Encanto

I always look forward to most animated films from Disney - particularly if they're original. This awkwardly makes my miss of Raya and the Last Dragon earlier this year a bit embarrassing, but I blame an awkward COVID release and my refusal to pay $30 for it on Disney+ (perhaps a Retro Review?)...

...Anyway, Encanto is a pretty easy film to get excited about from the trailers and posters alone. It's colorful, seems culturally unique, and has songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda, who's having a big year. 

As is usually the case with a wholly original Disney film, including Pixar, Encanto is truly special. It's one that continues to get better and better as it goes along, leaving me happy and enthralled with the short and sweet experience. 

Without forcing you to read between the lines, Encanto is one of the best films of 2021 and one of the best animated films since last year's Best Film, Soul (though, not to discount how great The Mitchells vs. the Machines is...). 

Encanto immediately impressed me with its color palette that is expansive, vibrant, and well-utilized. It's no secret that Disney Animation has caught up to Pixar in terms of quality of animation and Encanto is no different. If this were a videogame, I would say the #graphixx are sweet, but seriously, there's an insane amount of detail here. Water looks photorealistic, the house that acts alive has some wonderful animation, and Mirabel's hair has thousands of strands. This quality never lets up and Encanto is a true feast for the eyes and a very obvious example of the artists TLC in creating and imagining this whole world. 

So. Much. Color!

And really everything else about Encanto is just as fantastic as the animation. The story feels original while hitting home common themes about family and uniqueness, complimented by a memorable and enchanting cast of characters. Perhaps the film's only downfall is that it feels too short, as if a third act was left on the cutting room floor. That could be because we've grown so accustomed to "big" finales, that Encanto's somewhat smaller scale resolution makes it feel abrupt, but either way having a nice, quick 90 minute film is somewhat of a rarity these days. Those characters - each with special, fun powers - are led by a standout performance from Stephanie Beatriz (Rosa on Brooklyn Nine-Nine, if you're a fan) who turns Mirabel into a worthwhile protagonist full of spunk, someone who's thoughtful of her family, and personally disappointed that she doesn't have powers of her own. Her sisters, cousins, and the rest of the Madrigal family are pretty great too, even if some of them aren't fully fleshed out (Mirabel's parents seem to get minimal screentime, for example).

They're all mashed together in segments that feature songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda and his signature "hooks" got me again! Curse you, Miranda! Just like he did with Moana, the music here is more special than you'd expect, featuring tons of Colombian flair and style to accompany fun (and sometimes funny) singing with a few Hamilton-esque raps in there. Because of the abrupt ending, it almost feels like there's a couple other songs missing, but that doesn't make the ones we do get any less joyous and memorable.

This pack of kids is hilarious, particularly the one who drinks coffee

Encanto is just such a happy film. After spending near 2.5 hours with almost every film in recent weeks, its short runtime is a breath of fresh air with the entire thing exuding quality and thoughtfulness from the creative parties behind it. Perhaps most importantly though is that it's fun. Between the colors, singing, characters, and on-point humor, my afternoon theater of parents and their kids were all having a blast, laughing, and leaving the theater with smiles on their faces. Including me.

CONS

• Feels too short...almost like there's a third act left out. The ending felt a tad abrupt
• Because of this, I feel like we were gipped out of another LMM song
• Some characters get shorthanded screen time

PROS

• Jaw-droppingly gorgeous animation that I could watch for days
• An insane amount of color!
• Memorable characters with fun powers. The whole cast is strong, but Stephanie Beatriz makes Mirabel an engaging central character
• Surprisingly hilarious. I know I laughed out loud several times and could hear parents doing the same
• Fun songs from Miranda that will hook you. Often coupled with even more dazzling animation
• Thoughtful, theme-filled story
• Culturally unique and all the better for it!
• Short and sweet
• A fun, happy film with so much spirit and color that it spills from the screen

Rath's Review Score | 9.5/10