Enchanted is, indeed, enchanting.
Of course, it wouldn't be a great Disney family film without music, so Disney veterans Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz have come up with some great tunes and lyrics for songs that are not only memorable but funny as well. Among them: "True Love's Kiss," "Happy Working Song," "So Close," and "That's How You Know," the latter three nominated for Academy Awards.
And what are the funniest parts of the picture? That will depend on the viewer, naturally, but for me the scene in which Giselle enlists the aid of her new animal acquaintances in NYC ("It's always nice to meet new friends") to help her clean Robert's apartment is sidesplitting; and the big Central Park extravaganza where practically everyone in the park breaks out into song and dance is another highlight.
Not to suggest that the moviemakers don't take the low ground on occasion and go for the cheap laugh. For instance, there are bits with a dog outside a hotel, with the chipmunk getting overexcited, and with Giselle and a fish tank that seem glaringly out of place, but, thankfully, such moments are few and far between. Most of the film will have you smiling or downright laughing throughout.
In addition, you'll find quite a few references to other fantasies in the movie, to Disney films as well as others. Look for comical allusions to "Snow White," "Cinderella," "Lady and the Tramp," "The Little Mermaid," among many other Disney favorites, as well to things like "Moonstruck" and "The Sound of Music." In the end, "Enchanted" has a little something for everyone.
Trivia: You'll recognize the voice of narrator Julie Andrews immediately. You'll appreciate that Susan Sarandon's evil queen in "Enchanted" appeared the same year as Michelle Pfeiffer's evil queen in "Stardust." And you'll notice that Timothy Spall is fast becoming one of moviedom's best and most recognizable character actors (Peter Pettigrew in the "Harry Potter" series, Beadle Bamford in "Sweeney Todd," Mr. Poe in "Lemony Snicket," Simon Graham in "The Last Samurai").
Video:
The film's opening animated sequence is in a letterboxed and pillarboxed format, meaning there are black bars around the top, bottom, and sides of the picture to give it a different look from the rest of the film that follows. The body of the film, however, is in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, transferred at a high enough bit rate to capture the movie's color and glamor. The hues are bright without being garish, the definition is crisp, and the black levels are strong. A touch of print grain provides a final realistic texture to the image.
Audio:
In an unusual move for Disney, they offer the choice in English of both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1. After some comparing, I thought the DD 5.1 sounded the tiniest bit fuller to my ears, with a touch more surround information, but it's a toss-up, really. The overall output levels of both tracks also seem slightly lower than normal, particularly noticeable when you switch from the menu music to the film soundtracks. Beyond that minor peculiarity, the audio is quite good, with wide dynamic and frequency ranges. Let's say when you hear thunder, you really hear thunder.
Extras:
The disc contains all the usual items you might find on a DVD, but not as many as on the Blu-ray edition of the film. Here, you'll find "Fantasy Comes To Life," a series of three brief featurettes, about five or six minutes each, that go behind the scenes of the filmmaking: "Happy Working Song," "That's How You Know," and "A Blast at the Ball." Next, there are six deleted scenes, with introductions by director Kevin Lima, totaling about eight minutes. After that are some bloopers, about two minutes; followed by a pop-up book adventure, "Pip's Predicament," five minutes aimed squarely at the youngest members of the family.
The extras conclude with twenty scene selections and a chapter insert; Sneak Peeks at eleven other Disney products; a "Fast-Play" button that forces selected trailers and the like on the unsuspecting; English, French, and Spanish spoken languages; French and Spanish subtitles; and English captions for the hearing impaired.
Parting Thoughts:
"Enchanted" has a lot in common with another fantasy from 2007, "Stardust." If I like "Stardust" just a tad better, it isn't for lack of trying on the part of "Enchanted." It just happens that "Stardust" is not only a new slant on fairy tales, it contains a greater degree of action, adventure, excitement, and romance as well. But "Enchanted" has the larger number of gags and, of course, all those wonderful songs. So, while "Enchanted" may not be quite as thoroughly entertaining as "Stardust," we're lucky to have had both films released the same or any year.
"Enchanted" is, indeed, enchanting.
And what are the funniest parts of the picture? That will depend on the viewer, naturally, but for me the scene in which Giselle enlists the aid of her new animal acquaintances in NYC ("It's always nice to meet new friends") to help her clean Robert's apartment is sidesplitting; and the big Central Park extravaganza where practically everyone in the park breaks out into song and dance is another highlight.
Not to suggest that the moviemakers don't take the low ground on occasion and go for the cheap laugh. For instance, there are bits with a dog outside a hotel, with the chipmunk getting overexcited, and with Giselle and a fish tank that seem glaringly out of place, but, thankfully, such moments are few and far between. Most of the film will have you smiling or downright laughing throughout.
In addition, you'll find quite a few references to other fantasies in the movie, to Disney films as well as others. Look for comical allusions to "Snow White," "Cinderella," "Lady and the Tramp," "The Little Mermaid," among many other Disney favorites, as well to things like "Moonstruck" and "The Sound of Music." In the end, "Enchanted" has a little something for everyone.
Trivia: You'll recognize the voice of narrator Julie Andrews immediately. You'll appreciate that Susan Sarandon's evil queen in "Enchanted" appeared the same year as Michelle Pfeiffer's evil queen in "Stardust." And you'll notice that Timothy Spall is fast becoming one of moviedom's best and most recognizable character actors (Peter Pettigrew in the "Harry Potter" series, Beadle Bamford in "Sweeney Todd," Mr. Poe in "Lemony Snicket," Simon Graham in "The Last Samurai").
Video:
The film's opening animated sequence is in a letterboxed and pillarboxed format, meaning there are black bars around the top, bottom, and sides of the picture to give it a different look from the rest of the film that follows. The body of the film, however, is in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen, transferred at a high enough bit rate to capture the movie's color and glamor. The hues are bright without being garish, the definition is crisp, and the black levels are strong. A touch of print grain provides a final realistic texture to the image.
Audio:
In an unusual move for Disney, they offer the choice in English of both Dolby Digital 5.1 and DTS 5.1. After some comparing, I thought the DD 5.1 sounded the tiniest bit fuller to my ears, with a touch more surround information, but it's a toss-up, really. The overall output levels of both tracks also seem slightly lower than normal, particularly noticeable when you switch from the menu music to the film soundtracks. Beyond that minor peculiarity, the audio is quite good, with wide dynamic and frequency ranges. Let's say when you hear thunder, you really hear thunder.
Extras:
The disc contains all the usual items you might find on a DVD, but not as many as on the Blu-ray edition of the film. Here, you'll find "Fantasy Comes To Life," a series of three brief featurettes, about five or six minutes each, that go behind the scenes of the filmmaking: "Happy Working Song," "That's How You Know," and "A Blast at the Ball." Next, there are six deleted scenes, with introductions by director Kevin Lima, totaling about eight minutes. After that are some bloopers, about two minutes; followed by a pop-up book adventure, "Pip's Predicament," five minutes aimed squarely at the youngest members of the family.
The extras conclude with twenty scene selections and a chapter insert; Sneak Peeks at eleven other Disney products; a "Fast-Play" button that forces selected trailers and the like on the unsuspecting; English, French, and Spanish spoken languages; French and Spanish subtitles; and English captions for the hearing impaired.
Parting Thoughts:
"Enchanted" has a lot in common with another fantasy from 2007, "Stardust." If I like "Stardust" just a tad better, it isn't for lack of trying on the part of "Enchanted." It just happens that "Stardust" is not only a new slant on fairy tales, it contains a greater degree of action, adventure, excitement, and romance as well. But "Enchanted" has the larger number of gags and, of course, all those wonderful songs. So, while "Enchanted" may not be quite as thoroughly entertaining as "Stardust," we're lucky to have had both films released the same or any year.
"Enchanted" is, indeed, enchanting.
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