In Colombia a teenage girl, Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz), lives in a magical house named Encanto. In that magical house with Mirabel is her family–and each of them possesses something very special, magical powers. Some are super strong, some have the power to heal just about every physical alement, and others have the ability to control flowers. Unfortunately for Mirabel, she’s the only person in her family that doesn’t have any powers. While she claims to be alright with not having any powers, the reality is that she struggles to understand what her purpose is. The powerless Mirabel will now do her best to find out what she can do to benefit those around her.
I’ve heard nothing but good things about Encanto’s soundtrack, and I have to say, it truly lives up to the hype. My appreciation for the soundtrack starts with and rests on the shoulders of Beatriz. Her voice is unique, I’m honestly not even sure if technically some of the best would consider her “good.” There’s almost a whiny tone to her voice, but it works so well in each of her songs. However, the thing that puts the soundtrack over the top is the song “Surface Pressure” performed by Jessica Darrow (Luisa). This song is so incredibly relevant and appeals to nearly everyone. First of all the song is fun, but beyond that it’s heartbreaking. As Luisa suffers through the pressure to be perfect she struggles to see the light at the end of the tunnel and understand that she doesn’t need to put that much pressure on herself. On the opposite end of the spectrum, however, is the world renowned “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.” Don’t get me wrong, the song is quite entertaining, but it’s not the best song from the film–and it doesn’t quite live up to the hype.
Up is quite possibly my favorite Disney film. Emotion drives that film so passionately and it constantly tugs at viewers’ heartstrings. Encanto is the first Disney film that has appealed to me in that regard since the aforementioned Up. Encanto doesn’t necessarily appeal to emotion in the same sense as other Disney films where a loved one passes away and the protagonist spends the rest of their life in the shadow of that person–but rather it appeals to the general population that struggles to understand their worth. Even the most headstrong and confident individuals experience self doubt every once in a while–and that is the point that Encanto focuses on so poignantly. The relatability of Mirabel, Bruno (John Leguizamo), and Luisa captures the essence of the human spirit and the human mind, bringing genuine human emotion to the surface throughout the entirety of Encanto.
We all know what Disney is capable of in terms of animation, but something about Encanto feels fresh. The animation feels more fluid and precise than ever before–and that’s an incredibly tall task. The facial movements, the detail in every piece of fabric, and the ability of every grain of sand to be visible are superb. I can’t remember a time, even in the most brilliant Disney films, that this amount of animated precision is present. Visually, Encanto is as incredible as everything else present in the film.
I not only enjoyed Encanto, I’ve fallen in love with it. I’ve heard nothing but good things about Encanto, except maybe the fact that parents have had to watch it over and over again because their kids love it so much, and the film doesn’t just live up to the hype–it exceeds it. The drama and emotion, the brilliant soundtrack, and the nearly perfect animation create something that deserves every piece of praise that it receives. The 94th Academy Awards are just around the corner, and Encanto sits among a number of other entertaining animated films–but the film most deserving of Best Animated Feature Film is, without a doubt, Encanto–and anything else would be a sin.
Directed by Jared Bush, Byron Howard, & Charise Castro-Smith.
Written by Charise Castro-Smith, Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Jason Hand, Nancy Kruse, & Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Starring Stephanie Beatriz, María Cecilia Botero, John Leguizamo, Mauro Castillo, Jessica Darrow, Angie Cepeda, Carolina Gaitan, Diane Guerrero, Wilmer Valderrama, Rhenzy Feliz, Ravi Cabot-Conyers, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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