Saturday, March 15, 2008

Enchanted DVD

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Fairy Tale Comes to Life in Instant Disney Classic

Giselle (Amy Adams) is a budding young beauty who lives in Andalusia, a magical, animated kingdom where humans and the rest of God’s creatures sing and dance together in a perfectly peaceful coexistence. Her simple dream that one day her prince will come is all but realized when she and handsome, if half-witted Edward (James Marsden) cross paths in the forest and fall in love at first sight.
However, after the heir apparent asks for her hand in marriage, his evil stepmother, Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon), intervenes and throws a monkey wrench into the works. She’s reluctant to relinquish the throne, so she casts a spell which teleports Giselle to a parallel universe known as New York City.
Not only does the fresh-faced idealist suddenly find herself in an unfamiliar world where everybody is made of flesh and blood and no longer cartoons, but she also has to adjust to an unforgiving environment where people are likely to exploit her innocence. Thus, Giselle, lost and like a fish out of water on the streets of Manhattan, is very lucky to make friends with Robert Philip (Patrick Dempsey), a hard-nosed divorce attorney who is jaded about relationships.
The sympathetic, single-dad offers the doe-eyed stranger a place to stay, and brings her home to meet his daughter, Morgan (Rachel Covey), a development which doesn’t sit well with his girlfriend, Nancy (Idina Menzel). Meanwhile, the plot soon thickens since Prince Edward has made his way from Andalusia to America in search of his banished bride.
The pivotal question eventually arises whether, when found, Giselle will opt to marry him and return to her idyllic homeland, or if she might now be inclined to stay, provided she can convince the cynical lawyer to give happily ever after a chance. Chock full of intriguing twists and turns, plus many memorable musical numbers, Enchanted is a pleasant escape that’s fun for young and old.
All the fixins for an instant Disney family classic!

Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG for scary images and mild sexual innuendo.
Running time: 107 minutes
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
DVD Extras: Deleted scenes, bloopers, plus a couple of featurettes

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