comes To Life:
Approx 17 minutes. This is essentially the “making of” portion of the DVD. It’s broken down into three segments, “Happy Working Song”, “That’s How You Know”, and “A Blast at the Ball”. The first segment addresses working with the CGI animals, the crew, and a little bit about the composers/songwriters. The second section deals with all the work and effort that went into shooting the big musical number of the film that takes place in Central Park with a mob of extras. The final bit revisits the process of incorporating CGI into a scene and elaborates on the various aspects of filmmaking. Children may find this interesting, but by now most folks have seen enough green screens and wires from other behind-the-scenes features.
DUH! FACTOR: 9 out of 10

-‘Ever Ever After’ by Carrie Underwood (represented as a musical note):
A music video featuring scenes from the movie.

-Ad for Disney Blu Ray (represented by a silhouette of Mickey’s head):
Approx 1 minute. Telling us how fantastic and new Disney Blu Ray movies will be. Shameless, really.
DUH! FACTOR: 10 out of 10

-Pip’s Predicament:
Approx 5.5 minutes. A short story featuring the chipmunk from the film. It’s animated using pop-up cutouts, not traditional animation.

-Quick Play:
Don’t let this fool you—it won’t get you past the mounds of advertising on the DVD. Actually this feature seems to string all 11 sneak peaks together before starting the movie.

Woulda Been Nice: I would have liked some cast and director interviews so they could explain what drew them to this movie. Perhaps I’m missing some crucial redemptive element.