Plot: A classic animated fairytale smacks New York right in the face when a princess (Amy Adams) is cast out of her land by an evil queen (Susan Sarandon). Will her prince (James Marsden) rescue her? Or will a handsome lawyer (Patrick Dempsey) change her views? Who’s it for: Oh. My. Gosh. You will be, like, the best parents ever, if you, like, take your daughter to see this movie.
Expectations: The film is coming from Disney, and I assumed it was just another attempt to make a little more cash out of the princess franchise.
SCORECARD Actors: Amy Adams as Giselle: It might drive some nuts, but Adams nails the fairytale princess voice and look. Most people probably know Adams from “Talladega Nights,” but to showcase her true abilities, check out “Junebug.” Plus, with “Enchanted” she even gets her “Pretty Woman” shopping moment. … Oh wait, young girls might not get that reference. Plus, with “Enchanted” she even gets her “Devil Wears Prada” moment. Grade: 8
Patrick Dempsey as Robert: Robert is a divorce lawyer who is a realist with a young daughter. If it wasn’t for his looks, that wouldn’t sound like much of a package. So of course his world turns upside down when Giselle arrives. I just needed him to act more concerned/confused about a grown woman singing and dancing her way through life. Grade: 6
Talking: The one-liners from Marsden as Prince Edward were perfect, and he provided just enough comic relief to keep the film moving along. But a script that calls for a New Yorker to take in what appears to be a crazy person is a pretty big stretch, even if she looks as adorable as Adams. Grade: 5
Sights and sounds: There are songs, and there is dancing. Sure it’s choreographed and supposedly spontaneous, but it’s also kind of fun. Most surprising is the low-quality animation to start the film. Disney seems to have lost its touch with 2-D animation. Grade: 5
OVERALL “Enchanted” has a chance to be a real crowd pleaser, but unfortunately it zeroes in on its core audience, which is 8- to 12-year-old girls. There are only hints of cleverness, such as Giselle singing for all of the New York animals to help her clean. And in return she gets pigeons, rats and cockroaches all humming a merry tune. Perhaps it was too much to think Disney would use this good idea and be willing to poke fun at the notion of happily ever after. Instead Disney chose to embrace it, but unfortunately it didn’t bring the real world along.
Overall Grade: 6