LogFAQs > #972239033

14. Enchanted (2007)
Directed by Kevin Lima
Score: 148

Karo: 6
Gavs: 7
Mythiot: 12
Plasma: 15
Tangy: 16
Suprak: 16
Poke: 17
John: 17
Forty: 19
Vis: 23

6. Karo
What would happen if disney princess characters ended up in new york city? This movie, that's what.
What happens is that Princess Jizzelle is pushed down a magic wishing well that leads to the NYC sewer system for some reason, where she struggles to comprehend the real world.
It is a delight to watch, especially to someone like me who likes these kind of disney musicals (especially the Alan Menken kind), and seeing them sent up gently in this manner was quite fun.

7. Gavs
Disney take the opportunity to poke some light-hearted fun at themselves with this spoof of the princess movies that made their name. Fairy tale princess Giselle is sent to our world, where she becomes the ultimate manic pixie dream girl for jaded divorce lawyer Robert. The contrast between the endlessly optimistic Giselle and the cynical big city is lots of fun, especially when Giselle starts to influence the city like summoning city vermin to clean up Roberts apartment. She even manages to be overjoyed at feeling anger for the first time, which ironically doesnt last long as a result! The dashing prince coming to the city to rescue Giselle is also great in how over the top he is.

Just parodying the traditional Disney tropes would have been enough, but like Galaxy Quest, Enchanted doesnt stop there, and goes on to become a sincere rebuilding of what came before. Giselle and Robert fall for each other as they spend time together, a new concept for Giselle as she hails from a world where everyone falls in love at first sight. Frozen gets all the credit for pointing out the problem with immediately rushing to marry someone youve just met without getting to know them first, but this film did it first! Im not ashamed to admit that I got a bit misty-eyed when Robert started to sing at the ball, knowing how significant this was. This film was the biggest surprise of the list for me.

My one complaint is really more of a nitpick. I didnt like how Nerissa kept breaking the fourth wall during the climax, talking about the story was coming to an end. Once would have been fine, but it was almost everything she said after she turned into a dragon. As it turns out, there was a reason Maleficent stopped talking once she turned into a dragon!

12. Mythiot
Manages to hold up very well despite the overabundance of classic Disney parodies that have come before and since it came out. Mainly due to Amy Adams lovable turn as a bubbly nave Aurora-esque princess-to-be lost in our world who holds on to her optimism and brings magic and wonder to New York and a cynical single father. The 2D animation in the beginning and interspersed throughout the film is so good it feels kind of depressing knowing that Disney would eventually give up trying to bring it back.

15. Plasma
This movie is a total mess, and I dont even know where to begin with my analysis, so Im just gonna list bullet points and see where my thoughts take me:

• Im glad I went into this one completely blind, because the twist of going from animated to live-action legitimately shocked me.

• There are tons of inconsistent character reactions in regards to worldbuilding. Gisele is initially dumbfounded by her new reality, yet the next morning shes singing about vacuum cleaners and taking a shower. I get that this is a fantasy tale, but little things like that take me out of the story.

• You know what the problem with this movie is? I mean, it has tons of problems, but the big one is that theres this tonal inconsistency. The movie cant decide whether it wants to be serious or ironic. Like, it wants to explore some serious issues, but it treats the actual surface-level situation so lightly. If someone like Gisele appeared in our world, no way would any responsible father let her stay over his apartment with his six-year-old daughter. I get that this is a fantasy/satire movie, but still Couldnt the dad have dropped her off at a police station or mental health clinic? Then have Gisele run back to him or somethingANYTHING other than Okay, Ill let Delusional Princess Girl sleep in the same apartment as my young daughter.

• Another glaring issue: coincidences. This movie is loaded with them. The characters dont drive the plot, and anytime something bad is about to happen, Chipmunk Ex Machina comes to the rescue. I suppose I can forgive the coincidences to some extent because the movie is satirizing Disney Princess stories where the heroines are routinely saved from danger by convenient occurrences, but still. Cmon.

• Amy Adams carries this movie. She da real MVP.

• I liked that I was conflicted about rooting for Gisele to return home versus staying in reality. I didnt expect that kind of dilemma from a movie like this.

• Have to admit that I didnt expect her to get together with Robert at the end. Their romance didnt feel organic or honest in any way. Robert and Gisele seemed like friends who could learn from one another, but not lovers.

• Despite all my complaints, I was never bored by this movie. Its a total mess, but at least its fun. Ill probably end up ranking it a few spots higher than it deserves. D+

16. Tangy
Damn, its kind of a shame that Frozen did this same theme, but way better (funnily enough both include Idina Menzel). Enchanted is a cute little movie that plays with the tropes of the classic Princess movies, with varying degrees of success. On one hand I adore the comedy Adams and Marsden bring to the table. Its clear theyre both having a blast in their roles and are the backbone of this movie. I also think the concept is aces, the beautifully animated prologue to the movie juxtaposes super well with the griminess of NYC, so thats another point in the films favor.

Where it sort of goes wrong for me however, is just how watered down the movie is. Leave it to Disney to take the safest route possible when mocking their own work. Plus as I mentioned earlier Frozen attempted the same thing, but did a much better job at breaking down most of the tired tropes, while still giving us great songs that reflect it. Dont get me wrong, How Do You Know? is an absolute jam, but its just kind of catchy and thats it. Sure its supposed to be teaching Robert how to show his affection, but its not like that actually matters in the long run, especially since he ends up dumping Menzel anyway. Which leads to my other complaint. NONE OF THESE CHARACTERS ACTUALLY GROW (except Nathaniel of course, hes literally the only one with a character arc). They just fucking switch partners and use true love as an excuse.

Despite the major issues I have with this movie, it is still cute and a fun time, but its definitely not earning any points for being clever.

Biggest Laugh: Prince Edward getting ran over by the bikes mid-song.