Disney, we meet again. I see you have another animated film that looks good. Is it though? This is Encanto, on Disney+.
The basic premise of the movie is that in the wilds of Columbia a refugee woman with her (about to die off screen)husband and three babies, and that they had a miracle when they were searching for a new home. A magical house and valley appeared for them to make there home in, and now, two generations later, the family Madrigal kids all have magical powers...except for one, the main character, Mirabel, who never got a Gift on her fifth birthday like all the others. Oh boy, and it's a musical too!
As you might suspect from the fact one family member has no magic gift and all of the others do, this movie plays heavily on the themes of belonging, acceptance, obligations and what those three things have to do with family. And boy does it play those to great effect. I can't discuss much without making spoilers, but the themes are great, and something I think everyone can relate to. Who hasn't wanted to belong to something but never felt like they could?
The graphics, animations, and style are also...I mean holy crap, it's one thing to see them in a still image, but seeing them in motion is honestly an even better experience then what Raya and the Last Dragon provided. The 'look at how pretty our animation is' scenes are honestly a joy to watch.
The characters and writing are also way better then Raya and the Last Dragon. While Mirabel is the most complex character, none of the main ones are just set pieces or two dimensional. Another thing is that movie doesn't follow a predictable story, at least for Disneys usual patterns. I can't say more, but, I was expecting a typical Disney movie and got something much better.
There are only two major downsides to Encanto. One is the songs. About one third of them are good, one third are okay, and the other third are mediocre. And possibly because of the songs, most of the movie feels...not exactly rushed, but very quick paced. Oh, and another problem is that while the musical scene visuals are FANTASTIC, I'm not sure what is actually happening during these. Are they just talking? Are the visuals just happening in one of their heads? Did one of the characters really just take over the town with spiky plants in five seconds? Anyway, each one left me mildly confused over just what exactly happened and did not happen.
I give this film five out of five stars. Why? Because I've changed the rating I've given this film three times, for the reason of I can't stop listening to the music or stop thinking about the film itself. It's a brilliant film, so I had to give it five out of five. Also there were rats in it. I like rats.
See you all next time.
