Certificate: PG
Running time: 109 minutes
Starring: Stephanie Beatriz, María Cecilia Botero, John Leguizamo
Directed by: Byron Howard and Jared Bush
The story: A young woman must save her magical family home after discovering that it is under threat from forces unknown.
The verdict: The sixtieth animated film from Walt Disney Studios sees Disney combining a number of its tried and tested methods, and coming up trumps with a film bursting with colour and meaning.
Encanto’s heroine is Mirabel, a sassy and smart young woman who is the only person in her magical filled family without a special gift. Whilst those around her perform incredible feats from everything to super strength to making flowers appear from thin air, Mirabel works hard to establish her own role within the family and tries not to let her lack of a special gift phase her.
Encanto sees original music and songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda, who previously collaborated with Disney on Moana. As with Moana, Miranda has given audiences a soundtrack chock full of catchy, singalong songs and they should appeal to both young and old.
Audiences have become accustomed to top notch animation from Disney and its subsidiary Pixar, and in that way it’s very easy to forget just how accomplished and incredible the animation is here. It really is beautiful though, and every tiny detail is realised in bright and vibrant visuals.
Encanto certainly ticks all the boxes technically, but where the film really excels is in its uniqueness, storytelling and overall message. Encanto, much like its central character Mirabel, is a little bit different from most of its Disney counterparts. There is no villain or antagonist, no big plot twist and some might even say - no stakes.
However, none of that matters because Encanto is about something so incredibly relatable and feasible - finding your place, fitting in and feeling different. This can often be in relation to family and family dynamics, but it can also be applied to so many other factions of life. Precious few of us can honestly say that not once have we struggled with who we are or how others perceive us. Encanto speaks to everyone who has ever felt like the odd one out and says “hey, you’re pretty special too you know.”
Encanto sweeps up audiences in a fantastical setting and takes them on an enchanting journey of acceptance and familial love. No matter what you can do or who you are, you deserve to feel valued and loved and Encanto will make sure you do.
The rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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