Disenchanted, With Amy Adams, Unfortunately Lives Up to its Name
DIRECTOR: Adam Shankman
WRITER: Brigitte Hales
CAST: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, Maya Rudolph, Yvette Nicole Brown, Jayma Mays, Gabriella Baldacchino, Idina Menzel, James Marsden
Fifteen years ago, in Kevin Lima’s _Enchanted_ (2007), we saw Giselle (Amy Adams) and Robert (Patrick Dempsey) find their way to each other, and away from their romantic interests of the time (who also end up together). Originally from the magical kingdom of Andalasia, Giselle is teleported to Times Square by Narissa, the merciless queen. She encounters her several times, each posing an obstacle to her success, until she can finally have her happily ever after. And while Giselle emerges triumphant, she still doesn’t feel like a winner. In Adam Shankman’s _Disenchanted_ (2022), set ten years after the events of the first film, Giselle is still pursuing her happily ever after. Disillusioned by the humdrum of reality and the capriciousness of her teenage stepdaughter Morgan (Gabriella Baldacchino), Giselle longs for a fairytale world where trolls and giants are one’s only concerns. Consequently, the family relocates to a suburban town called Monroeville.
Robert and Morgan, accustomed to city life, find it challenging to adjust to the new milieu. Unsurprisingly, Giselle’s sanguinity and tendency to break into song are excessive even for the suburbia. Her cheeriness is far from infectious and makes her appear out of this world in the most literal way possible. Their longtime friends and former partners, Edward (James Marsden) and Nancy (Idina Menzel) visit from Andalasia to gift them a wish-granting wand. Expectedly, Giselle uses the wand to wish for a fairytale world, challenging the limits of escapism in a society where “you just get married and then nothing ever happens to you again.” In this alternate reality, Morgan seems to be possessed by Belle from _Beauty and the Beast_. She belts out “Perfect” as Belle had “Little Town”, both sauntering through the village, completing their chores and yearning for a different life. Robert transforms from a lawyer to the typical Disney hero frantic to save the day, and Giselle metamorphosizes into an evil stepmother. The world is just as she had desired, but the part she plays in it is regrettable.
