Somehow I feel like this movie isn't finished. I see a lot of great work, and good ideas. But the story feels unfinished. This is most notible when we have the highpoint of the conflict in the last scene of the 2nd act. And this conflict is resolved the very next scene. And I can't help but feel that this story had so much more to explore. I could have seen this movie surpas coco, with it's more original story, but alas.

7/10: great but had so much more potential.

Encanto is a creative movie featuring beautiful and vibrant animation. However, the story feels a little underdeveloped. While there are some magical and emotional moments, it seems as if they didn't know how to end the movie. The lack of a strong villain also makes this movie a little less compelling. Nevertheless, the music is fun, and we enjoyed watching Encanto together as a family.

I interpreted "Encanto" to mean that one's strength is not determined by traditions or other people's understanding of strength. Strength is about knowing the ethical thing to do, even if it challenges tradition.

And of course, it's good to see the depiction of a woman who isn't defined by her relationship to a man. Impressive movie.

'Encanto' interested me straightaway and was seen without hesitation. It is a milestone Disney film, its 60th. It had positive word of mouth, online and offline from people with not too dissimilar taste to me. It really interested me seeing an animated film exploring Columbian culture, something not seen by me before in animation (speaking as a long term fan of the medium), having really appreciated seeing Disney and Pixar explore a wider variety of cultures over the years.

Finally seeing it, part of me enjoyed 'Encanto' a lot and there is a huge amount to like about it. Having said that, for a milestone Disney film (which on paper promises greatness) part of me was expecting something more. 'Encanto' was something that could easily have been great, considering how interesting the story sounded on paper, but it was more to me one of those good films with many great elements but not quite enough of the extra magic.

There is certainly a lot that is done right. The best thing about 'Encanto' is the animation, which is nothing short of spectacular. The character designs are some of the best for all the Disney films post-'The Princess and the Frog' and the colours are so gorgeously vibrant. Absolutely loved the Madrigal family home, some very inventive and at its best dazzling animation there. Another major standout is the soundtrack, which is full of exuberant life and very catchy in an infectious way. "We Don't Talk About Bruno" is held in very high regard for good reason, one of the most infectious songs of any film in some time, while "Columbia, Mi Encanto" does such a wonderful job at transporting one to Columbia.

Had no issues either with the voice acting, which had the whole cast voicing with nuance and enthusiasm and doing well at not becoming stereotypical. Stephanie Beatriz and John Leguizamo especially excel. Mirabel is a winning lead character and loved how all the characters had strong individual personalities. The humour amuses, the energy seldom stops and there is a good deal of heart. The family values are relatable and sincere while not being heavy handed, and the cultural element was illuminating and fun and done tastefully.

By all means, 'Encanto' is far from perfect. The story is over familiar and doesn't really break any ground, also did think that the backstory was rushed and could have gone into a lot more depth rather than having the choppy jumping around it had and the ending was indicative of the writers not being sure how to end it so decided to treat everything with the magic after so much tension beforehand as too much of an abrupt shrug and end the film in a convenient and too pat way.

As catchy as the end number was, considering what came before it it was slightly tacked on perhaps. The weakest song though is the bizarre "Surface Pressure", that was the one song that didn't stick in the mind afterwards and felt oddly staged and didn't feel placed easily within the film.

Overall, many enchanting things but could have done with more magic. 7/10.

Encanto is another Incredible Disney animated movie that continues their winning streak with a fun, extremely vibrant and emotional film that also has great messages and mature themes, even if the narrative is predictable.

Stephanie Beatriz gives an incredible lead performance and María Cecilia Botero, Diane Guerrero, Jessica Darrow and John Leguizamo all give great supporting performances.

The direction by Jared Bush, Bryon Howard and Charise Castro Smith is superb, it's constantly visually inventive and extremely well paced. The animation is reliably perfect, ridiculously colourful and consistently visually stunning. The songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda are excellent.

It was cute. Mostly entertaining but I got bored many times (maybe because I'm an adult and this is geared toward kids). I heard a lot of great things and people told me to watch it but I didn't really love it. I don't see myself watching it again anytime soon. I think I expected too much also because I absolutely loved Coco and it's one of my favorite films.

The story revolves around Mirabel, the main character and she does not have magical powers as her family members. But she tries her best to save their magical house from being destroyed. In two songs with her sisters, the visuals and animation is just awesome. After frozen, this film impresses me and kids will love seeing those amazing visuals.

Though I usually tend to love Disney films, I felt "Encanto" fell short in terms of its plotline. It's a bit of a slow starter, which contributes to my fairly mid rating. However, whatever the storyline lacked, the soundtrack gave double. You won't be able to get these songs out of your head (and I'm okay with that)!

It's a hit or a miss. You either love it or find it on the lower end of the Disney spectrum, but either way, it's not a terrible film... It just could be better.

The Madrigals live in a magic house under the protection of an everlasting magic candle. The candle imparts a special power to each one of the Madrigal kids except for Mirabel. She feels left behind. When she has a vision of devastating cracks in the house, her Abuela wants to cover it up and ignore it.

This is a magical movie. I really like these characters and the mystery is interesting. It kept me intrigued and then the movie hits me with that revelation. That's a powerful scene. It's a scene of a reality that is more powerful than most other family-friendly animated movies are willing to go. It's the step that puts this onto another level.

One reason I was excited to watch the movie was because I knew the music was written by none other than Lin-Manuel Miranda. I'm a big fan of his work, specifically in the musical Hamilton and the music for Disney's Moana. That's one of the reasons he's so talented: he can write historically accurate raps but also beautiful lyrics to a magical Disney film. Moana is actually my favorite movie of all time and I've seen it over 50 times, and it's all because of the music. So of course I was eager to see Encanto, thinking the songs would be just as good as those in Moana.

I have to say I was a little bit caught off guard by the opening number. My first thought was: "This doesn't sound like Moana... it sounds like Hamilton!" The songs are full of rapping, rhyming, and rhythm. Not to mention beat-drops! This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it doesn't match the type of music Disney movies usually consist of. The upbeat tunes sounded more like pop or hip hop, which are both very present in the musical Hamilton. All I could think about is how much the songs remind me of Hamilton songs because of the rapping and rhyming sequence. The songs were good, they just didn't match the energy of the movie. They didn't have the same magical glow, if you know what I mean. It's almost as if Encanto would be better as a broadway musical!

Also, the musical numbers put on by the characters seemed so forced. They didn't ease into them, they suddenly just started singing (or rapping!) At some points the song didn't even add to the plot, it was just forced in there.

Speaking of the plot, I was not a fan of the ending. Without a primary villain present in the movie, there was no one to defeat or overcome. It feels like there is a void that the ending didn't satisfy.

Well, I'd say I enjoyed the movie. Despite my opinions on the out-of-place music, it was overall a masterpiece of a film. I will definitely be listening to the soundtrack a few more times to see if my opinions change at all.

While it has some of the current Disney tropes, it's refreshing to watch a film & not know where it's going - unique characters, plot twists, story turns, emotional gut-punches. It's a movie about magic that reminds us that real magic is when one person puts someone else above themselves. A vibrantly beautiful, hopeful, exciting, & consistently funny treasure that argues that when we prioritize the facade of strength & love over the reality of them, we lose both.

I absolutely loved all the characters, the songs, the animation, the concept, literally EVERYTHING was perfect.

BUT and this is a really big but, it felt so rushed since the moment the house breaks down, it just feels like they run out of ideas for the ending or something, which really sucks because it just left me with the feeling of, "this is a great movie, but this is also a very bad movie"

It keeps talking about magic ending, because of selfishness; but specific selfishness isn't really shown to us by the grandmother... so why does the door close at the beginning (did the grandmother try to stop the magic from continuing because of the prophecy?). The problem isn't ever really that big of a deal & whatever it was it solved itself, with very little effort or adventure or hurdles to overcome. Basically, they are afraid of messing up the magic so they mess up the magic. They they become brave and love each other and everything is fine after all. I guess that's what I just watched. Pretty animation, not bad characters, but not memorable at all.

It is a heart-warming film that wonderfully explores the perspectives of different characters and gives us a glimpse of the complexity of relationships. It illustrates one's own perception and the perception of others about one's personality. This is a great aspect of the film that encourages us to think about how we see ourselves and how others see us. For anyone interested in Disney family films, I think this film is highly recommended. The animation is top notch, the story makes the above work and the songs are good.

Absolutely worth seeing.

I expected an adventure. The movie is okay, but i thought it was better because many people were saying that it's a 10/10. It is very overrated in my opinion! I think that it may be good for someone who doesn't really like adventures and stuff like that. By the trailers for this movie, i thought it's an amaizing movie that has a lot of adventures, but i thought wrong. It has very good songs and it is a good musical movie. Maybe i set my expectations too high. For a Disney movie, I excepted a movie with adventures, good music and fabulous characters. The idea for this movie is honestly great, but it didn't meet some of my expectations.

Encanto is a whirl for children. I loved the songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda. They are all earworms (looking at you 'We Don't Talk About Bruno'). While I found the story shallow, the message about acceptance and owning up to your shortcomings was sweet and easily understood by children. The voice acting and animation were fantastic as expected from a Disney Animation project. They have rarely faltered in these respects. Disney smartly oriented itself towards a bilingual and Hispanic setting in Colombia, an undoubtedly growing part of its audience in 2021. I foresee many more movies akin to this in the future.

Encanto is an amazing film full of teachings that brings big surprises and great emotions to the public. You´ll be thrilled with the many beauties and magic in this film.

The film tells the story of Mirabel Madrigal (Stephanie Beatriz), a girl who is part of the Madrigal family, a family where everyone has super-magic powers. But, is Mirabel of the same alignment as they are? An unexpected event that puts the family in danger, can change everything.

The storyline is well written. I really love the characters. They are funny and nice and the kind of people that everyone likes. My favorite parts are when Antonio Madrigal talks to the animals. I love animals and have always wanted to understand them. Watching this film gave me a greater desire to communicate with animals. This is magical! I also like the part when Mirabel is going to save the family and she says something funny. The special effects are terrific. Everything is super colorful. The background music is extraordinary; the music I like most is the adventure song when Mirabel takes off on her adventure. I love the adventure genre and this music accentuates it. As for costumes, I particularly love the costumes that show their tradition, yet at the same time, are contemporary outfits. They are so beautiful!

The message of the film is that we need to believe in ourselves, Never give up, because in the end you'll find a light.

I give Encanto 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 10 to 18, plus adults. Encanto releases in theaters and on Disney+ November 25, 2021.

By Anna Clara B., KIDS FIRST!

LIKES:

The Animation: No surprise, Disney is capable of masterpieces, and they continue to push the envelope for making these movies come to life. Encanto is certainly an incredible display of movement, smooth transitions and numbers that take the energy of Disney and amplify it tenfold to unleash on the big screen. It's dynamic, it's fun, and it utilizes so much of the environment that it presents itself as the musical it set out to be. The design explodes out in an amazing color, fantastic designs, and that campy details that bring you the happiness of a close knit Disney family. It's certainly a core element of the feels of the movie, and will easily capture your attention within seconds of starting.

The Culture: Disney has been big on bringing culture to their films and they once again managed to succeed in unleashing the honorable themes that come with it. Encanto is all about family, and the movie works hard to show that essence in the form of meals, helping the community, and trying to dig deeper into the darker corners that we all might hide. It's a beautiful representation of the work family building is, and tries to bring the other important elements of the culture into every scene they can. There is communion over dinner, the integration of the animals and plants made famous in the South American jungles, and the arts of crafting that are effortlessly integrated into the casa. The musical numbers bring the fervor and fire of the dancing, implementing the usual Disney movements, Encanto's numbers try to mix in a little South American dance spice and it works fantastically. Soon the mythos starts to leak into other elements and brings with it a grand display of the values and nuances that my limited studies have suggested they value. The result is a homely, and welcoming film that the young ones and young at heart will like, and potentially motivate families to dive a little more into cultural heritage.

The House: Encanto's main setting is this central house that the magic family lives in. You might think a house is not the most impressive Disney setting, but you'd be surprised at how well they utilized this enchanted villa into the story. The first is just the setting itself, a massive display of cultural architecture that we mentioned earlier to give symbolic nods to the Columbian architecture. Expanding on that, the rooms that the Familia have contain the magic that Disney can make, and opens the door for lots of new avenues to exploit in the future. Two of the rooms we see are the things of dreams, with the imagination oozing out in the extensive, physics defying, displays they have become as jungles and fields erupt into one magical room. Soon, the house turns into the obstacle course to find the clues to saving the magic as the dark parts of the house emerge. And then, the house becomes an actual character, an anthropomorphized obstacle that has its own means of adding to the story as it protects and pulls the family into its moving embrace. In a comical manner, the house bobs and weaves its own dance, having a lot of fun character though it never speaks a word to the characters it helps on a daily basis. The house was a fantastic piece to connect everything, and one of the biggest Disney elements of the movie for me.

The Music: You've got the Hamilton head manning the wheel on the original songs and he accomplishes things super well with his ingenuity. I found Encanto's work to be a lot more diverse than some of his previous work, but still holding the same quality and fluidity that he has mastered for so long. The opening number is fast and exhilarating, the mixture of stage show with the Latino spin I expected of him. Soon, the other numbers follow, always having that Broadway feel, but being curtailed to the movie to help hold the emotions of the movie moment and still be fun to sing. And he manages to add more genres to his repertoire in this film, and I loved the chorography they instill in the movies helping elevate the words in the quirky mixture of comedy and dance. Helping diversify the mixture of music, comes the nonmusical works, a score that again blends the festive nature of Latin culture and guides it towards serious sequence moments and festive parties. I actually preferred these moments to the big numbers and I absolutely loved how they brought the energy without being too extravagant.

The Heart: Encanto is a very relevant film to me, and like Disney does, has some great lessons that don't cross the political lines for me. Mirabel and her family have a lot of dynamics that are realistic, and within the walls of Casita, holds levels of storytelling that dug deep and made me feel attachment to my own family. I loved the big lessons of Mirabel not being a superhero, but was able to still work towards the mystery, which I think is important to note in the world of celebrities we idolize today. Other areas still run deep too, and that very core can impact a lot of people both young and old who watch this film. I loved the message being integrated well into the film, and not going too preachy as sometimes happens with messages in the film.

DISLIKES:

Character/Power Usage: Character usage is not the worst in the movie, but I can't lie that after the opening of the film, I had hoped for more character usage and balance than what I got in this film. Encanto's powers are not the most unique, but they offered some potential to collaborate in this mission to save the magic and discover the secrets in the house. Yet, the powers were sort of wonky, with some of the characters only doing their powers to the extent of what you saw in the trailers. The magic of the rooms and that imagination we get in the opening numbers, sort of fades to the background and I would have loved more of that magic to come in to the story instead of just the songs.

Music Over Full Plot: Much like Frozen, Disney seemed to have put the songs before the story with this piece. I had fun with the numbers, but they became the center stage of the film where everything was about those numbers. The story's predictability was in part due to the budget going to these songs alongside the power struggles mentioned above, was because of all the focus on the soundtrack The movie has a great respect for the character motifs, and those elements of the story are strong, but I can't lie that it still did not have all the elements that Tangled, Zootopia, and Wreck it Ralph have made famous in their lineage. Throw in that the characters who were built up to be important are sort of haphazardly used, with only two really getting the primary integration I expect of these movies. Perhaps that will occur with Disney+ making another special a few years down the line, and their rooms, that magic, and their adventures will be in the next spin off that the House Of Mouse is making common.

The Lack Of Suspense/Worthy Antagonist: My least favorite part of the movie has to be the antagonist and the adventure elements missing in this film. Encanto, much like Soul, is more so a dive into the battlefield of human emotions and hardships of life. As great as this is, it still is missing the adventure theme that I've seen in other Animation Studios, lacking those mind bending creatures and myths for our heroine to conquer. The mystery was actually not that deep or complicated, and the struggles to find the answers came a little easier and quicker than what I kind of expected from the trailers. Again, a super powered household would expect to have bigger challenges, but it was sort of swept under the rug making it lack the same bite and suspense that again other films do so well. Even the antagonist was not the usual level of creativity that they've done, which though it fits into the story, still could have used a little more adversity to drive the bus.

The VERDICT: Encanto is a very fun film, with the heart and soul of the Latino culture and the values that many shows/movies have stated they hold. The animation and design are top notch as Disney always does, and I loved the energy imbued into the various scenes of the film. That house was a brilliant, multidimensional tool that accomplished so much and it allowed a lot of things to be integrated in the short span of time. The music of the film is definitely a high point, and floods much of the film to get you dancing in your seat and buying soundtracks later on after the movie gets older. Sadly, the movie has too many characters and too little time to integrate every character in adequate time to be meaningful to the story. Encanto needs more time and adventure elements of the story for a guy like me, blending that heart and proving that fortitude by giving a good opponent to storm. Yet, the puzzles, the mystery, and that usual Walt Disney fervor is a little tamer in this film, and I would have liked a little more of that sauce to break things up and give that punch that I quite enjoy. Still, the movie is worthwhile and fun for a theater visit, especially those who enjoy the musical theater element more than an adventure. And it is definitely a great movie for the family to check out this week if looking for harbor from Black Friday.

My scores are; Animation/Adventure/Comedy: 8.0 Movie Overall: 7.0.

Encanto (2021) follows the story of a family living in Colombia who have magical powers, all except one member of the family, Mirabel. In the end, it's up to Mirabel to save her family from losing their magic. This was a really beautiful and fun film! I really enjoyed this and it was so uplifting! The characters were all good and the music was so much fun!

This was probably my favourite animation from Disney, it was completely flawless and the attention to detail in every frame was brilliant. It had so many beautiful colour schemes and it was just incredibly visually stunning and always fun to look at. Also, the lighting was gorgeous, which is something animated films don't really focus on all too well.

I absolutely adored the songs in this film and found them all to be super catchy and fun! I've been listening to the soundtrack a lot since I watched this and I'm not getting bored of any of the songs! Also, the score itself was very good too and kept up with the upbeat nature of this movie.

We get introduced to all the characters very well and they were all likeable! They all had their own distinct little quirks that made them memorable, and the relationships between them were so sweet. My favourite character is definitely Bruno though, he was well written and played an important role in the story.

The film had a lovely message and told it in a clear way that was easy to digest, yet still hit pretty hard! The main theme was family and the struggles that come with maintaining it, it all felt from the heart.

Lastly, the movie was upbeat and caught my attention straight away, and was paced well with a clear structure. It was thoroughly engaging and had good humour to keep the mood light. This film isn't without its emotional moments though, and the tonal shifts are smooth.

I heard great things about Encanto and couldn't resist watching it much longer, so my wife and I dialed it up on Disney+. Turns out it does have a fair amount that I'd like in any film, as it has a story built around a family that sees each person get a special power when they come of age. It's a fun tale, and takes a new look at people in everyday life with super powers rather than the typical big battles between good and evil. I loved the simple ways they used their abilities to help their community, and make life in their small village better. The other striking and unique thing about the film is its visual style. The village is rich with color, and shines with a vibrancy that gives me flashbacks of the gorgeous animation in Coco.

The songs in Encanto were good fun even if they didn't totally stick in my head. Perhaps it's the amount I heard people talking about "We Don't Talk About Bruno" that made me think these were going to be remarkable tunes that would rival the greats of Disney past, but they didn't quite get there for me. But the only real complaint I had about Encanto was the extremely by-the-numbers plot. It follows every single beat you'd expect, and doesn't have any surprises to offer. Most of the great films that Disney animation offered within the last few decades find a new twist on familiar tropes, but this just is the tropes. That doesn't mean that Encanto is bad, the predictable script still is satisfying and it did a decent job of warming my heart while making me smile along the way.

In the beginning it was a great basis great starting a plot was taking place there trouble a mist and there was great potential. Middle of the story the plot starting spicing up. The end felt very rushed the movie was too short in my opinion. I'm starting fell like Disney is starting to loose their touch, Perhaps becoming to careful on what they produce...

Excellent that to have a Disney movie set in Colombia, and the animation was rich and beautiful. I think Mirabel's conflict is very identifiable for girls, not feeling like you have anything you're good at. I also liked that she felt like she was the "not pretty" sister, as most Disney princesses are very pretty and put a lot of pressure on girls. This emphasizes that that wasn't her most important feature.

However, the music felt pretty excessive and that it slowed the story down. There wasn't much of a plot. The resolution wasn't really explained, nor was the reason for the "conflict," (the magic going away), so the plot felt overall very unsatisfying.

Extraordinary abilities are part and parcel of the amazing Madrigal family, but one of their own members is quite ordinary-Mirabel. Amid her family marked with blessings, young Mirabel believes she has no defining trait. She's a bit of an outlier who is desperate to feel a sense of belonging in her superpowered family. It seems like everyone is special, and she's just...not. However, not all is as perfect as it seems in the casa Madrigal. Behind the shining façade, this family is starting to come apart. Their house is cracking, and the future isn't looking good. As the sole person in her family who is "un-gifted", Mirabel has unique insight into the Madrigal legacy. Can she help restore life to her home and family?

At the start of the story, the pressure to "make the family proud", in the words of Abuela, is a throbbing pulse within the household, to the point that several members of the family are overworking themselves and even being ostracized for not using their gifts "correctly". The song "Surface Pressure" highlights one of the sister's struggles to juggle more than her share of the work: "Give it to your sister, your sister's stronger / See if she can hang on a little longer / Who am I if I can't carry it all?" I myself have struggled with finding my identity completely in my talents or strengths, so I found the honest portrayal of this outlook very relatable. There is a lot of pressure in social circles, online, and in the media to discover your talent and utilize it as effectively and quickly as possible, even if that means experiencing incredible stress in the process. It's good to find joy or satisfaction in your skills, but basing your self-worth completely in your abilities or forcing yourself to unattainable perfection is not a healthy perspective. Eventually, after noticing the widespread tension to perform, Mirabel encourages her family to realize that each of them is "more than just their gift." Each person's inherent dignity is not found in what they can do, but who they are. As human beings, we are not made to achieve constant productivity or complete perfection, but we are made to love. Encanto displays and celebrates this truth well.

Additionally, I found Encanto's final representation of generational appreciation very compelling and inspirational. At first glance, it seems that Abuela Madrigal is more concerned with protecting her home than truly listening to and caring for the needs of her family. Later, however, we learn that she suffered much in her younger years, and that the great miracle, from whence the family gifts came, is a result of that suffering. I really enjoyed this willingness to learn and listen to both generations: Mirabel helps her abuela see that she has forgotten the true mission of their family: to care for and bless others as they have been blessed. Abuela, in turn, helps Mirabel to see that that you must go through pain to experience true joy. People of all ages and stages should be aware of the attitude with which they approach other generations and be willing to learn from each other.

Described in a word, Encanto is vibrant. The lush, animated landscapes and bright colors, the representation of Hispanic culture, and the merry music are all fantastic, making this film fun and engaging. However, for all its excellence in the areas of music, culture, and animation, parts of the story felt a bit rushed. Particularly in the last half of the film, it seemed like all the familial conflicts which had been carefully developed in the first half of the story were quickly and neatly solved, almost unrealistically. While I think it's wonderful thing that the Madrigals were able to "forgive and forget" so quickly in the final resolution, I think adding even 30 minutes of run-time would've given more opportunity for resolving the clan's conflicts and the space for a more balanced, realistic ending for this magical family.

It's overall a pretty good Disney movie, but it fails to live up to a lot of the older stuff. I also found it quite difficult to follow as it seemed to be all over the place from time to time.