Walt Disney Animation Studios are obviously one of the most significant animation studios of all time. They practically invented the game with feature length animation way back in the day and have managed to persevere and maintain their relevance and skill at their craft with time, despite some dark spots here and there. However, in recent years, I can't help but feel like they've just been making the same sorts of films over and over, and while most of them still end up being good, their general commitment to a formula does make a lot of their output feel repetitive and predictable. The trailers for Encanto did not give any hope that they would stray from the age-old Disney formula and give us something surprising, but they did at least show a film that looked good in and of itself, so I went in expecting a jolly good time at the very least while also hoping that maybe it would have something unexpected up its sleeve.
The story centres on a magical family called the Madrigals where each member possesses a special and unique ability. However, this isn't the case for one member named Mirabel, who is not respected by those around her and is seen as a disappointment because of this, not least by her Grandmother, who obtained the source of the magic many years ago and seeks to preserve it at all costs. But, when it seems as if this magic at the centre of the family is in danger, Mirabel might just be the key to saving it.
Well, first of all, I have to say that, much like how nice it was to see a new MCU movie in the cinema after a long time earlier this year with Black Widow, it was rather lovely so be sat in a cinema watching a new animated film released by Disney. The last one I saw was Onward just before COVID kicked off, and every subsequent one has been a Disney+ watch for me. So, there was a rather pleasant feeling in seeing that logo in front of an animated film in a cinema for the first time in... what feels like forever!
As I suspected, Encanto is very formulaic; it hits all the beats of a standard Disney Animation film and doesn't really have any surprises in that regard. But, on top of that, as you may have guessed from that summary, it also has a very familiar story. We've all seen a story about an outcast within a group who constantly fumbles and is disrespected only to eventually prove everyone wrong and be accepted. You know where it's going to go right from the start and every turn the film takes is highly predictable. While this isn't inherently a bad thing, it did make the film thematically and narratively uninteresting for me as it offered very little nuance. However, I've always believed that a film can get away with being unoriginal as long as it's well executed, and that's definitely the case with Encanto. It thrives off of how well a lot of its elements are executed.
As with any Disney production it has wonderful visuals. The film completely uses the animation to its advantage and manages to find many unique ways to be creative. The best example of this is with the house that the Madrigals live in - it's personified and brought to life in a way similar to the ocean from Moana, which led to some really inventive moments in terms of how each bit of the architecture conveyed a different feeling or emotion. There's also a really creative choice involving each member of the family living in a space that revolves around their ability, and this gave way for a variety of beautiful and distinct environments encountered throughout the film, such as a vast jungle filled with animals, or a haven covered in flowers.
I also love how the characters were animated; not only are the designs top-notch, but they all felt so human. When the film isn't being frantic and cartoony, the movement and behaviours of the characters all felt so realistic, making it so easy to emphathise with them. There's one moment where Mirabel picks up a fallen roof tile and cuts her hand in doing so, and each and every aspect of it felt so real. I'm also always amazed at just how much emotion can be expressed on an animated character, a single frame of one of their faces truly speaks volumes. These are very little things for sure, but I find that the little things tend to be the most admirable in an animated feature, as you know careful attention to detail is applied to each and every aspect.
The film is also a musical, and the songs are all really terrific. They weren't the most instantly memorable bunch and they certainly felt very familiar to songs from other Disney films, with the establishing opening number, the protagonist's 'I want' ballad, the goofy side character song, and so on, but they all managed to work really well. I mean, when I got home from the cinema I listened to and downloaded most of the soundtrack while eating my dinner, which is usually an indicator of some pretty damn good stuff. I don't know if I could single out a favourite as I think each of them had something great to offer.
Additionally, as conventional as it may be, it's hard to get to frustrated by the story in the film as it definitely means well. It's a film all about family and not losing sight of your love for others, as well as understanding how everyone has their own place in the world, which are of course very amiable ideas. They didn't really reach me emotionally, but I can see how they might do for others.
The only issue I had aside from the predictable nature of the film was the humour. Again, in sticking to the classic Disney formula, the film of course has to throw in some comedy. Unlike some of their other films, it isn't ill-fitting here as the film is deliberately wacky a lot of time, but lots of it was still very toe-curling for me. I've had this issue with many recent Disney and Pixar films, and it may well be because I'm getting older, but a part of me does think that the comedy itself isn't all that good.
You might be wondering what it is that I want to see from Disney Animation going forward. Well, it's quite simple, I just want to see more unconventional things from them. They've proven time and time again that they can make a solid family film with a sweet message, and while they don't make bad films of that nature, they are very unsurprising, which is making me slowly lose interest in seeing what comes next. Films like The Lion King, Zootropolis, and Fantasia all prove that they can stray from their formula with films that dare to be audacious, rich, and mature, so I know they're capable of doing so, and I'd just like to see more. This is their 60th animated feature, which they proudly show at the start of the film, and I think it's about time they change things up.
Overall, Encanto doesn't bring anything new to the table and offers very few surprises, but in and of itself, it's a perfectly satisfactory film with some splendid animation, solid musical numbers, and a story that definitely has its heart in the right place. It's about on the same level of quality as Luca, the Pixar film from earlier this year, another predictable yet sweet and charming film. I'd obviously like to see Disney venture into new territory with their animated features after over eighty years of them mostly doing the same thing, but if they can still manage to deliver perfectly good movies, I can't complain too much.
I'm going to give Encanto a 7.5/10
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