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DVD Details
- Original release date: November 21st, 2007
- DVD release date: March 18th, 2008
- Suggested retail price: 29.99 Blu-ray 34.99
- Aspect ratio: 1.85 : 1 (first ten minutes); 2.35 : 1
- Sound: 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound
The Movie
Enchanted tells the story of Giselle (Amy Adams), a fairytale maiden from the land of Andalasia, who believes she has found her true love in dashing Prince Edward (James Marsden) and is scheduled to marry him “happily ever after.” The prince’s evil step-mother Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon), desperate to keep the young lovers apart and preserve her control of the throne, transports Giselle to the mystical land of New York City and into live-action territory. Giselle is rescued from the streets by jaded divorce attorney Robert (Patrick Dempsey), who is alternately horrified, mystified, and attracted to the would-be princess. True love triumphs, but not before some fantastic musical numbers and a big “evil queen-turns-into-a-talking-dragon” climax, a la Sleeping Beauty, a film (among many other Disney classics) Enchanted pays homage to.
Enchanted did great at the box office and was well received by most critics. The performance of the adorable Amy Adams did much to keep the film from sinking into gooey mush, as did the lively music from Alan Menken and Stephen Swartz. Animated characters can break into song and dance with little notice these days, but it’s harder to have the same sorts of scenes with real actors without the audience cringing in embarrassment. Adams made it all look effortless, as did the ever-musical Marsden. Enchanted appeals to kids who wonder what Snow White would do if she ever found herself with a nice pair of drapes and a few pigeon friends; and to grown-ups who secretly want to believe that true love conquers even those nagging problems, like a potential mother-in-law who is trying to poison you with a deadly caramel apple.
Fans of classic Disney animation are especially enamored of Enchanted, as the filmmakers make special efforts to pay tribute to past films like Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Cinderella in small details. Former Disney leading ladies Jodi Benson, Paige O’Hara, Judy Kuhn, and Julie Andrews all have cameo roles, and many iconic images play important parts in the film. Poison apples figure heavily in the climax of the film, as does true love’s kiss, though not from the traditional prince as in past Disney films. The only part of the film I did not care for was the transformation of Narissa into the dragon and the action-heavy climax. The dragon is so obviously computer generated that it removes any sense of real peril, and makes a whole lot of noise to little effect. Sarandon is much better used when she is in her live-action evil queen mode.