Enchanted
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Enchanted - Movie review |
Date of movie review: 11.03.2007
Reviewed by: Paul Greenwood
Disney??™s attempt to out-subvert the subversives comes with this often delightful rom-com fairytale. Having clearly taken umbrage...
Banished from her animated kingdom by a wicked queen (Sarandon), chirpy young princess Giselle (Adams) is thrust into the real world where she awaits rescue by her charming Prince Edward (Marsden). But an encounter with a single father (Dempsey) and his young daughter (Covey) brings her down to earth.
Beginning as a so-over-the-top-it’s-genius parody of Disney’s own back catalogue, the ‘toon section introduces Giselle as an amalgam of every animated heroine in the studio’s history. In our world she’s less fish out of water than nut out of rehab, the adorable conceit being that the rules of her realm still apply in ours, so that a whistle-while-you-work style song with real vermin instead of cute forest animals is an uproarious highlight.
Some leftfield casting choices enliven proceedings no end. Clearly bolstered by his Grey’s Anatomy resurgence, Dempsey revels in his romantic leading man status and Adams makes for a winning heroine, even if she wouldn’t necessarily be the first name on the team sheet when casting a princess. Sarandon doesn’t get much to do but Marsden has a ball as the foppish but gallant prince, although surely no one can have a jaw that chiselled without the aid of CGI.
Only a somewhat overcooked dragon finale that threatens to tip us into Q: The Winged Serpent territory disappoints, but there’s always room for that happily ever after, leaving Enchanted as a hugely enjoyable slice of Shrek-baiting that’s cute without being cloying and clever without being snide.