Film Review: Encanto 

Disney’s Encanto is now available in cinemas.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

Most new Disney animations feel like a creative milestone, such is the enduring creative gravitas of the company, but Encanto, its 60th official animated feature, is being hailed as especially notable as it’s the first from the famed studio to be set in Latin America.

Just before the main feature starts there’s a wonderful, all-too-brief cameo credit of Disney’s legendary Mickey Mouse, in action in the iconic 1928 film, Steamboat Willie. Still utterly charming almost a hundred years later, the creators of any new Disney animation always have had seriously big footsteps to follow in and here it’s clearly reaching out to a new audience while trying to retain traditional visual and storytelling elements.

There’s not much point locating its latest production in Columbia, of course, unless the film truly evokes the feel of the land, its bio diverse landscape and the country’s colourful people, and those boxes are all definitely ticked here. Co-directed by Byron Howard and Jared Bush, the creative team has certainly delved very deep into its collective colour palette, coming up with vibrant, luscious imagery throughout, the storyline driven along by an upbeat, soaring song list with its fair share of sing-a-long numbers, penned by actor, composer and director Lin-Manuel Miranda.

The award for best tune surely goes to ‘Surface Pressure,’ sung by Luisa (Jessica Darrow), a really uplifting song that instantly cements the character in the audience’s affections, while ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ really captures the film’s familial warmth.

Apparently, the production team had a research trip to Columbia before the project got underway and that looks like time well spent. The events of the film unfold in a magical village, following the Madrigal family, most having special gifts such as super strength or the ability to see the future, the magic of Encanto having blessed every child in the family with a unique gift from super-strength to the power to heal, every child except Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz), not that she’s shy in coming forward. She’s probably the most grounded, ordinary lead character in any Disney to date. When cracks do literally appear in the casita (small house) and to quote Paul Weller, the walls come tumbling down, it’s the only collective family and town spirit and special Madrigal magic that saves the day.

While one particular character, Luisa (Darrow), with the strength to pick up multiple donkeys, works really well, another, Aunt Pepa (Carolina Gaitan), followed by storms and clouds, dictated by her mood, just doesn’t. And that’s the fine line any global targeted animation has to tread – humour often just doesn’t translate. Even Disney can’t win them all.

There’s one key element missing – there’s no baddie and everyone loves a Disney villain but maybe this is the studio playing safe. Unfortunately, as visually lush and fun as this film is, it feels exactly that – safe. But, in truth, when was the last time Disney really went right out on a creative limb? Fantasia back in 1940?

As for the studio’s 61st animation? How about a re-make of Steamboat Willie? I’d definitely be first in the queue to see that, wherever it’s set. As long as they don’t rename it Electric-Powered Boat Willie.

Derek Smith