The original title of the film "Enchanted 2" sounds like "Disenchanted." I wonder how fitting this title is for the whole situation with the sequel?

Brief Synopsis

What usually happens after "and they lived happily ever after"? Giselle (Amy Adams) has successfully married her beloved Robert (Patrick Dempsey) and must balance caring for her newborn daughter with dealing with the teenage years of her stepdaughter Morgan (Gabriella Baldacchino). The situation is complicated by the family's difficult move to suburbia, where the domineering head of the homeowners' association, Malvina (Maya Rudolph), rules the roost.

Problems rain down on Giselle's fragile shoulders like a cornucopia, and she can't take it anymore. Using a magical gift from her daughter's fairy godparents, she makes one wish. This wish will turn both worlds upside down – the quiet suburb and the magical kingdom of Andalasia. But most importantly, what price will Giselle and her family have to pay for a fairy-tale life?

First, the Pros

Well, overall, the film turned out quite pleasant. Those who grew up on the first part can definitely enjoy it, because we have a good, full-fledged sequel that wins over others.

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Open material

Actually, although I personally really dislike the parasitic use of successful films through sequels, prequels, and spin-offs, "Disenchanted" manages to maintain the spirit of "Enchanted," and that's already an undeniable plus. Vibrant backdrops, excellent costumes (whoever was in charge of Giselle's wardrobe did a fantastic job), and charming choreography. For the first twenty minutes, I just wanted to smile and sink into nostalgia. The simplicity of the story also works in the creators' favor, allowing them to thoroughly mock genre clichés. Which is exactly what they were aiming for back in 2007.

A small lyrical digression – for a Broadway fanatic like me, having great actors that almost no one knows by face (like the original Genie from the production of "Aladdin" or the actress from "Avenue Q") is always a huge plus.

Enchanted Picture

The main workload fell, of course, on the actors' shoulders. And Amy Adams did not disappoint. In "Disenchanted," she is simply divine – fortunately, the material allowed her to showcase the acting range she has gained over years of experience. Watching her is a pleasure, and at some moments I even regretted that we didn't see more of her. Plus, I want to separately mention James Marsden, who seems to have remained forever young and energetic. The others…

I have no particular issues with the young star Gabriella Baldacchino. But poor Dempsey wasn't given proper material, so his storyline feels completely unnecessary. Maya Rudolph tried her best, but there are also significant gaps in her character's logic, which prevented her from fully spreading her wings.

And the sudden active involvement of Idina Menzel in the narrative seems extremely implausible. I understand that you have a Broadway favorite at your disposal, and that she absolutely must be given a full song (reminder: Menzel voiced Elsa, and "Let it go" became a hit largely thanks to her). But not at the expense of the narrative, right?

Plus, on a visual level, "Disenchanted" suddenly started to fall apart. At some point, everything happening began to look like a cheap masquerade in front of cardboard backdrops. A particular disappointment was the animation, which in the original was on par with the studio's best films, but here became wildly choppy and more reminiscent of the ill-fated "direct to DVD" releases that flooded the market in the nineties. The mismatch between the characters' lines and the movement of the models was just jarring.

Alas, Much Was Not Achieved

And here, for me, the main drawback, as always, is the script. Because the logic of what's happening gets lost. We're watching a fairy tale, so a lot can be forgiven or attributed to magical intervention. To avoid spoiling too much of "Disenchanted," I'll use vague phrases, but after the wish is made, many characters undergo strong changes, the consistency of which varies depending on the screenwriters' goals. Characters sometimes remember their previous life, sometimes not. Sometimes they behave in a new way, sometimes in the old way. And this is without any consistency – just because. Plus, the ending felt very rushed.

And I was a bit disappointed by the soundtrack, honestly. Alan Menken is, of course, great, but the songs from this film resemble all his previous songs. They are very generic, appear out of nowhere, and are completely predictable.

Except for one, which is so divinely good that I've been listening to it on repeat for the second day. Let's just say, here's another proof that villain songs are far more interesting than all the others. If you're not afraid of spoilers – I highly recommend checking out "Badder" with its beautiful vocals and clever wordplay by Stephen Schwartz. Even if you don't plan to watch the film itself.

Conclusion

I don't regret watching the film "Disenchanted." Moreover, I enjoyed it. But the result could have been significantly more interesting; it was just a couple of steps short. Too bad.