Nov 23

Nov 23 'Encanto' film review: Resonant, empathetic take on messy family dynamics

Beneath the vibrant animation and magical elements, the sixtieth Disney animated feature film 'Encanto' (opening in theaters nationwide Nov. 24) has a lot to say about the echoes of generational trauma.

In short: Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz, 'Brooklyn 99') is the only member of her family without magical powers - but she might be the only one who can stop a dire prophecy from becoming reality. John Leguizamo, Diane Guerrero and Wilmer Valderrama also star.

On the surface, 'Encanto' is pretty straightforward - but its layers of family drama belie the film's unassuming social and relationship complexity. The audience is dropped right in the middle of the enchanted Family Madrigal blissfully living as they have for generations: blessed with strange magical powers - well, except for Mirabel. The movie speaks to anyone who has ever felt like an outsider, within society and within their own family. Everything seems fine with the Family Madrigal at a glance - however, Mirabel discovers a complicated web of family dynamics just beneath the family's veneer of perfection. While the family appears perfect from the outside, an unspoken undercurrent of expectations and stressors secretly troubles the Madrigal clan.

It's quite refreshing for a Disney animated film to delve this far into the complexity of relationships and legacy. Although not officially royalty, the Family Madrigal is treated very much as the royal family of Encanto, a secluded village safe from the outside world. While the plot is driven by Mirabel's quest to save her family's magical powers, she learns about all the internal pressures and insecurities troubling her beloved family members. The very best Disney films are accented with heartfelt themes, and 'Encanto' is pure, resonant and touching empathy to its very core. The script introduces the audience to a young woman with her own vulnerabilities - and gently impresses that everyone has some lingering human ache in their apparently perfect lives.

Despite its modest 99 minute runtime, 'Encanto' feels much longer - this has a lot to do with the fact that the movie doesn't have a traditional villain, which ends up being a blessing and a hinderance for 'Encanto.' Mirabel practically spends the entire movie trying to avert some vague threat to the family's connection to magic - but it's not clear what the threat is or even how (or if) this prophecy can be avoided. The story moves in a general direction, but without an antagonist or obvious stakes, 'Encanto' leaves the audience wonder where the story is going. While this allows Mirabel to truly understand what her siblings and cousins really want in their hearts, it does leave the actual plot feeling very abstract. The climax is unfulfilling and the resolution is unsatisfying.

‘Encanto’ earns degree-of-difficulty points for focusing on its characters to a depth not seen in most Disney “defeat the villain to save the day” flicks. But this character-centric approach comes at the cost of the movie’s third act feeling particularly rushed and weak as ‘Encanto’ tries to whip together an ending.

Final verdict: Peppered with delightful songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda and brought to live with bold, eye-catching animation, 'Encanto' is an charming and thoughtful animated escape for the entire family.