Enchanted

MOVIE REVIEW


Enchanted:
A Magical Fairytale Movie from Disney... that leaves you dreaming and remembering the first time you fell in love with Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, etc.... and all of their Prince Charmings!

CAST:

Amy Adams ... Giselle
Patrick Dempsey ... Robert Philip
James Marsden ... Prince Edward
Julie Andrews ... Narrator (voice)
Timothy Spall ... Nathaniel
Idina Menzel ... Nancy Tremaine
Rachel Covey ... Morgan Philip
Susan Sarandon ... Queen Narissa
Jeff Bennett ... Pip in Andalasia (voice)
Kevin Lima ... Pip in New York (voice)
Samantha Ivers ... Angie
Elizabeth Mathis ... Tess

PLOT:

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.

FULL PLOT:

(Please Note: This Plot outline may contain Movie Spoilers)

from Wikipedia:

Giselle (Amy Adams) lives in the blissful, animated world of Andalasia, where animals are talkative companions and musical interludes punctuate every interaction. She dreams of her true love and builds a statue to represent him from her dream with the help of her chipmunk friend Pip and other forest animals. As she sings about true love's kiss (in a song aptly titled "True Love's Kiss"), Prince Edward (James Marsden), a handsome and good-hearted, but somewhat dimwitted and egotistical, prince, hears her voice in the forest and rescues her from a troll. Giselle and Edward get engaged to be married the next day but her fate takes a turn for the worse on her wedding day when his stepmother, the villainous Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon), throws her through a magic portal to "a place where there are no happily ever afters" in order to keep her stepson single and thus remain queen.

Giselle's plunge into darkness lands her in the live-action world of modern day New York City, where she meets Robert Philip (Patrick Dempsey), a divorce lawyer who takes her into his apartment despite believing that she is crazy and worrying about the safety of his young daughter Morgan (Rachel Covey), because his first ex-wife left them five years ago. The next morning, he becomes angry when he and his daughter find Giselle has called rats and other vermin to clean their apartment and that she has constructed a dress using material cut from his curtains. Nancy (Idina Menzel), Robert's soon-to-be-fiancée, walks in to find Giselle on top of Robert after Giselle had just tripped and accidentally landed on him. Giselle is dressed only in a towel, having just got out of the shower, and Nancy leaves assuming the worst. Robert goes to his office with Giselle, who starts crying after finding out that one of Robert's clients is getting a divorce, thus bringing everybody down and causing Robert's boss to reprimand him. Robert takes Giselle outside the building to Central Park.

At the end of his patience, Robert decides to leave Giselle, but rejoins her after seeing her give the money he gave her to an old woman. During their walk through Central Park, Giselle questions Robert on how he displays his affection for Nancy and spontaneously starts the musical production number "That's How You Know" with everyone in the park performing with her. Giselle sends Nancy an apology on Robert's behalf, along with tickets to the King's and Queen's Ball. Charmed, Nancy accepts. Meanwhile, Queen Narissa's henchman Nathaniel (Timothy Spall) follows Edward and Pip, who have journeyed to New York to save Giselle. They stop at a motel, where Nathaniel questions himself and his relationship with Narissa after watching a soap opera. He sneaks out to give Giselle a poisoned apple, while Pip, unable to speak in this world, has a frustrating time alerting the Prince of the minion's intentions. Nathaniel tries twice to poison Giselle, only to be stopped by Pip, and Narissa becomes infuriated.

As Giselle stays another night in Robert's apartment, Robert tells her he will help her because he does not believe Edward will show up. She becomes aggravated and then giddy when she discovers that she is experiencing anger for the first time. They both stare at each other for a moment and realize they are falling in love. Edward finds Giselle the next morning and, at her insistence, they go on a date around New York. She suggests that they go to the King's and Queen's Ball that evening while Edward gets her to agree to return with him to Andalasia right after the ball. Giselle and Edward arrive at the ball and greet Nancy and Robert. After Nancy and Edward pair off to dance to the song "So Close", Giselle dances with Robert. As Robert softly sings the lyrics to her, Giselle realizes that Robert is her true love. Nancy decides to cut in. Giselle and Edward leave for Andalasia but as she waits for Edward, Giselle is visibly upset.

Narissa suddenly appears as the old hag and offers Giselle an apple that she says will make her forget the whole experience. Giselle takes a bite and collapses on the floor. Narissa then attempts to take her away, boarding the elevator with her, to die of the poison, but Edward stops her at the last second, blocking the closing doors with his sword. Narissa claims Giselle fainted as Robert and Nancy run to her aid. A remorseful Nathaniel appears and confesses to all that she was poisoned with his help. Narissa attempts to bewitch Edward, but Nathaniel restrains her. He reveals that if the spell is not broken before it is midnight, Giselle will die.

Robert remembers true love's kiss and Edward tries to revive Giselle with it, but it doesn't work. He is alarmed, for Giselle's sake, but then realizes that Robert might be her true love, and asks him to try the kiss. He hesitates at first, as he has only known her for a few days and does not know how he could be her true love, but at Nancy's encouragement, he kisses her. Giselle awakens and embraces Robert, but Narissa uses the distracting moment to break free. She transforms into a dragon, declaring that she is going to kill them all. She plans to start with Giselle but Robert intervenes and is promptly seized. Narissa snatches Robert and lures Giselle to the top of the building. Giselle chases Narissa up the building, wielding Edward's sword, as Edward releases Pip to help her.

With help from Pip, the dragon falls from the roof, and Giselle uses the sword to stop Robert from falling to his death. Narissa collides with a roof, interrupting the spell she's trying to cast and causing her to burst into flames before falling to her death and exploding in a fury of dark energies. Giselle and Robert still almost fall off, but manage to catch themselves at the last second, and they kiss on the roof. Nancy leaves with Edward to Andalasia and they get married. Robert and Giselle, now married, open up a boutique, where they are assisted by both humans and animals. Both Nathaniel and Pip become successful authors in the modern world and Andalasia respectively. The last scene shows Giselle, Robert, and Morgan playing together and living happily ever after as a family.

Movie Review:

La, La, La, La...... this movie will leave you singing or humming for days after! "I've been dreamin of a true love's kiss...." Oh, it's such a cute little disney film. Oh, I shouldn't say little - because it's a BIG HIT! There is so much detail and references to other disney characters... it keeps you on your toes- noticing all the similarities. I believe it's a movie that girls and boys will both enjoy. There's all the princess things that little girls will enjoy, and just enough action, adventure, and intrigue... to keep boys interested, as well!

Caution: Young children may be somewhat frightened of the Queen (much like that in Snow White) or the Dragon (actually reminded me of King Kong) at the end of the movie, but other than that... it is a very happy, blissful movie, in the tradition of other Disney Greats!

I loved and adored the way the animation world turned into real life.... what a fun imaginative and creative movie and the music was all so lively and fun!


See or Skip:

Absolutely SEE this movie with your family!






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