Movie Review by Perry Pannu:

Enchanted
In Theatres Today

Disney reviews are really quite inconsequential if you think about it. I could tell you that this movie is as entertaining as a staring contest with your dog, but you’d probably still give it a chance. Very few enjoy a rock-solid reputation like Disney. Being predictable isn’t usually a positive attribute but if that predictability is success, then I say you’ve got a good thing goin’.

Filled with magic and plenty of sparkle, Enchanted is geared to put a smile on any viewer’s facer, regardless of their age or gender. No matter how prickly or cynical you are, you can never fully shake off that innate feeling of wonder that everyone enjoys in their youth but which life and reality do too good a job at squeezing out of the system as we age. Take the phenomenon that is Harry Potter for instance. There were probably as many adults reading that series as there were teenagers, proving that we all need a little bibbidi bobbidi in our lives. Enchanted provides just that, but with a footing still literally placed on reality.

When fairytale princess Giselle (Amy Adams) is brutally banished from her idyllic magical (and animated) world by evil Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon), she ends up in the very gritty real world of modern day New York City to be found by Robert Phillip (Patrick Dempsey) and his daughter Morgan (newcomer Rachel Covey). The movie carries you through her quest to return to her own world and the hurdles that the queen places in her path. When Sarandon, Adams and James Marsden (who plays the dashingly chiseled prince Edward who attempts to ‘rescue’ Giselle) act ‘animated’ in the real world, it’s not so hard to believe that this could actually happen!

The opening of the movie will be a treat for all those that have enjoyed the true animated classics. It’s nice to see Disney going back to its roots with the animation style, which further adds to the charm of the film. You’ll find scenes here and there that don’t seem to have any relevance to the story but overall, the fairytale factor makes up for it, and they are not that noticeable. Scenes like when Robert and Giselle are walking into the building where Robert works and Giselle stops in front of a statue and states how beautiful it is. It just sort of comes out of nowhere, but the audience seems to enjoy it. It just adds to the ‘magic’ and ‘fantasy-ness’ of Giselle and the whole movie I guess.

I recommend (not that I even need to) spending the money on taking your whole family to see this movie in the theatre and having a happily ever after-noon!