In Disenchanted the story that was started in Enchanted continues, albeit years later. Now Giselle and Robert have a baby. Together, with Morgan, they are discovering that life in a New York apartment may not everything they hoped for. In an effort to pursue their happily ever after, they move to suburbia. There, not everything goes as planned and when Giselle makes a wish to fix everything. As things get more and more complicated, the true power of magic is revealed.
Story
Disenchanted does a wonderful job of continuing the story of Giselle and her family. The story doesn’t go exactly where one would expect after the end of the original. However, this is a nice thing. The storyline is charming and while maybe somewhat predictable, it is magical in its own way. As the movie continues, the characters each grow in natural ways that really are a lot of fun. The story is cute, has some humorous moments, some moments of heart, and perhaps most importantly, has a happy ending. After all, how could it be a sequel to Enchanted without one!? This really felt like a classic Disney film.
Quality
The quality of Disenchanted is on par with the original, perhaps even a little better. I thought the animation was classic. Some of the digital effects could maybe have used some work still but, they were a step above the first film. The music and sound effects were a very nice addition to the film. They worked together with the visuals to make for some very charming storytelling.
Characters
The different characters found in Disenchanted worked surprisingly well. While they did borrow from common fairytale tropes, they did so in a way that was simply magical. Yes, there was character growth by the end of the film. I particularly enjoyed watching the growth of Giselle and Morgan. They weren’t the only ones that saw change happen, however. And others, well they didn’t change at all. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing either. At the end of the day, the characters in this film were not written for awards. What they were written was to make families smile together as they watch this film. And with that in mind, I think they were very successful.
Music
The music for Disenchanted really was enjoyable. It was interesting because at some moments during the movie the music clearly connected with the Enchanted. In other moments I found myself being reminded of Galavant. This is no surprise as Alan Menken was behind the music of both of them. I don’t think this is the most powerful soundtrack that he has written but, it did the trick. I will definitely be going back to listen to the soundtrack and score albums. It is charming and enjoyable.
Final Thoughts
Disenchanted is a completely enjoyable sequel to Enchanted. It continues the story in a way that is worth watching. It is full of Easter Eggs for those eagle-eyed fans (probably could do a full post on just those!). It does a very nice job of digging further into the story of Giselle. It also digs into how magic works, which was really fun to see as well. Most importantly, this is a feel-good movie that simply feels like a Disney movie. This is a gift in itself. This gets a very solid hat tip. This is definitely worth watching. I think it will make a day even better than it started.
Mr. DAPs Hat Rating Scale
- No Hat – Didn’t meet expectations
- Hat Nod – It was ok
- Hat Tip – It was good
- Hat’s Off – Loved it!
