Encanto (2021)
One of the biggest streaming successes since the COVID-19 pandemic has to be that of Encanto. After failing to leave much of an impact from its exclusively theatrical release, Encanto found a new life when it hit Disney+ becoming one of the most iconic Disney films of the last few decades with outright the biggest Disney song of all time in "We Don't Talk About Bruno". These instantly catchy songs and memorable animation led to a viewing experience that at the very least was memorable and enjoyable. As time has gone on, conversations surrounding the film have almost exclusively stayed to these limited topics with little being said about the actual story and substance the film has to offer. A common trope found in Disney films is the ability to execute a few elements so well that the overall flaws of a project can be overlooked and ignored which almost certainly continues into Encanto. While the technical ability of the film is clear and there is no denying the energy and entertainment of the project, the execution ultimately fails the film's deeper messages creating an uneven and underwhelming final product.
Set in a small village in Columbia, Encanto introduces the Madrigal family who have been giving magical powers as a gift from a mysterious candle that protected the family in the face of danger many moons ago when the head of the family, Alma (María Cecilia Botero) fled her home village. This magical gift not only gave the family a living house that can interact and move, but it also gave each individual a unique magical ability. Every individual other than Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz) who for an unknown reason was given no gift. Still, Mirabel lives with her family and things seem to be going well enough until a mysterious force begins to hurt the magic and threaten the family with Mirabel somehow finding herself in the middle of the danger. The only connection that Mirabel can make is a prophecy given by her exiled Uncle Bruno (John Leguizamo) who vanished into thin air.
There is plenty of magic to be found specifically in the set up of this story. The Madrigal family is wonderful with plenty of unique dynamics and personalities that give the family a sense of authenticity and depth. The film wisely plays into the diversity of the family through various songs and sequences to keep pace with a rather fast and lively energy and pacing that is found throughout the film. These songs are of course the biggest highlight of the feature with not just catchy flows, but also genuine purpose within the story that help them feel integral to the film's larger identity. This logic speaks to the absolute best of movie musicals and helps give these songs a deeper purpose and gravitas.
When one peels back these flashy layers, the film sadly begins to fall apart. Without getting into spoilers, the deeper messages and themes of the film are worked into the film's plot incredibly awkwardly. The film attempts to find a message on generational trauma and toxic family units, both worthy subjects that deserve to be explored and expressed, but fails to find a clean pathway to actually incorporate them into the plot. When everything is revealed, the plot still makes little sense with the film deciding to ignore logic or reason and just give a vague excuse of magic as to why everything works the way it does. It is hard to engage or even explain why even the basic conflict is happening outside of it being the plot to the movie being created that needs to happen in order to even have a film.
It really doesn't make sense why Mirabel isn't given a gift or why the family conflict is such an important factor now compared to any other time before. Even the family conflict itself is incredibly difficult for the film to define with a more generic label of generational trauma being used without ever a clear showcase of how it actually is playing into the current dynamics of the family. Part of this is probably to protect Abuela Alma and never allow the audience to question her place as a protagonist, but quite literally this is a key piece of the conversation being had. To ignore this undercuts the entire message of the feature.
The pacing is also laughably bad. The film builds well enough but the final 20-minutes come out of nowhere and rushes to wrap everything up into a clear and concise package. The effect is an unsatisfying and confusing final arc that fails to contain the impact it should. It also doesn't help that there is no suspense found throughout the film as to what the actual conclusion is going to be. Through the use of prophecies and visions, the film quite literally shows the audience pieces of the ending and anyone over the age of 8 will immediately be able to understand exactly what is going to happen. This causes the drama and mystery to become lifeless and outside of the songs, the audience will be left to wait for the conclusion they know is coming with little reason to engage or be thrilled by what they are watching.
While one absolutely can watch Encanto and find enjoyment in the songs, characters, and animation, the overall feature ultimately fails to have the weight and poignant impact it wants to have. The film absolutely refuses to entertain the venom that its conversation demands to have and undercuts itself at nearly every turn. The result is a confusing and lackluster expression that fails to develop a plot that is logical; much less important. The film defies not a single expectation from the audience and ends up just feeling dull when one looks below its bright and energetic surface
Set in a small village in Columbia, Encanto introduces the Madrigal family who have been giving magical powers as a gift from a mysterious candle that protected the family in the face of danger many moons ago when the head of the family, Alma (María Cecilia Botero) fled her home village. This magical gift not only gave the family a living house that can interact and move, but it also gave each individual a unique magical ability. Every individual other than Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz) who for an unknown reason was given no gift. Still, Mirabel lives with her family and things seem to be going well enough until a mysterious force begins to hurt the magic and threaten the family with Mirabel somehow finding herself in the middle of the danger. The only connection that Mirabel can make is a prophecy given by her exiled Uncle Bruno (John Leguizamo) who vanished into thin air.
There is plenty of magic to be found specifically in the set up of this story. The Madrigal family is wonderful with plenty of unique dynamics and personalities that give the family a sense of authenticity and depth. The film wisely plays into the diversity of the family through various songs and sequences to keep pace with a rather fast and lively energy and pacing that is found throughout the film. These songs are of course the biggest highlight of the feature with not just catchy flows, but also genuine purpose within the story that help them feel integral to the film's larger identity. This logic speaks to the absolute best of movie musicals and helps give these songs a deeper purpose and gravitas.
When one peels back these flashy layers, the film sadly begins to fall apart. Without getting into spoilers, the deeper messages and themes of the film are worked into the film's plot incredibly awkwardly. The film attempts to find a message on generational trauma and toxic family units, both worthy subjects that deserve to be explored and expressed, but fails to find a clean pathway to actually incorporate them into the plot. When everything is revealed, the plot still makes little sense with the film deciding to ignore logic or reason and just give a vague excuse of magic as to why everything works the way it does. It is hard to engage or even explain why even the basic conflict is happening outside of it being the plot to the movie being created that needs to happen in order to even have a film.
It really doesn't make sense why Mirabel isn't given a gift or why the family conflict is such an important factor now compared to any other time before. Even the family conflict itself is incredibly difficult for the film to define with a more generic label of generational trauma being used without ever a clear showcase of how it actually is playing into the current dynamics of the family. Part of this is probably to protect Abuela Alma and never allow the audience to question her place as a protagonist, but quite literally this is a key piece of the conversation being had. To ignore this undercuts the entire message of the feature.
The pacing is also laughably bad. The film builds well enough but the final 20-minutes come out of nowhere and rushes to wrap everything up into a clear and concise package. The effect is an unsatisfying and confusing final arc that fails to contain the impact it should. It also doesn't help that there is no suspense found throughout the film as to what the actual conclusion is going to be. Through the use of prophecies and visions, the film quite literally shows the audience pieces of the ending and anyone over the age of 8 will immediately be able to understand exactly what is going to happen. This causes the drama and mystery to become lifeless and outside of the songs, the audience will be left to wait for the conclusion they know is coming with little reason to engage or be thrilled by what they are watching.
While one absolutely can watch Encanto and find enjoyment in the songs, characters, and animation, the overall feature ultimately fails to have the weight and poignant impact it wants to have. The film absolutely refuses to entertain the venom that its conversation demands to have and undercuts itself at nearly every turn. The result is a confusing and lackluster expression that fails to develop a plot that is logical; much less important. The film defies not a single expectation from the audience and ends up just feeling dull when one looks below its bright and energetic surface