Encanto (2021)
Encanto
- 4/5 Cameras 🎥🎥🎥🎥
- Directed by: Jared Bush, Byron Howard, and Charise Castro Smith
- Starring: Stephanie Beatriz, John Leguizamo, Jessica Darrow, et al
- Where to find it: Disney +
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| No Copyright Infringement Intended |
2021 has been a packed year for Disney. Throughout the year the
media giant has released an onslaught on TV shows and movies to make up for
2020’s unexpected draught. Titles such as Free Guy and WandaVision proved to be
surprise hits, whereas others, such as The Last Duel, underperformed. In a nice
end-of-year treat, however, Disney saved one of their best releases of 2021 until
last, with the charming animated musical Encanto.
Set in the hidden mountains of Colombia, Encanto tells the
story of The Madrigal's, a family living in a magical place called an Encanto.
Throughout the generations, the Encanto has blessed every Madrigal child with a
special Gift, ranging from the ability to talk to animals, to the ability to
control plants. However, when a young member of the family, Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz)
isn’t given a Gift, she is forced to live as the only ‘normal’ Madrigal, whilst
at the same time discovering that she might be the only one who can save her family’s
magic.
From its very first scenes, Encanto stands out as one of Walt
Disney Animation Studios’ best releases in recent years, with the vibrant
colour palette matching the nature of each character flawlessly, making it
incredibly easy to fall in love with the Madrigal's. The aforementioned family
is one of the reasons why Encanto is so enchanting (yes, the pun is intended).
Despite the film having a lot of characters, each one serves their purpose and
adds something to the movie, with none feeling out of place. The film’s lead,
Mirabel, voiced by Stephanie Beatriz, is instantly loveable, with her deep love
for her family and her connection with the youngest member Antonio (Ravi Cabot-Conyers)
sure to win over even the coldest of hearts. Other standout family members
include Mirabel’s sisters Luisa (Jessica Darrow) and Isabela (Diane Guerrero),
as well as the hilariously awkward Bruno (John Leguizamo).
The real reason Encanto stands out as one of Walt Disney Animation
Studios’ strongest recent projects, however, is the subject areas it tackles,
namely toxic family relationships and how to overcome them. Encanto delves into
the idea of generational trauma in a way that will resonate with many people,
with each family member feeling in some way that they are unable to be a full
member of the family without their Gift. A shining example of this is the line ‘I’m
pretty sure I’m worthless if I can’t be of service’ sung by Mirabel’s sister Luisa
(Jessica Darrow), a member of the Madrigal's gifted with super strength. All
this family-placed pressure eventually leads to a film about how your family should
accept you for who you truly are, rather than who they wish you were, and will
surely bring a tear to plenty of people’s eyes.
A musical is nothing without its music, however, and
Encanto, helmed by all-round heavyweight Lin-Manuel Miranda delivers. It could be
said that Miranda is having a particularly good year, with both his directorial
debut tick, tick…Boom! and the big-screen adaptation of his pre-Hamilton musical
In The Heights receiving critical acclaim, and with Encanto, he cements himself
as one of the greats of this generation. The music in Encanto is incredibly
catchy, much like other Disney films, but its’ Hamilton inspired rhythms, and
Lin-Manuel Miranda’s incredible ability to understand the kind of music any
project he touches needs places Encanto a touch above the rest and therefore
proves it deserves to stand amongst the big-leagues of Frozen and Moana. The best
song in Encanto, it’s worth noting, is We Don’t Talk About Bruno, which,
coupled with the use of ‘Silenzio, Bruno!’ in Disney Pixar release Luca shows it’s been a surprisingly rough year for anyone called Bruno.
Encanto is not without its flaws, though. The plot is fairly
predictable at times and the origin of the magic that fuels the Madrigal's is
mostly unexplained and is likely to leave viewers with plenty of questions.
However, I would argue that the primary audience of a film such as Encanto, aka
children, probably won’t spend hours nit-picking minor details of the movie.
Overall, Encanto is a joy to watch, so much so that I watched
it twice in 24 hours. Each character is fleshed out just the right amount, the
film’s overall message is a refreshing change, and the colours on screen make
it impossible for you to look away. However, the most glaringly obvious aspect
to take away from this film is that Disney should let Lin-Manuel Miranda write
the music for all their future projects.
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