Encanto Movie Review

This past Sunday, Eliot and I finally sat down and watched Encanto on Disney+.  

Honestly, I wish we'd watched it sooner.  Jeremy and Eliot really wanted to watch it when it came out on Christmas, but since it was Christmas Day I had insisted that we watch a holiday movie, so we watched Noelle.  Everyone enjoyed it, and I don't regret not watching Encanto then, but I wish we'd seen it sooner.  Between Christmas and leaving for Pittsburg a few days later, Eliot and I have been too busy to watch movies.

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This one was incredible.  I wasn't really sure what to expect.  Everything that I had seen regarding the movie had kind of flown out of my head, so I was like a clean slate- free from expectations.  I knew the music would be incredible because Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote it, but other than that, I was going into it with an open mind.

I could not have been more impressed with Encanto.  The animation was so beautiful and detailed.  The colors were fun, bright and vibrant.  The characters were all well-developed.  The story had me completely entranced the entire time, needing to know what happens next.  And the music was everything I wanted and more.

After watching it Sunday, the songs were stuck in my head.  Late Monday afternoon, I wasn't feeling very well and Eliot still had to be at work for a few hours.  I decided that I needed to watch the movie again and I was just as entranced as the first time.

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I really love the magical house.  Obviously, as an interior design major, the house is something that I'm paying attention to.  But this was also a magical house that could move and I loved it.  The house was it's own special character and the animators did a great job of bringing it to life.  No spoilers, but I was so happy at the end of the movie!

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I also liked getting to know each of the characters in the Madrigal family.  In so many movies, it feels like you get to know the main character but not the others.  In Encanto, each of the characters' relationship to the main character was very much a part of the story.  I also really liked how there was no traditional villain in the movie.  The real villain was intergenerational trauma and family expectations.  It felt more realistic.

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The attention to detail was also astounding.  I read something that said Dolores claps with her fingers because the sound of herself clapping is too loud for her ears.  Now, I'm dying to watch the movie again so I can look for that part.  There are also reports that you can see the character we don't talk about in the background of many of the scenes.  (If you look closely on most of the movie posters with the family, he's there!)

Of course, as a Disney nut, I was also keeping an eye out for the Easter eggs.  I was so enthralled with the movie that I didn't really think about them the first time I watched it, but the second time I caught a few.  I swear I saw a young Mama Coco walking into the casita, and I definitely caught the "Let It Go" reference both times.  I missed the Wall-E boot with the plant, but I'll be looking next time!  (Read about more here.)

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I also loved the symbolism with the butterflies throughout the movie.  I don't speak Spanish, but I looked up the English translation of "Dos Oruguitas" this afternoon and it tells the story of two caterpillars who have to separate and make their own paths; then, they turn into butterflies and still have to make their own way.  It was so beautiful, yet heartbreaking, much like the story of Alma and Pedro in Encanto itself.

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The music will stay with you long after the movie ends.  I knew it would be amazing, and it definitely was.  After listening to Hamilton so much, I could definitely hear Lin-Manuel Miranda in certain parts of the songs.  I knew there would be a great variety of styles, and speeds to the songs.  Much like Hamilton, it didn't take long for the medleys to get stuck, even if I had no idea what the lyrics were.  (More on that later this week.)

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Overall, I was deeply enchanted by the magic that is Encanto.  Honestly, the only thing that I'm really disappointed about is how Disney hasn't realized that we'd like an adult size skirt like Mirabel's.  Maybe one is coming soon and they're all stuck out on a ship somewhere, but if not, get on that Disney!  There are a lot of ladies in my Dress Shop Facebook group ready to shell out for our own Mirabel skirts!

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If you haven't seen Disney's Encanto yet, do yourself a favor and go watch it.  I'm sure you will absolutely love it!  In the meantime, I've gotta restart the soundtrack!  °o°