What critics are saying about Disney’s new film
Disney’s “Encanto” centers around the Madrigals, an extraordinary family who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia and have been blessed with unique gifts.
Disney
Walt Disney Animation Studios has been delivering charming animated feature films to the masses since 1937. Its 60th feature, “Encanto,” is one of the best, critics say.
Due out in theaters ahead of Thanksgiving, the movie centers on the Madrigals, a family who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia in a place called the Encanto.
The family arrived in the Encanto after Abuela Alma was forced to flee her home with her infant triplets. She was granted a miracle, which provided her with a magical house and blessed every child in the family with unique gifts — except Mirabel.
However, when the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, causing the house’s foundations to crack and the Madrigals’ powers to disappear, Mirabel is the one to step up and figure out how to stop it.
The film has been largely praised by critics for its animation style, diversity and “spellbinding” songs. It currently holds a 93% “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 82 reviews.
“Disney’s 60th animated feature is among their best,” said Scott Mendelson in his review of the film for Forbes.
“Even with some grim undertones and periodically downbeat thematic elements, it is a generally joyful and thrillingly colorful fantasy that’ll once again make us realize how much visual wonder we take for granted in modern animation,” he wrote.
Here’s what some critics thought of Disney’s “Encanto” ahead of its debut Wednesday:
Maya Phillips, The New York Times
Disney’s two animation studios have long been praised for their revolutionary techniques in creating delicate details, from stitching on clothing to realistic hair. “Encanto” continues that tradition.
“The computer animation, some of the best from any major studio in the last several years, presents a dazzling confabulation of hues and a meticulous weaving of precious details — like the embroidery on skirts, the golden-brown crust of a cheese arepa and the selection of native Colombian flora,” said Maya Phillips, a writer for The New York Times.
Phillips said that “Encanto” has a “robust engagement with, and respect for, Latino culture,” noting that the Madrigal family members have skin tones that range from light to dark and have hair textures that vary from straight to kinky-curly. It is a spectrum that is representative of the diversity within the Latino community.
“And the grand pooh-bah of the contemporary musical movie score, Lin-Manuel Miranda, provides a spellbinding soundtrack of songs combining salsa, bachata and hip-hop played with traditional folk instruments from Colombia,” Phillips wrote.
Stephanie Beatriz voices Mirabel Madrigal in Disney’s “Encanto.”
Disney
Caroline Siede, AV Club
“From ‘Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs’ to ‘Raya And The Last Dragon,’ Walt Disney Animation Studios has spent the past eight decades perfecting its signature riff on the classic hero’s journey,” wrote Caroline Siede in her review of the film for AV Club. “So it’s a bold move that for its 60th feature, ‘Encanto,’ the studio turns so many…
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