Given that they own two of the top ten highest-grossing media franchises of all time, 52% market share in the media, and an irreplaceable hold over our childhoods, saying Disney peaked is the understatement of the century. Horrifyingly they've reached the point where any effort or innovation on their part isn't required or needed.
So I appreciate it when for every half-hearted sequel and soulless live-action reboot when something truly "new" comes from Disney. However, they turn out I can at least say that there was an initiative taken and the courage to try something new. Still, I wouldn't lie and say that there wasn't a part of me that wasn't looking, no thirsting for that "spark." That pure excitement led me towards the path of having my own stories come to life. It had been years since I felt that. Then Encanto came along.
What I initially thought would be an alright adventure quickly erupted into a rush of emotion I hadn't felt in a film since Moana. And while the movie didn't exactly hit the biggest box office return compared to its fellow films, the streaming, content, and sheer love for this feature is something I haven't experienced since Frozen. I'm frankly obsessed. I can't stop talking about it. So I decided to ride the hype wave instead of fighting it. So this is my love letter to Encanto: A true gift from Disney.
Note
Before we begin, two quick things. First, this will mainly be looking at the movie from a spoiler-free perspective (though, who hasn't seen it at this point). Also, anything I say is my opinion, so keep all that in mind. With that out of the way, let's begin.
Summary
In the far-off Columbian village of Encanto, we center ourselves on a rather peculiar family: the Madrigals. With nearly every member having a mystical superpower benefitting the community. Each generation, the family has only grown in their gifts, duties, and influence, starting back with their grandmother Alma Madrigal.
All except our main character, Mirabel Madrigal, were born without a gift. However, that might soon become a blessing rather than a curse as her unique perspective can uncover hidden darkness within the family. A decay that's been building up for years may consume them all.
Cast
Naturally, with a family as large as this one, not every character in Encanto get the most spotlight. That said, it'd been a while since I've seen a cast as effortlessly entertaining as them. The gorgeous character design fused with the superpowers makes the Madrigals instantly recognizable. I'll try to be as concise as possible, though.
Starting, we have the matriarch Alma Madrigal, a strict, orderly grandmother who seeks to see the Madrigals grow both in number and service. Then, moving to her children, we have Bruno, a mysterious man that we should only sing instead of talking about, oh and he can see the future.
Moving on, we have Mirabel's mother, Julieta, a kind and supportive mother, grafted with the ability of healing meals. She married the clumsy but immensely loving Augustin, the father of the super-strong but sensitive Luisa, perfect plant princess Isabella and finally, the mc Mirabel. Due to not being born with a gift, Mirabel is fiercely proud of her family, constantly pushing herself to contribute the same way as everybody else. Yet despite the stark difference in "talents," Mirabel is still extremely stubborn, nice, and a little bit accident-prone.
Moving on to Alma's second daughter, we have Pepa, a highly anxious woman with emotions about as tempestuous as her weather control. Nevertheless, she managed to marry her merry husband Felix to have three kids. Finally, we have the mischievous shapeshifter Camilo, an intrusive but eccentric eavesdropper with superhearing Dolores and adorable animal lover Antonio.
Like I said before, not every character in Encanto gets their spotlight, but every character feels unique through extremely well-realized character design and good writing. If you leave the movie wanting to see more of these characters, I think it did its job all around.
Presentation
Not exactly surprising, Encanto looks glamorous af, but like it's Disney, you know? As I said, Encanto's character designs are beautiful in the cast section. Not only does each member of the family have some unique symbols to represent their powers (evidenced in Mirabel's dress), but I love the consistent color schemes presented throughout. I love how Pepa and Julieta's families are warm and cool colors, respectively. It's easy to see who's related to whom while also clueing into the overall story.
Unfortunately, I can't continue talking about the visuals without even mentioning Encanto's frankly gorgeous musical numbers. Lin Manuel Miranda is already a cheat code for music but combining that with Germaine Franco, the co-composer of Coco and the billboards were charting themselves.
Encanto is one of the most refreshing and great soundtracks I've heard in a Disney film. Lin's unique way of storytelling through song lends itself so well to animation, perfectly communicating and emphasizing how the Madrigal's gifts consistently influence their actions. Visually this is the closest I feel like Disney has gotten to recapturing the fluid animation of their 2d Reinassce, which is honestly a blessing. Welcome to Family Madrigal and Waiting on a Miracle are great opening bops that highlight the amazing Madrigal family while at the same time showing Mirabel's natural worries.
Surface Pressure is one of the most impressively guttral songs on the list, displaying multiple frantic visual metaphors that display the story's overarching theme. Dos Oruguitas is a tear-jerking slow-burn song. And, of course, how foolish would it be to mention the literal top charter that is We Don't Talk About Bruno. It is frankly an instantly infectious ensemble piece that somehow manages to have most of the cast take the spotlight with unique melodies that fit their characters.
All while ending on the Madrigals performing a literal musical madrigal will probably make this song one of Disney's best and brightest bops of the decade. If the Oscars had the gall to butcher it, it must be good, right? I kid, of course, but genuinely speaking all around, Encanto is visual masterpiece, easily ranking with some of Disney's best.
Overview
I've never exactly covered a movie before when it comes to these reviews, but I'll try my best to stay spoiler-free. Honestly, though, there isn't much to say. Encanto is an incredibly solid movie that feels like a breath of fresh air compared to many other Disney Movies. Many of the typical conventions of a Disney movie, even from look the designs of the characters, feel different, probably due to the recent trends I've been seeing.
Much like Onward, Turning Red, Luca, and Soul, I feel as though Disney/Pixar is not only trying to be far more cultural but also smaller scale. Encanto isn't so much a harrowing journey with the fate of the world at stake. Instead of offering a far more interpersonal small-scale conflict, which can often hit just as hard if not more challenging. There may be antagonistic forces in the movie, but there is not someone who would be called a villain.
A fact that this movie handles with such grace and realism I nearly wanted to cry. It perfectly mixes Mirabel's hero's journey with multiple red herrings to show a problem that's not the most directly solvable. Either way, the moral of the film is something I always relate to, I think.
I've been writing for over three years when I write this, and I'll hopefully be writing for much longer if I become a screenwriter who brings his stories to life. Whether or not you think that's long is up to you. I've gone through many achievements, evolution, and support either way. Sometimes knowing that makes me feel like I'm on top of the world.
And sometimes I feel like shit. I'm still not any closer to where I started. I need to write better, work harder, be stronger, and be smarter. And when slipups naturally occur from such a mindset, I beat myself up hard. I want to achieve so much to turn my passion into a job, so it never feels like one. I'm trying to see a grand future that doesn't feel certain, on various paths that scare me.
Of course, my friends and families have always supported me whenever those feelings come up. However, I felt seen to see these feelings of self-destructive perfectionism, generational trauma, and imposter syndrome put into animation from the company of picture-perfect princesses. Like there was some stranger who finally understood exactly what I was going through.
Either way, especially now in college, I realize that life is a gift far more valuable than my own. I may not magically have my dream come true tomorrow, and I will still work hard for it. However, I want also to maintain a balance because when I reach the top and build my empire, I don't want it to be empty. And if you feel like you don't have your gift to offer, stick around. I bet you'll be surprised by what you're capable of.
Epilogue
Overall, Encanto is a must-see for any Disney movie. I can already see this movie becoming another classic in an already stacked lineup, and it's a great showing of what we might get in the future. Either way, I want to see more from Encanto later on. I hope you would like to see more of me because I have so many more stories left to tell.