346. Encanto; movie review

 

 

ENCANTO

Cert PG

109 mins

BBFC advice: Contains mild threat

The battle for the Academy Award for best animated feature is certainly hotting up,.

And I can confirm that Byron Howard and Jared Bush's musical, Encanto, is among the contenders.

This is the story of Mirabel (voiced by Stephanie Beatriz) who is the only one of a three-generation family not blessed with an extraordinary gift.

Her mother (Angie Cepeda) can heal people with her cooking, her perfect first sister (Diane Guerrero) can make flowers bloom at will and her second sister (Jessica Darrow) is the strongest woman in the world.

Holding the family together is Mirabel's grandmother, Alma (María Cecilia Botero), who first alighted upon a candle which helped her and her husband create at magical home.

Oh, yes, did I mention that the house is alive and responds to the thoughts and needs of its occupants?

Anyway, the day has arrived for the latest in the family to be bestowed with their superhuman gift by the candle - providing another reason for Mirabel to feel left out.

During the celebrations, she receives a dire warning that the magic is about to disappear and her sadness grows deeper when people think she is simply attention-seeking.

That is until it becomes clear that their world is under threat.

Encanto has multiple underlying messages - particularly concerning family and understanding those who are different (its heroine is the first Disney female lead to wear glasses).

It is wonderfully vibrant, its animation is seamless and its songs are catchy.

I will be interested to see how it fares when it comes to the Academy Awards. It could do well but has stiff opposition.

 

Reasons to watch: Magical animation

Reasons to avoid: Requires a lot of imagination

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? The Spanish word encanto means charm, spell, or enchantment. It is both used as a way to tell a magic incantation and as an adjective for "sweetheart." 

The final word. Jared Bush: "We began this journey wanting to tell a story about this large, extended family, the joys of family and the complexities and challenges of family. It's really this journey of understanding your family and seeing them differently." Disney

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