Enchanted

Directed by: Kevin Lima
Starring: Amy Adams, James Marsden, Susan Sarandon, Patrick Dempsey, Timothy Spall, Rachel Covey, Julie Andrews
Running Time: 1h 47min

Disney finally manages to make fun of itself in this twisted fairy tale that owes some of its material to Shrek, not to mention the older French film that was remade into an English language version, Just Visiting. Yet it is refreshing to see the Mouse House poke fun at some of its history, the repeated storyline of Prince rescues the Princess mythology and all that comes with it. Or so it would seem. In the end, Enchanted reinforces modern ideologies, encouraging little girls to dress like princesses, connect with their mothers through consumption, and keep searching for their true love, Prince Charming. That's not to say that there's a little fun along the way.

Adams gives an excellent performance as a maiden who finds herself plucked (or rather, pushed) into New York city, with her fairy tale mentality intact. This plays havoc with Dempsey and his daughter, who act as good sammaritans found only in the movies. Adams plays princess so well, ditzy but not dislikable, sweet but not syrupy, and not your typically stunning beauty, but gorgeous nonetheless. Her songs are hilarious and she does a wonderful spin on typical Disney musical numbers, playing it straight amongst the silliness, like Leslie Nielson in Airplane!

It's in these moments that the film takes off, mocking all the ridiculous Disney past and present. Dempsey plays a great foil to it all, reminding us of his great comedic timing, as he has the hard task of realistically responding to this displaced fairy tale damsel. Their chemistry works, ensuring the film's success. Equally important is Marsden's clueless Prince, a character that could easily have been one note, but is hilarious and suave and adds complexity to the emerging love triangle. He gets some of the best laughs in limited screen time.

All of this is enjoyable and played out wonderfully, milking laughs for just the right amount, and mocking the Princess theme while playing within its trappings. Unfortunately, the third act can't sustain the promise of the first, and the return to traditional fairy tale endings is somewhat disappointing. i still find it quite appalling how commercialism and consumption replaces a young girl's dreams of a boy charming, as if to say that "Girls, you don't need men when you can spend, spend, spend!" If this is what feminism and women's lib have brought us, we're no better off, and i'd take an old fashioned fairy tale romance anyday. However, apart from this ideological gaffe, Enchanted is a ton of fun for everyone in the family.

Grade: B+