Movie Review: Enchanted

I LOVED THIS MOVIE! (I have a friend who says he can never tell if I REALLY like a movie - so there you go, Michael!!) A total chick flick or kid flick, but it was a really enjoyable 107 minutes! I have been looking forward to this film for weeks, and was worried that I'd be disappointed. Not so!

The basic story: a Disney princess wanna be (Amy Adams) is tossed down an abyss by her BFs stepmother. She ends up in New York City - and is now a live action heroine. She has to make her way in this world, while trying to find her way back to her Prince Edward (James Marsden). In the meantime, she meets sad single parent Robert (Patrick Dempsey, aka McDreamy) and his equally sad daughter, and relies upon them to take care of her.

It's a terrific storyline - filled with shout-outs to all of the Disney favs (I dare you to watch Giselle run up a hillside in Central Park and not think of Julie Andrews, who also narrates). Giselle's interaction with small animals is totally out of the Disney Bible - but, it being New York, she has to rely on rats, pigeons and other vermin for help! Susan Sarandon is terrific in the scenery chewing role of the evil Stepmother; Marsden is funny and romantic as the prince; Dempsey is satisfying as Robert.

But Amy Adams must be a really smart actress, or have a very savvy agent. This role is absolutely perfect for her - the wide-eyed innocent, trying to absorb her new surroundings. Perfectly cast, and a new archtype for the Disney theme book.

The music is terrific, with many echoes to the recent Disney princess tales. The opening animated story is terrif., and it transitions well to the live action tale. One reviewer called it the best live-action Disney musical since "Mary Poppins" and I would definitely agree.

Terrific, terrific!

(And as a side note: our local newspaper omitted the 12noon showing at the theater, so we watched it with a small crowd; the rest of the afternoon showings were sold out! Yeah!!)