Encanto Film Review!

I haven’t done a film review in a hot second, so I figured I’d completely skip over the emotional trauma that is No Way Home and write about something comparatively happier! So let’s talk about Encanto.

Encanto is Disney’s 60th animated motion picture film, and it is so interesting to see how the cinema giant’s approach to animation has changed over the years. For one, the fact that different cultures are finally being included is amazing. This particular film is infused with Columbian culture, which a lot of Columbians have said is very accurate. I personally loved the diversity of each Madrigal family member and how they looked!

Encanto follows a girl named Mirabel who lives in the Madrigal family, a family of miraculous gifts and a sentient house. However, when the magic of the house starts dying, it’s up to her to restore it. Her journey of finding her place within an extraordinary family is one I think a lot of kids will relate to.

One of the things I find most interesting about Disney’s approach to recent films is that the plots and stakes of each movie are drastically different. I would place this movie in between Pixar’s chill Italian summer adventure Luca and the previous South-Asian-inspired grand quest that is Raya and the Last Dragon. There are high stakes, sure, but the scenery doesn’t change too much. Instead, the focus is on the power of family, identity, and expectations. I really enjoyed the themes that this movie goes over.

And the music! Lin-Manuel Miranda also had a hand in the Moana soundtrack, but you can hear so much more of his influence in the songs of Encanto. Anyone who has seen In The Heights will instantly be reminded of the soundtrack that makes up that particular movie. We Don’t Talk About Bruno is probably my favorite song! Although as an eldest daughter, Surface Pressure really does hit hard. Germaine Franco was the composer of this movie, and you could see the difference it made in having a composer of Latin-American heritage.

I don’t really have any glaring issues with this movie? I mean, some of the plot points were a little convenient (such as the way a certain relationship went at the end) and felt a tad bit rushed. The animation was very pretty. It just didn’t have all the cohesive elements to make this an all-time favorite for me.

Now I know you’re all wondering: did I cry? Almost. I probably would have if I didn’t hate crying in front of people.

So that’s it! I think that this movie is worth watching because it is a very heartwarming, beautiful movie. Tell me: have you seen this movie? In case you haven’t seen it yet, it’s streaming on Disney+!

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