Review | Disenchanted - Future of the Force

“Disenchanted recaptures the magic of Enchanted for an even more musical adventure! It expands the story in a clever way allowing the cast to revisit the characters in a different way.”

Fifteen years after Enchanted, Disney is finally giving us a sequel with Disenchanted. Recently, they did the same thing with Hocus Pocus delivering a worthy sequel. So, can they reproduce the same magic for this one?

STORY

(L-R): Amy Adams as Giselle, Sofia (played by Mila & Lara Jackson), Gabriella Baldacchino as Morgan Philip, and Patrick Dempsey as Robert Philip in Disney’s live-action *DISENCHANTED*, exclusively on Disney+. Courtesy of Disney Enterprises; Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

When a studio makes a sequel so many years after the first film, it is not always easy to recapture the magic. The important is not to recycle what was done before. You need to expand on the story, bring something new. Otherwise, it is not really worth it. Fortunately, Disenchanted has made all the right choices. As a fan of Enchanted, I am extremely happy about it. This film does justice to the original. It takes the story to the next chapter.

Gisele and her family move to a new town. As she questions her hapiness, she ends up turning the lives of both this town and Andalasia upside down. It deconstructs the idea of happily ever after in a clever way. Thus, this sequel adds a new twist to the characters allowing the cast to revisit them in a different way. It is absolutely gratifying to watch this. This is how you make a worthy sequel.

CAST

(L-R): Amy Adams as Giselle and Maya Rudolph as Malvina Monroe in Disney’s live-action *DISENCHANTED*, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Jonathan Hession. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Moreover, it is simply a great joy to see everyone return for this film. The cast is so dedicated to these characters. It truly feels like Enchanted was released yesterday. Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey are as dazzling as ever. While James Marsden is still so ridiculous. Plus, Idina Menzel doing some singing, I am all here for it! Maya Rudolph joins the cast. And she fits just right in. She is so good at comedy and playing mean characters.

SOUNDTRACK

(L-R): Pip (voiced by Griffin Newman) and Amy Adams as Giselle in Disney’s live-action *DISENCHANTED*, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Disenchanted leans even more on the musical side than the first film. So, it just felt like Adam Shankman was the right choice to direct it. Indeed, he knows how to stage singing scenes and put them in the best possible light. I am a big fan of his musicals Rock of Ages and Hairspray. And he doesn’t disappoint here either.

Plus, everyone has their moment to shine with a song. In fact, it is a proper musical this time. Obviously, Alan Menken is back for the music. There is no one better than him to compose fairy tales songs. His new work is a great addition to what he did on Enchanted.

VERDICT

Disenchanted recaptures the magic of Enchanted for an even more musical adventure! It expands the story in a clever way allowing the cast to revisit the characters in a different way.