Movie Review: Encanto

 Hey everyone, my name is Anthony and welcome to my first movie review of 2022.

Last year it was a tough time for everyone and my personal experience, it not just my drawing or my family, but rather im kinda lacked of movies in 2021 due to the virus that kept spreading as im working this. But i maybe will promise to pick some movies from last year for my review that i wanted to planning for, as il promise, including back to Disney!

"Encanto" is a 2021 Disney's animated musical fantasy comedy film that was written/directed by Jared Bush, Byron Howard (Yup, the same guys who made Zootopia), produced by Yvett Merino and Clark Spencer and co-written by Charise Castro Smith (Both story and screenplay), Jason Hand, Nancy Kruse and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

After finishing Moana, the idea of this movie came from Lin-Manuel Miranda, where he felt like to having a new animated film with family journey than one daughter on her own (since she has eight brothers), but unlike Moana is an animated adventure with Polynesian culture, this one goes to Colombian culture with colorful works, magic elements of course, musicals. And not to mention, this is the 60th film from Walt Disney Animation Studio (Man, that's a lot, maybe il review them all, but that's a different plan) and 2021 was a big year for Lin-Manuel Miranda since he brought us Vivo (which is his animated passion project came to life on Netflix exclusive after began in 2010), Tick, Tick... Boom! (which is his first film he ever directed) and In the Heights (film based his musical stage since 2005), surprisingly, all of them are pretty good what i've heard and Encanto will be my first taste from Miranda.

Now we got that out of way, will this movie be magical for Colombian family, or is this magical film pretty much cursed to visit?

Well, lets find out.

The Story

For a movie about family with magic, its quite of fascinating telling that even though family is perfect, but there's definitely the elephant in the room.

It begins in a flashback where young Alma Madrigal lived with three infants after Bruno was her to leaving her and her kids all alone, however, she sees a candle that represents a miracle to give them magical of special powers and also gave them a sentient house that they called "Casita" along with a hidden town sheltered being surrounded by mountains. Fast forward to 50 years later, the candle still going up with the family live with superhuman magic, but one of them who never have one (sadly) is our main protagonist Mirabel, which despite being a young daughter of Juileta, she was considered as "special" when she didn't have a magical gift, due to the fact that they refuse to know about Bruno after 10 years, its up to Mirabel to find the answers for what happened from the past.

Its quite of challenging and surprisingly related for the family struggle for how to stay positive with magical powers, despite one them has none and needs an answer for why is this or that, even if it sounds like a Colombian style of My Hero Academia, but at least it has a unique plot for not just wanting to finding the answer from the past, but also trying to save the family in order to stay together without any risk of breaking up. In other words, unlike any other dumb action films for family, this movie's core is saving the family, while struggling from the past that might suffering. Of course, another good plot elements of this movie is the relationship of Madrigal, its also the key of this movie, even though Mirabel is pretty much in after though in her family, but its ot just she wants the answer, but also just wants to be important with her family, which explains why she's our main protagonist in this film. As for the humor of this movie, well, it surprisingly fun, sure the movie has a rollercoaster ride of emotion of having a good stuff, some funny moments and or course and emotional moments, but honestly, this movie made me enjoy to not just watch, but also have fun and investing for our main hero Mirabel.

The movie's plot is enjoyably perfect for how to deal with family and feel our main hero she deserves to important being being an after thought as "special", its not easy to be in family, but at least the writing is well done for how to relate and investing.

The Animation

Holy Disney, it looks soo magical, bright and colorful to watch, but in a beauty way how it depicts and presented! So where do i begin?

The background and the setting is nicely beautiful of its nature, the village and the Casita, not only to be perfectly fit for Colombia, but it has a lot of colors that i adored what it presented, this is easily the most colorful animated film that Disney has ever done, not to mention, some of the rooms of gifted family members are creative, unique and imaginative to perfectly fit for them like the jungle room for Antonio and cute and decorative flowers for Isabela, those are pretty cool example for an imagination rooms based on their abilities.

As for the effects and the designs, they're always pretty good as always for Disney films, sure the character designs are always the same as previous films like Tangle or Frozen, but we always enjoy the design that it won't disappoints, not to mention, their outfits are also colorful and nicely fit for Colombia setting, and the effects are also impressive for the lighting with bright from either the doors or even the magic candle and of course, a very fun effect of Casita itself, its almost like Casita is the main character for fun effects, kinda like Gale from Frozen 2 or the water itself from Moana.

As for the animation, movements and some pacing are also fun, with smooth movements and other times going rapid when it comes to comedic moments, which i enjoy what they're going for as always, so il let it pass for their nice work of animation.

And finally, lets talk about the music itself, like i said at the beginning, Lin-Manuel Miranda was a very busy person in the year 2021 with his great works, and Encanto is one them that he wrote 8 song sequences, though il pick some songs that i like to talk about.

We started on "The Family Madrigal", which is basically the opening daily of... Well, the Family Madrigal, especially for showing us their family members with their unique abilities, i find it a nice and fun starts to go for our main family. 

Next up is "Waiting on a Miracle", which even though the family members has special members, but this one is about how Mirabel is pretty much being an outcast for why she didn't have special gift that she wants to know, i find it a memorable song that how we can relate that Mirabel should've been a main deal than being an after thought in a Madrigal.

After that, we have "Surface Pressure", this hip hop song for Luisa that despite she has a super strength for the use of chores and such, but there's always the limit that could stress to anxiety, even though i may not like the song, but the lyric is definitely understandable how we felt despite we took too much pressure.

Finally we have "We Don't Talk About Bruno", easily the highlight of the song in this film and i gotta say, its a nice, catchy and of course the song of kept-secret to telling Mirabel (or us) that talking about Bruno is forbidden for Madrigal since he disappeared, thinking he secretly pose a fear from the future, but in fairness that its fun to listen to explains what's happening next if we ended up talking about Bruno. Not to mention, i appreciated with some mash-up songs for give emotion from keeping safe to something risky about Bruno.

The rest of the songs are nice with Colombian language songs and some that i considered "meh".

While i called Raya's animation to be going intense with unique idea, but Ecanto topped over with impressive settings, some great songs, fun and smooth animation and of course work of beauty for its bright and colorful setting and designs, i love it!

The Characters

With a movie about Madrigal, we expecting with their unique developments of the characters, well, of course it is, my friend.

Lets starts with Mirabel (voiced by Stephanie Beatriz), the young daughter who's pretty much being the outcast with no special gift, we can easily related to her that she was supposed to be a gifted family member, but pretty much being left off as being warned when it comes to Bruno. Even though its tough to be an outcast like her, but i think it safe to say that she's fascinating and related character that we're routing for and Beatriz did a pretty good work of her role.

Next up is Abuela Alma Madrigal (voiced by María Cecilia Botero), she's the grandmother and the matriarch of Madrigal, at first, she seems to be a nice grandmother of the family to be live peace with the magic candle for the house Casita, but when we did deep, it seems that she's rather overprotective to not referring about Bruno, even if she's struggling from the past for how she missed him when he used to be nice before turned on them that he disappeared, which explains why wants everyone to be perfectly clear to never hearing nor mentioning Bruno. Of course, Botero did a nice work of her role, although she also playing her role in Spanish dubbing, so nice touch.

Speaking of which, we have Bruno (voiced by John Leguizamo, aka Luigi in Super Mario Bros movie, aka Sid from Ice Age), the uncle of the family who's declared forbidden due to being disappeared from his ability to see through the future that it cause the fear for Madrigal. At first, we assuming that he's going to be the villain of this movie, based on we heard the signature song "We Don't Talk About Bruno". But in reality, he's more like a comedic outcast'd uncle that he hides somewhere in Casita. I find him ok, i did chuckle for some of his jokes, but the way he delivered for his appearance and his development just comes off as rather weak, but i will give a credit for a fun performance of Leguizamo, though it could've been worse.

As for the rest of the family, since this movie is about gifted family with single outcast one, il do my short list about the family members, cause there's almost a lot of them.

There's Félix (voiced by Mauro Castillo) who's Mirabel's uncle and Pepa's husband with the ability to remain control of positive, which he's quite a nice one, Pepa (voiced by Carolina Gaitán) who's Felix's wife with overly emotional one for her not-so-smooth control of weather, Luisa (voiced by Jessica Darrow), the older sister with in responsibility with super strength, even if she has her limits as i mentioned before, Julieta (voiced by Angie Cepeda) who's a sweet Mirabel's mother with cooking food with healing ability, Isabela (voiced by Diane Guerrero) who's Mirabel's other older sister who likes to see glamerous and perfect with blooming flowers ability, which i find her pretty cute and nicely fit, Camilo (voiced by Rhenzy Feliz) the son from Pepa and Félix with his shape shifting ability that he sometimes confusing himself who he is, even if his ability is fun and unique, Dolores (voiced by Adassa), the daughter from Pepa and Félix that she'll know from her hearing ability, and Antonio (voiced by young Ravi Cabot-Conyers) who's the recent gifted son with the ability of controlling animals and likes to hang out with Mirabel to consider her as "big sister".

These family members are somewhat of mix, some have a purpose for the plot, some for humor and others that may or may not have purpose, but they're somewhat likable for their personality and their abilities.

Although, outside of family, they're not much else, so il let them pass.

While some characters may have mixed bag, but they're fun and probably memorable for showing the set of abilities and their development, especially some that we can relate for.

And now for my final opinion of this film.

Overall, Encanto is a pretty good film and its the work of beauty that im probably having fun with, the animation is beautiful, well-done and colorful they've ever done, the story is pretty good, even if the ending could've gone better (No Spoiler though), the songs are pretty good to know and catchy at the time and the characters are quite nice to enjoy and how we feel for the situation.

Sure, it may have some nitpicks like Bruno could've gone better for his development, some songs are ok and again, the ending feels almost like a disappointment, but again, not gonna spoil it, but its still a pretty good movie.

This is definitely a must-watch film to gathering around with your friends and family, this is the film that you won't disappoint. Although, if i wanna put this movie in my top list of movies of the year 2021 that i should've done, il definitely put into the podium like Number 3 over Raya.

For my rating, its definitely a 9/10 and for the first time, im giving this movie a Trophy of Success.

So this ends of my movie review, if you guys have your opinion or any suggestions, let me know at comment bellow and support me on https://ko-fi.com/blackevil.

Thanks for reading, and im Anthony, signing out.