You’ll be left Disenchanted by this disappointing Disney+ sequel
Disenchanted (PG, 121 mins) Directed by Adam Shankman Reviewed by ★★ 1⁄
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Apotent combination of inspired and incisive songs, seamless blending of animation and live-action, clever subverting of traditional Disney Princess tropes and a sparking performance by Amy Adams, 2007’s Enchanted was one of the best flicks to come out of the Mouse House in the noughties.
After more than a few years of lame Tim Allen comedies and bland computer-animated adventures, Enchanted brought the crowd-pleasing magic back and arguably paved the way for a renaissance that included Tangled, Frozen and Moana.
But while a follow-up has allegedly been in development since 2010, this direct-to-streaming service sequel is disappointingly only likely to leave you feeling like its unfortunate title: Disenchanted.
The tunes are mostly forgettable (despite an Idina Menzel banger), the action is fitfully funny and the whole conceit feels borrowed from the far superior WandaVision.
Now a mother-of-two whose castle seems to have shrunk two sizes and who appears to be suffering from a (non) sleeping curse every night, Giselle (Adams) worries that she may be losing her ‘‘happily ever after’’.
With New York apartment-living having definitely lost its appeal, she looks for a sign of a solution, something that almost immediately comes in the literal form of a billboard for the suburban town of Monroeville.
However, not all the household members are thrilled at the prospect of relocation. Teenager
Morgan (Gabriella Baldacchino) is dismayed at having to leave all her friends behind, her uneasiness exacerbated by contractors still working on their new ‘‘dream home’’, even as they move in.
‘‘This isn’t an adventure, it’s a landfill,’’ Morgan pithily observes about the state of their backyard. When virtually her entire wardrobe goes up in smoke in a first-night electrical fire and she is forced to sleep on her parents’ floor,
Morgan’s misery is seemingly complete. What she hasn’t factored in though is her step-mother’s ‘‘helpful’’ attempts to help her fit in.
Seeing how the community’s queen bee Malvina (Maya Rudolph) has assisted her son to popularity, Giselle bakes up a storm, urging students to vote for Morgan as this year’s annual Monroe-fest princess.
Unfortunately, this puts her offside, not only with Morgan, but also with the controlling Malvina.
‘‘I never sing the right song any more,’’ Giselle laments, before spying the gift her native Andalasian ruling monarchs (the frankly under-used Menzel and James Marsden) have given her youngest Sofia – a wishing wand. Before she has even thought through the implications, she is ‘‘wishing for a fairytale life’’, a move that could have disastrous consequences for those in Monroeville and Andalasia.
While still delightfully parodying Disney movies past (a Be Our Guest-inspired musical number here, familiar-looking costumes there) and fairytale tropes in general (the film’s best song Badder contains the magnificent lines: ‘‘Maybe there’s a home I can drop on her. Is a poison apple too cliche?’’), it all just feels a little too forced.
Patrick Dempsey’s already bland character is distinctly one-dimensional this time around and while Adams embracing her dark side has delicious potential, it all eventually gets parlayed into a battle with Rudolph (Bridesmaids) that was done far better by Elizabeth Olsen and Kathryn Hahn in a certain Marvel series.
As for any tension or emotion? Well, as Marsden’s goofy Edward puts it: ‘‘Never fear. We will come up with something very smart at the very last minute that solves all our problems.’’