Disenchanted: Plot, Premiere Date, Cast, Trailer, Filming Location, Review, Where to Watch & More
Disenchanted is overly long and has a slow beginning, but it eventually settles into a really enjoyable tale about mothers and daughters.
Disenchanted, a Disney+ movie, is reviewed here without any major spoilers.
The unexpected Disney success 15 years ago. For today’s generation of 20-somethings, Enchanted has evolved into a modern classic. We now find Giselle (Amy Adams), Robert (Patrick Dempsey, in a role where the only requirement is to cast for the dimples), Morgan (Gabriella Baldacchino), and a new baby girl Sophia moving to the suburbs of the magical town of Monroeville. This is set nearly ten years after the timeline of Enchanted. The front yards of the houses have exquisitely maintained grass, and the schools resemble contemporary palaces. Therefore, you can pretty much smell the taxes in the air. Even now, they are converting a house into a magical fortress. A family home is where the heart is, right? This new utopia isn’t exactly Andalasia (or New York City, for that matter).
Well, perhaps not. Everyone is struggling to get used to their new lives. Giselle, which is being led in Monroeville by Malvina (Maya Rudolph), has not been well embraced by the PTA women in the neighborhood. Without permission, the Disney princess cannot sell baked goods on school property. Robert is now experiencing unhappiness. Why? In order to “truly” do or be something, Edward (James Marsden of Dead to Me) offers his sword in exchange for embarking on a mission. The brave, nobly existence he imagined in law school is not what life as a corporate lawyer is like for him. Then there is Morgan. She is upset right now, primarily because she has to say goodbye to all of her friends and feels like an outsider.
View this post on Instagram
Disenchantment, which was written by Brigette Hales (Hulu’s 11.22.63) and directed by Adam Shankman (What Men Want), is 30 minutes too lengthy. The primary problem is that the movie starts out slowly despite having setups from vintage family comedies and staying away from any horrible lavatory humor, which is a bonus. The aesthetic gives you the impression that the fantastic first film, which might have been the joke, was a little one-note. Additionally, keep in mind how different things are now. Compared to 2007, we live in a very different era and have different perspectives. Political corruption, social justice movements, and the worst pandemic in over a century have all occurred during this period.
But after 35 minutes or so, the premise starts to make sense. When Giselle is not changing from a Disney Princess in the city to one in the suburbs, the plot begins to take shape. To demonstrate to Morgan how charming suburban life can be, Giselle wants to make Monroeville the most magical place, similar to Andalasia. Hales’ script accomplishes a commendable feat by highlighting the unexpected effects of substantial changes. Due to this, Giselle turns into the kind of evil stepmother that is feared in most fairytales. From this point on, Adams’ performance is delightful to see since she shows a rapid and hilarious ability to transition between good and evil.
Some charming allusions to other vintage Disney stuff are present. You’ve made clear and welcome references to characters like Cruella and Maleficent. The Beauty and the Beast soundtrack. Morgan is shown as a character akin to Cinderella when the town transforms into a fairy tale. Even references to Snow White will be found. All of this adds to the film’s enjoyment, as do performances by Adams and Rudolph, including “Badder,” and Idina Menzel, who steals the show at every opportunity.
Disenchanted’s sincere central narrative is a tale about moms and daughters. This is a beautiful trend in movies and streaming services, much like the excellent but underappreciated Godmothered on Disney+. Although Shankman’s picture isn’t faultless, his prior work on musicals serves him well in this instance. Despite its flaws, this is a musical that you should see with your family.
Adam Shankman and Brigitte Hales’ 2022 American musical fantasy romance comedy film Disenchanted is based on a Richard LaGravenese and J. David Stem and David N. Weiss novella. It is directed by Shankman and written by Hales. It is the follow-up to the 2007 movie Enchanted and was made by Walt Disney Pictures in collaboration with Josephson Entertainment and Right Coast Productions. Rachel Covey is replaced by Gabriella Baldacchino, and Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, and Idina Menzel return in their respective roles from the first movie (who makes a cameo as a different character). Maya Rudolph, Yvette Nicole Brown, Jayma Mays, Kolton Stewart, Oscar Nunez, and Griffin Newman are the newest additions to the group.
The film’s writers, Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, are back, and Menken also composed the score. Along with Barry Josephson and Barry Sonnenfeld, Adams also produces the movie. Shankman, Jo Burn, and Sunil Perkash serve as executive producers.
Disenchanted’s Premiere
Disenchanted had its world premiere on November 16, 2022 at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles, and on November 18, 2022, it was made available on Disney+ in the US. Critics gave the movie mixed reviews, finding the plot unimpressive but praising Adams’ performance.
Disenchanted: Plot Explained!
Giselle, Robert, and Morgan Philip are still together ten years after the events of the first movie, and they recently had a baby daughter named Sofia. They are beginning to feel the strain of living in Manhattan, so Giselle decides to relocate the family to Monroeville, a suburban community. Poor first impressions are brought on by the move for them: their new home requires work, Robert must drive to the city to keep his job, and Morgan feels alone in her new school. From Andalasia, King Edward and Queen Nancy pay them a visit and give them a wand that grants wishes. When Giselle first meets the snobbish head of the town council, Malvina Monroe, she finds out that she is organizing a ball with a fairy tale theme, with her son Tyson serving as the ball’s chosen prince. Giselle tries to elect Morgan as the ball’s princess to help Morgan fit in, but she unintentionally embarrasses her and the two fall out as a result.
Also Read: Who Did Catherine Missal Play In The Movie Vacation? Her Role and Career So Far
Giselle makes the decision to use the wand and make her family’s life into a lovely fairy tale after speaking with her chipmunk buddy Pip. The following morning, she finds that Monrolasia, a fantasy land, has taken over the entire town. Robert sees himself as a bold adventurer, and Morgan is content with their new lives. Malvina is now the magically empowered evil queen of the town. Additionally, Giselle notices an out-of-character haughty attitude in herself and takes joy in treating Morgan badly. She seeks assistance from the magic wand’s instruction scroll after realizing that she is progressively assuming the role of a wicked stepmother. The scroll explains that Giselle’s request is turning reality into a fairy tale using the power of Andalasia, and that it will stick around once the clock strikes midnight.
When Malvina discovers of the magic wand, she recruits her two servants Rosaleen and Ruby to steal it, but the scroll informs her that only a “genuine Andalasian” is capable of using the wand. Before sending her to Andalasia, Giselle tells Morgan what has happened and begs her to save them since she knows that without the wand, she will give in to her evil side. Morgan discovers that the power of the kingdom is transported to Monrolasia via a vortex, and that if it becomes permanent, Andalasia would vanish forever. Nancy and Edward recommend that Morgan remind Giselle of her true self through the magic of the memories so that she can break the spell. With images from their shared experiences, Morgan recreates the family tree she drew as a youngster before rejoining Nancy in the outside world.
Giselle confronts Malvina for the throne of Monrolasia while still acting in accordance with her evil mentality. She sends Robert on an ostensibly fruitless quest for Morgan and Pip, who has been transformed into a tabby cat, to steal back the wand. Giselle and Malvina engage in a magic duel at the ball, with the former handily defeating the latter. Robert and Tyson are reunited with Morgan and Nancy, who then rush into the municipal hall to put an end to the fight. Giselle receives Morgan’s drawing and rips it up, but the magic in it returns the memories to life and makes Giselle whole again. Malvina holds Morgan as ransom and demands the wand in return since she doesn’t want the enchantment to be broken. Malvina splits the wand in half as Giselle gives up. Morgan is told by Giselle that because she is her daughter, she is a true Andalasian and is therefore capable of utilizing the wand while Robert and Tyson ascend to the top of the clock tower to stop the final chime. As Malvina tries to destroy the clock tower, Morgan wishes she was at home with her mother.
When Morgan wakes up at their home, everything is back to usual. She and Giselle are the only ones who are aware of what happened; everyone else thinks it was a dream. Malvina accepts Giselle’s apology for interfering with her plans and invites her to join her council. A while later, Morgan and Tyson have begun dating, Robert has relocated his practice to Monroeville, and Nancy and Edward are returning to the Philips in their fulfilled lives for a second visit.
Production of Disenchanted
Barry Josephson and Barry Sonnenfeld would once again produce the Enchanted (2007) sequel, according to a February 2010 Variety article. The film’s screenplay was to be written by Jessie Nelson, and Anne Fletcher would be the director. Disney believed the original movie’s actors would return, and that it would be released as early as 2011.
Alan Menken, a composer, was questioned about the sequel in an interview on January 12, 2011, to which he responded.
Despite everything I’ve heard, nothing has happened yet. About what’s occurring with that, I don’t know much. I’m not really sure what the studio plans to do after this. I assume there will be further projects for me to work on in the future. I truly enjoy doing that. However, I’m not upset that it’s not one of them. I already have a lot going on stage, so I don’t really need anything else to add to my already-hectic schedule.
On March 28 of that year, James Marsden, who had played Prince Edward in Enchanted, was questioned about the follow-up.
I’m not sure. I believe that situation is approaching its end. If there is a sequel, Amy Adams and I are both saying, “We’re not getting any younger.” Being rather timeless cartoon beings, we play. I hope we do. I would really love to return and perform another because that was something truly unique. The same things you’ve heard, I’ve heard. There is a script someplace, and there has been talk of it, but until I saw the script and realized we were doing that movie, I didn’t believe it. So I’m not sure. That basket has too many eggs in it.
By July 2014, Disney has engaged Fletcher to helm the movie and J. David Stem and David N. Weiss to write the sequel’s script.
The Hollywood Reporter reported in October 2016 that Fletcher’s close friend Adam Shankman had entered into talks to helm the Disenchanted sequel, that Amy Adams would return to the cast, and that production would start in the summer of 2017. The sequel’s storyline would be ready in a few weeks, according to Shankman in January 2018, and the music would then be written. He continued by stating that the movie would have the same amount of animation but more songs than the original.
When And Where To Watch Disenchanted?
Disney’s Enchanted 2 picks up 15 years after the first film, with Giselle and Robert married and starting a family in New York City. It will debut on Disney+ on Friday, December 18.
Giselle is dissatisfied with city life, so the family relocates to Monroeville, a suburb, in search of a fresh “fairytale life.” Giselle turns to magic when the change of venue doesn’t go as planned and accidentally turns the community into a “real-life fairytale” gone awry. Giselle must now break the spell and “decide what happiness actually means to her and her family,” according to the book.
Also Read: “The Gabby Petito Story”: Is The Lifetime’s New Movie Based On A Real-Life Event?
Cast of Disenchanted
- Amy Adams as Giselle: Robert’s wife and Morgan’s stepmother
- Patrick Dempsey as Robert Philip; Giselle’s husband and Morgan’s father
- James Marsden as Edward: Nancy’s husband and King of Andalasia
- Idina Menzel as Nancy: Edward’s wife and Queen of Andalasia
- Maya Rudolph as Malvina Monroe
- Gabriella Baldacchino as Morgan Philip: Robert’s teenage daughter and Giselle’s stepdaughter. Baldacchino replaces Rachel Covey from the first film.
- Yvette Nicole Brown as Rosaleen
- Jayma Mays as Ruby
- Kolton Stewart as Tyson Monroe, Malvina’s son
- Oscar Nunez as Edgar
- Griffin Newman as the voice of Pip, a chipmunk friend of Giselle and the narrator of the film.Unlike the first film, Pip is able to speak in both the real world and Andalasia through magic. Newman replaces Jeff Bennett and Kevin Lima from the first film.