WEB EXCLUSIVE

Disney’s Encanto brings so many more things than just another film made this year, it’s a hidden gem of what Disney can achieve. From the directors of Zootopia, Jared Bush and Byron Howard and Lin Manuel Miranda’s marvelous story-telling that brings the story together without many faults. 

The movie is set in Columbia, based around a village and a magical house. The directors also got perfect casting with a diverse cast with talented celebrities. The cast includes Stephanie Beatriz voicing as the main character, Mirabel and guest starring Maluma as Mariano, a minor character.

Encanto’s confounding story and characters gives the movie more depth compared to Disney’s more recent films. Out of her whole family, Mirabel is the only one without any “miracle” or in other words, a magical gift. Mirabel witnesses how their house is slowly crumbling along with the family relations. While on the search for a way to stop the house from going to ruin, she learns slowly how everyone is struggling with their own issues and becomes closer to them and finds a common ground with them. Mirabel finds a way to fix their beloved home with only one issue left; her broken relationship with her abuela.

Throughout the movie, Mirabel had to deal with the butt end of the stick. Even through having her family slowly dislike her, her positivity just brings a sense of sadness. With Mirabel’s quote “Even in our darkest moments, there’s light where you least expect it,” there’s a sadness that came with her being positive.

The conflict doesn’t drag out a long hero’s journey or bring random storylines in the very end of the movie. Instead it takes you around Casita, the house where mostly everything takes place in and yet is still so mysterious. The storyline also brings in a sense of familiarity to everyone- to family relations to what each character deals with internally. That’s what brings the story dear to anyone to remember or just enjoy the movie. The characters would say something witty but then the dialogue or moment was where Mirabel or her other family members were feeling or saying something that brought you to tears.  

Additionally to their family issues, it shines a little more light on the realistic life of a real family. Still as a Disney movie, everyone ends up happy and together. However throughout the film, seeing a family that doesn’t get along and seeing how they still love another is impactful. Kids can relate or understand at least that not every family is happy and get along every single second.

Though with the strong story line, the film’s faults are with the score. The songs came mostly as bland or they didn’t really work as well as they could’ve been. There were a few bearable songs that were ok but for the most part it was bland. Though, the constant use of Spanish brought me a sense of comfort to set the mood of the song. 

Encanto, overall as a movie, brings bittersweet feelings but at the same time makes the viewing so much more enjoyable.