From the opening gargle of the awkwardly animated chipmunks, "Disenchanted" was a disappointing sequel to the beloved "Enchanted" from start to finish. There are always risks associated with sequel-making, which in this case were exacerbated by the fact that "Disenchanted" was released 15 years after the original movie's debut, allowing time for the target audience to build up expectations, just to have them immediately shot down.
"Disenchanted" follows Giselle (Amy Adams) after finding her happily ever after in New York City with Robert (Patrick Dempsey) and his daughter, Morgan (Gabriella Baldacchino). However, years after the finale of "Enchanted," the couple decides that they might be more suited to suburban life, which they seek out in Monroeville.
Once Giselle realizes that the fairy tale ending she hoped for is unachievable, she uses the power of her homeland to transform Monroeville into a magical kingdom. However, once the magic transforms Giselle into a wicked stepmother, her family and friends must defy all odds to save her and their own lives.
The unbearable writing of "Disenchanted" doomed the film from the beginning. From the script to the songs, the plots (of which there were too many) and characters were, more often than not, discontinuous and uninteresting. For example, the writers attempted to mirror the film's target audience of the original movie, most of whom are now young adults, with the character of Morgan. Morgan was written as a bratty teenager, and despite ending the film as a grateful and loving heroine, she displayed no traceable character arc.
The two saving graces of this movie were Idina Menzel and James Marsden, who played Nancy and Edward, respectively. Menzel finally graced this cinematic universe with her vocal power and sang one of the only redeemable numbers of the movie, "Love Power." Marsden committed to his character completely and provided both incredible comic relief and dramatic moments. Comedic powerhouse Maya Rudolph was featured as the main antagonist, and despite her character being one of the worst-written in the film, she worked her magic and did the absolute best with what she was given. Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey were both forced to revert to the naïve and flighty performances that they gave 15 years ago, which is a commendable feat for such prominent actors, but also a disheartening snuff of the skills that they have spent so many years harnessing.
Overall, "Disenchanted" is choppily edited, poorly written and an unfortunate revisitation to a beloved story. However, fans of the original movie may be able to look past these facts and enjoy the nostalgia that the film encourages. If nothing else, "Disenchanted" is a decent reminder that the magic all of us saw in the world as children should be given its due time, and not be smothered by cynicism and adulthood too quickly.
