Disney’s 60th Film ‘Encanto’ Is An Ode to Family

Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures.

MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD.

Encanto was released in theaters on November 24, 2021 and on Disney+ on December 24, 2021. The film’s premise follows a magical family, the Madrigals, whose powers are in grave danger and it’s up to Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz) to save her family.

When the film ended, I was thinking to myself “That’s it?” It’s not that I was expecting more. It didn’t feel finished to me.

I think it’s because the story felt a little inconsistent. The characters weren’t developed as much as I would’ve like them to be.

This is a really cute film. It’s charming and sweet. Disney has definitely found their style when it comes to storytelling. The style was reminiscent that of Pixar’s Coco from 2017.

The story is much different than Coco’s. The characters were lovable and fun. My favorites are Bruno (John Leguizamo), Antonio (Ravi-Cabot Conyers), Mirabel, Isabela (Diane Guerrero), and Dolores (Adassa).

Let me tell you that scene where Mirabel and her Abuela are at the river made me bawl like a baby.

Similar to the story, the animation closely resembled Coco’s. The animation in this is spectacular. The colors are so vibrant and the textures are so realistic. It was mesmerizing.

I have mixed feelings about the soundtrack. Some of the songs were memorable and some were not. The opening song, The Family Madrigal, and We Don’t Talk About Bruno stood out the most for me.

I feel like this film didn’t have to have those musical elements. It would’ve given the story more room for development as well as the characters.

Disney’s Encanto is available to stream exclusively on Disney+.

Directors: Byron Howard, Jared Bush

Cast: Stephanie Beatriz, John Leguizamo, Dianne Guerrero

Producers: Yvett Merino, Clark Spencer