Movie Review: Encanto

Encanto, the latest film from Disney Animation, is an enchanting tale of female empowerment ensconced in a heart-warming family story that is so full of things to enjoy that one may be tempted to call it classic straight away. It is one of those perfect films that comes around at just the right moment to make an indelible mark in the zeitgeist.

The film follows the Madrigal family, who live in a charmed city hidden in the mountains of Columbia called the Encanto. Over the generations, the children of the family have had unique gifts bestowed upon them that subsequently allow them to help the family and the community thrive. That is, except for young Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz), who received no such gift when it was her time to do so. This makes her the odd one out and, were it not for the past deeds of her Uncle Bruno (John Leguizamo), she might be viewed as the “black sheep” of the family.

“Encanto.”

Lack of a magical gift does not stop Mirabel from loving her family and town. She is effervescent and full of life and joy (and song) and proves simply impossible not to like as she strives to make the lives of everyone she comes in contact with a little better than they were before meeting her. Of course, this comes into play in full force when the magic of the town begins to fade and it appears as though Mirabel herself may have been the cause of this tragedy. Determined to save her family and town, Mirabel ultimately sets out on a quest to locate long-lost Uncle Bruno and return with him to the Encanto to set right what is now horribly out of balance.

As directed by Byron Howard and Jared Bush (who previously made Zootopia in 2016), from a script written by Bush and Charise Castro Smith, Encanto moves along effortlessly from scene to scene punctuated by phenomenal songs courtesy of Lin-Manuel Miranda. In short, there is simply nothing to dislike in Encanto. It is one of those films that is produced and offered for consumption at precisely the ideal time to allow it to become an instant classic.

Given that Encanto is the sixtieth film produced by Disney Animation, it is evident that there is no sign of a decline in the quality of product and, in fact, this offering may even portend of far better things to come in the future.

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Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com

An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.

@miketyrkus

Mike Tyrkus

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