Encanto Movie Review
February 7, 2022
***Warning: Light spoilers for Encanto***
If you are a parent or sibling of a young child, or you’re just a fan of Disney movies, then you’ve probably heard of the new Disney musical, Encanto. In the past few weeks, references and mentions of the animated film have been inescapable, and ironically, the hit song We Don’t Talk About Bruno is all anyone can talk about. But is this movie worth the hype? Does it deserve the Frozen-level popularity it’s gained? If you are too busy to watch it, or you don’t have a child at home to give you an excuse to watch it, then this is the review for you.
The movie Encanto tells the story of a magical Colombian family, the Madrigals. After losing their home and fleeing from their community, they were given a miracle (or an encanto) that blessed them with a magical home and special gifts for each Madrigal child. The movie follows one of the newest members of the family, Mirabel, who, unlike her sisters and cousins and other relatives, was not given a gift. The movie follows Mirabel’s struggles to prove herself to the rest of the family after discovering that the miracle may be dying. The film includes themes about family, community, and overbearing grandparents.
In my personal opinion, I thought Encanto was a work of art. The animation was so vivid and colorful, and had beautiful imagery and visuals. The Disney animation team really outdid themselves with this one. The music was very catchy and had surprisingly clever lyrics and composition for a kids’ movie. I would expect nothing less of Lin-Manuel Miranda. There were some genuinely funny moments, although it is the type of comedy you would expect from a Disney movie. I liked all the different characters and how they each went through their own journey throughout the movie with the help of Mirabel. I liked the fantastical element of the movie, though it was kind of frustrating how there are so many mysteries that are never explained. The ending was very heartwarmin and I liked the somewhat relatable themes presented in the movie.
While it was very entertaining, I thought the plot of the movie was overall pretty dull. Almost nothing happens from beginning to end, which is a pretty big change from the usual Disney movie format: Hero is introduced, hero sees obstacle, hero sets out on an adventure, hero meets new friends, obstacle, plot twist, all is lost, battle, resolution. It is much different in Encanto, there are the same amount of characters in the beginning as in the end, there is no real enemy or villain in the story, they stay in the same location for the whole movie, and while there is a small plot twist and downfall, it is resolved pretty quickly. The pacing is a little weird, a random problem might appear out of nowhere, and then there is a song and everything is fixed, and then almost never mentioned again. The story is mostly character-driven, it revolves around the individual struggles of each member of the Madrigal family. It can be interpreted as either a good or bad thing, it really just depends on the person watching. Personally, I thought the way the story progressed was annoying sometimes, but the movie made up for it with the songs, animation and characters.
Overall, I think Encanto is a pretty solid kids’ movie. It has important themes and characters that children can look up to, and songs that your five-year-old will be belting out for weeks. The songs and messages can be enjoyed by adults and teens too, although it really depends on your individual preferences. No matter how old you are, I recommend it to you if you’re just looking to have a good time. I certainly did. Now excuse me while I go listen to The Family Madrigal for the fifth time today.
My slightly controversial ranking of all the songs:
- We Don’t Talk About Bruno
- The Family Madrigal
- What Else Can I Do?
- All of You
- Surface Pressure (People will kill me for this)
- Waiting on a Miracle
- Columbia, Mi Encanto
- Dos Oruguitas
