A movie review of "Encanto": What has Disney done now?

“Blessed are those who can afford Disney+ or are bold enough to borrow a friend’s account.”

                                              – “The Historically-Inaccurate Autobiography of Walt Disney”

I am going to boldly assume that about 60% of the people who will read this have already seen it. I hope you enjoyed this film as thoroughly as I did. For the other 40%, maybe you don’t have access to Disney+. Time to make some new friends!

Disney has come a long way since the 20th century. Old European fairy tales have given way to new original stories representing a myriad of cultures that haven’t been prominent in the American film industry.

Anti-spoiler alert, I will not reveal anything that wasn’t included in the trailers. This means I will not address the character Bruno, the over-age-50 hermit uncle who became a heartthrob for thousands of people.

“Encanto” is a family film. The movie narrates the story of the family Madrigal, a multigenerational Columbian household that was miraculously given a home. Each child born to the family was gifted a power when they turned five. The trailer reveals a few of the powers: super strength, effortless perfection (with the ability to grow flowers from nothing) and healing through baked goods. The main character is Mirabel, the second youngest in the family who was not given a gift. Not once in the film are you allowed to forget that factor. Sure, we don’t talk about Bruno, but the person who no one *actually* talks about is Mirabel.

“In time,” said Abuela, the family matriarch, “every member of our family was given their own magical gift.” She excludes Mirabel very easily. A family photo is taken when the youngest receives his gift, and not only was Mirabel not included, no one even noticed she wasn’t there.

The trailer revealed a very simple plotline. The family Madrigal starts to lose their powers, and the house begins to fall apart. Of course, this simple explanation can barely describe the depth put into the full film. Each of the grandchildren have character arcs that are relatable and touching.

I cannot skip over the music. Most people by now know the name Lin Manuel Miranda, from either Hamilton or Moana. If that name is enough to convince you to see Encanto, then great. The music goes far beyond Miranda, however. The producers, directors, writers and composers traveled to Columbia to experience and study the terrain, culture, music and choreography. The music was directly inspired by Colombian music. And of course, you must know that the song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” has surpassed Frozen’s “Let It Go.” With its current path, it may surpass Disney’s highest charting song, “A Whole New World.”

So, what are you waiting for? 

By Annelise Jacobs