Disenchanted Review

Continuing on with Enchanted over a decade later is an expected run for Disney. As they storm through with live-action fodder, it only makes sense that they depend on one of their few reliable, original works from this century. Disenchanted is, unsurprisingly, not much of an improvement on the first feature, especially when some annoying chipmunks open the lifeless animated feature. Once upon a time and all those usual stumbles but with half the cast and squeaky narration that enter Cartman from South Park-levels of annoyance, just without the humour. The Kingdom of New York could not come soon enough. It cannot be rid of sooner, either.

Another happily ever after is painted as a mid-life crisis. That is what it is, to be fair. Amy Adams’ leading role alongside Patrick Dempsey shows their rejection of New York in the face of new living. Moving to the suburbs because New York living cannot offer audiences a middle-class mid-life crisis, Disenchanted hopes to flow through with a hook for fans of the original and a place for those just heading it up. Neither work particularly well and for much of the feature, it is just a bit flat. Constant, whining narration from Griffin Newman opens this sparse horror blend of obvious comments and horrible singsong moments. Moving home is never exciting, but for director Adam Shankman to make this so expressionless is the real horror moment. His dependency on relatively poor-quality children’s entertainment is as stoic as his desire to show that a jolly song can cheer up even the worst of moods.

But it cannot, especially not when Disenchanted boasts such a dull setlist. Crank a bit of LCD Soundsystem up, and make the move a little more expressive. What Disney offer here are relatively neutral messages and songs that adapt to the inevitably dull pastiche. It makes Enchanted’s sincere heart and soul feel so delightful. Nostalgia for those that watch on in horror is a rare beast, but for those that watched Enchanted just two days before the sequel was released, the changes and lack of energy are stark. Suburban Knights is the track that holds the most horror. Shifting into the medieval past and the aesthetic that comes from it just means rubbing the background out with some awful lack of camera focus. Maya Rudolph and Adams share a few scenes together, a handful of which features some utterly horrible lyrics that rely on the uppity so-called charm Disney presumes it still holds.

Obvious good and evil dichotomies are relied on in a dumbing down of the Enchanted series with a piece that does less than the first and repeats itself more. Dance routines that feel empty and safe, an iconography that holds awful moments of CGI generalities and an awful soundtrack. Most notable of all is the effect that suburban life has on its inhabitants. Dooming her family either to live in a Cinderella knock-off or in a Sunday BBQ parish, neither ending is all that solid for Disenchanted. Disney makes the bold decision to damn their protagonists to a permanent life in a suburban nightmare that breaks out into song far too often for any sane person to be there. Don’t Worry Darling for the princess generation, with chipmunk squealing to work through the necessary narration since the story cannot hold itself up.