2008 Woodie Awards
Movie Review: Enchanted
Janel Buchanan/Online Reporter
Issue date: 11/30/07 Section: in Review(s)
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Enchanted begins as a cotton candy fairy tale of a Disney princess, Giselle, complete with an evil Queen, a prince, and plenty of woodland creatures to help our heroine sing her songs about dreaming of her Prince Charming.
All aspects are familiar to the Disney cartoons - until the characters are transported to modern day New York City through a manhole in Times Square. As Giselle sings, dances, and charms her way through New York it is almost a little too sugary sweet.
The film hits on many recognizable fairy tale stories, often with a few different twists. Even though I cannot say I have spent time wondering what it would be like for cartoon characters to come to life, it was fun and often humorous to see the story play out. Seeing characters run around New York in full-on fairy tale costumes is just amusing.
Amy Adams plays Giselle, the princess who literally falls into life in New York. Despite the constant negativity that is thrown at her, she is not dampened by it and instead brings positive emotions to people she meets.
Adams' wide-eyed portrayal would be annoying if she were not so sincere. Giselle begins as a damsel-in-distress but gains strength as she gets to know Robert (Patrick Dempsey) his daughter, and herself.
Dempsey plays Robert, a single-dad who reluctantly takes Giselle into her home even though he is concerned she may be crazy and might have to return to the padded room she came from. He is a cynic in the story who seems to have forgotten the romantic part of love and instead looks solely to practicality in relationships.
In contrast, Giselle bases her relationship with Prince Edward entirely on the hearts-and-flowers notion and does not understand the bizarre idea of dating and getting to know a person.
Speaking of Prince Edward, James Marsden portrays him with ditzy gusto similar to Beauty and the Beast's Gaston. He is hysterical to watch as he runs around the city threatening people with his sword and talking to the 'magic mirror' (a television in a rundown hotel).
All aspects are familiar to the Disney cartoons - until the characters are transported to modern day New York City through a manhole in Times Square. As Giselle sings, dances, and charms her way through New York it is almost a little too sugary sweet.
The film hits on many recognizable fairy tale stories, often with a few different twists. Even though I cannot say I have spent time wondering what it would be like for cartoon characters to come to life, it was fun and often humorous to see the story play out. Seeing characters run around New York in full-on fairy tale costumes is just amusing.
Amy Adams plays Giselle, the princess who literally falls into life in New York. Despite the constant negativity that is thrown at her, she is not dampened by it and instead brings positive emotions to people she meets.
Adams' wide-eyed portrayal would be annoying if she were not so sincere. Giselle begins as a damsel-in-distress but gains strength as she gets to know Robert (Patrick Dempsey) his daughter, and herself.
Dempsey plays Robert, a single-dad who reluctantly takes Giselle into her home even though he is concerned she may be crazy and might have to return to the padded room she came from. He is a cynic in the story who seems to have forgotten the romantic part of love and instead looks solely to practicality in relationships.
In contrast, Giselle bases her relationship with Prince Edward entirely on the hearts-and-flowers notion and does not understand the bizarre idea of dating and getting to know a person.
Speaking of Prince Edward, James Marsden portrays him with ditzy gusto similar to Beauty and the Beast's Gaston. He is hysterical to watch as he runs around the city threatening people with his sword and talking to the 'magic mirror' (a television in a rundown hotel).
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