What happens?Afterthe happily ever after? That’s the cheeky, and intriguing, question “Disenchanted” asks. The answers it comes up with, alas, aren’t quite the stuff dreams are made of.
Instead, this straight-to-streaming sequel seems to have been designed with another aim in mind: attracting as many festivity-fatigued families as possible. And in that, it’s likely to succeed. Because even though “Disenchanted”While it may not be all that magical, it is an enchanting escape in the great Disney tradition.
Unfortunately, there are still elements that Disney should have left behind. That, after all, was the point of 2007’s “Enchanted,”A disarmingly modern fairy tale that brought Disney into the present with charm and wit.
We revisit Giselle (Amy Adams), a once-princess, fifteen years later. She was transformed from fairy-tale animation to live-action adventure by Robert (Patrick Dempsey). Their update is told as a bedtime story by Giselle’s chipmunk sidekick Pip (a grating Griffin Newman), whose children insist that “there is noafterafter happily ever after… you just get married, and then nothing ever happens to you again.”
It’s a smart start, and a promising one, except that director Adam Shankman (“Hairspray”Brigitte Hales (author)“Once Upon a Time”They seem to be a bit too in agreement. As stepmom to teenage Morgan (newcomer Gabriella Baldacchino) and mom to baby Sofia (Mila and Lara Jackson), Giselle has decided, against a furious Morgan’s wishes, to move the family out of Manhattan into the suburb of Monrovia. We are treated to mildly amusing observations by the filmmakers about suburban life, including the McMansion-y turret at their new home and the commuter alienation in which Robert instantly sinks.
But the real focus is on the moms, who — in their nosy, competitive, air-headed unhappiness — put all their efforts into PTA preening. Giselle, who appears to have abandoned her design business in the previous film, soon discovers that she is also deeply unhappy in her new town. So when Sofia’s royal godparents Edward (James Marsden) and Nancy (Idina Menzel) gift Sofia with a magic wand, Giselle uses it to turn Monrovia into a fairy land like the one she left behind.
The use of magic for unintended purposes is an obvious rookie move. Giselle is stunned when things turn quickly for the worse. First of all, local alpha-mom Malvina (Maya Rudolph) is now the literal queen of the land — and a cheerfully evil one, at that. Giselle is also becoming more evil. Each chime of her clock brings her closer to becoming a stereotypical Wicked Stepmother while Morgan becomes a sweet, submissive Cinderella.
Regrettably for everyone, this brings us right back to old-Disney territory: the aging woman becomes the evil cliché, while the younger woman — who started as a typical, happily T-shirted teen — is given a full-on princess glow-up, complete with attitude adjustment, beautiful ball gown, and cinched-in waist.
It’s especially confusing because Rudolph is already a great villain and understands the retrograde plot perfectly. It’s not that Adams can’tplay the heavy; it’s that the daffily unique Giselle should never have been forced to become one. Adams is forced to choose between two roles that are not fully explored by the film.
On the bright side, the women’s musical standoff is the undeniable highlight of a strong soundtrack written by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. All musical numbers are staged well and high-spirited. However, it is somewhat disconcerting to watch Rudolph and Adams push into what is in fact a mismatched catfight. Giselle is haughtily snubbed by the charmingly devilish Malvina. “You’re a garden snake, and I’m a big puff adder,” she’s not kidding.
Rudolph seems to be the only actor having this kind of fun. “Enchanted”It was so easy to get. Marsden, who once again proves that he understands this world better than anyone else, is mysteriously pushed out of view when he should have been embraced. Dempsey is also treated as an afterthought. Kolton Steward is presented as a potential Prince for Morgan, but never allowed to shine. Malvina’s obsequious henchwomen, played by Yvette Nicole Brown and Jayma Mays, are underused and underserved by a script that dismisses them both.
Menzel has more screen time but feels forced just like the rest. It was clear that the filmmakers wanted to create a buzz. “Frozen”-style magic, to such a degree that Menzel’s big ballad, “Love Power”She knocks it out of the park. This includes the ironically-belted line “Let it glow.”
What’s most frustrating is how much potential has been wasted. “Disenchanted”It now has a new creative team, with Shankman replacing “Enchanted”Director Kevin Lima and Hales, along with three other people, Richard LaGravenese and Richard LaGravenese) getting “story by”Bill Kelly was replaced by the credits. Perhaps as a result, there’s an enormous disconnect between the two films.
The original dare to challenge, to think differently, and to admit that Disney had to evolve. The sequel goes in the opposite direction, looking for safety in familiarity. And it is easy entertainment: Well-paced, visually appealing, and musically engaging, it’s an obvious choice to keep kids occupied during the holiday season.
But “Enchanted”It was made for all ages and offered real magic through genuine love and respect for the actors, the audience and for each character. Although the sequel is a complex spectacle, it doesn’t cast a true spell.
“Disenchanted”Disney+ premieres the film Nov. 18.