Encanto

Encanto is another Incredible Disney animated movie that continues their winning streak with a fun, extremely vibrant and emotional film that also has great messages and mature themes, even if the narrative is predictable.

Stephanie Beatriz gives an incredible lead performance and María Cecilia Botero, Diane Guerrero, Jessica Darrow and John Leguizamo all give great supporting performances.

The direction by Jared Bush, Bryon Howard and Charise Castro Smith is superb, it's constantly visually inventive and extremely well paced. The animation is reliably perfect, ridiculously colourful and consistently visually stunning. The songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda are excellent.

Amazing Film Filled With Great Emotions And Lessons That Bring Big Surprises Encanto is an amazing film full of teachings that brings big surprises and great emotions to the public. You´ll be thrilled with the many beauties and magic in this film.

The film tells the story of Mirabel Madrigal (Stephanie Beatriz), a girl who is part of the Madrigal family, a family where everyone has super-magic powers. But, is Mirabel of the same alignment as they are? An unexpected event that puts the family in danger, can change everything.

The storyline is well written. I really love the characters. They are funny and nice and the kind of people that everyone likes. My favorite parts are when Antonio Madrigal talks to the animals. I love animals and have always wanted to understand them. Watching this film gave me a greater desire to communicate with animals. This is magical! I also like the part when Mirabel is going to save the family and she says something funny. The special effects are terrific. Everything is super colorful. The background music is extraordinary; the music I like most is the adventure song when Mirabel takes off on her adventure. I love the adventure genre and this music accentuates it. As for costumes, I particularly love the costumes that show their tradition, yet at the same time, are contemporary outfits. They are so beautiful!

The message of the film is that we need to believe in ourselves, Never give up, because in the end you'll find a light.

I give Encanto 8 out of 10 stars and recommend it for ages 10 to 18, plus adults.

I absolutely loved all the characters, the songs, the animation, the concept, literally EVERYTHING was perfect.

BUT and this is a really big but, it felt so rushed since the moment the house breaks down, it just feels like they run out of ideas for the ending or something, which really sucks because it just left me with the feeling of, "this is a great movie, but this is also a very bad movie"

Encanto is a creative movie featuring beautiful and vibrant animation. However, the story feels a little underdeveloped. While there are some magical and emotional moments, it seems as if they didn't know how to end the movie. The lack of a strong villain also makes this movie a little less compelling. Nevertheless, the music is fun, and we enjoyed watching Encanto together as a family.

Extraordinary abilities are part and parcel of the amazing Madrigal family, but one of their own members is quite ordinary-Mirabel. Amid her family marked with blessings, young Mirabel believes she has no defining trait. She's a bit of an outlier who is desperate to feel a sense of belonging in her superpowered family. It seems like everyone is special, and she's just...not. However, not all is as perfect as it seems in the casa Madrigal. Behind the shining façade, this family is starting to come apart. Their house is cracking, and the future isn't looking good. As the sole person in her family who is "un-gifted", Mirabel has unique insight into the Madrigal legacy. Can she help restore life to her home and family?

At the start of the story, the pressure to "make the family proud", in the words of Abuela, is a throbbing pulse within the household, to the point that several members of the family are overworking themselves and even being ostracized for not using their gifts "correctly". The song "Surface Pressure" highlights one of the sister's struggles to juggle more than her share of the work: "Give it to your sister, your sister's stronger / See if she can hang on a little longer / Who am I if I can't carry it all?" I myself have struggled with finding my identity completely in my talents or strengths, so I found the honest portrayal of this outlook very relatable. There is a lot of pressure in social circles, online, and in the media to discover your talent and utilize it as effectively and quickly as possible, even if that means experiencing incredible stress in the process. It's good to find joy or satisfaction in your skills, but basing your self-worth completely in your abilities or forcing yourself to unattainable perfection is not a healthy perspective. Eventually, after noticing the widespread tension to perform, Mirabel encourages her family to realize that each of them is "more than just their gift." Each person's inherent dignity is not found in what they can do, but who they are. As human beings, we are not made to achieve constant productivity or complete perfection, but we are made to love. Encanto displays and celebrates this truth well.

Additionally, I found Encanto's final representation of generational appreciation very compelling and inspirational. At first glance, it seems that Abuela Madrigal is more concerned with protecting her home than truly listening to and caring for the needs of her family. Later, however, we learn that she suffered much in her younger years, and that the great miracle, from whence the family gifts came, is a result of that suffering. I really enjoyed this willingness to learn and listen to both generations: Mirabel helps her abuela see that she has forgotten the true mission of their family: to care for and bless others as they have been blessed. Abuela, in turn, helps Mirabel to see that that you must go through pain to experience true joy. People of all ages and stages should be aware of the attitude with which they approach other generations and be willing to learn from each other.

Described in a word, Encanto is vibrant. The lush, animated landscapes and bright colors, the representation of Hispanic culture, and the merry music are all fantastic, making this film fun and engaging. However, for all its excellence in the areas of music, culture, and animation, parts of the story felt a bit rushed. Particularly in the last half of the film, it seemed like all the familial conflicts which had been carefully developed in the first half of the story were quickly and neatly solved, almost unrealistically. While I think it's wonderful thing that the Madrigals were able to "forgive and forget" so quickly in the final resolution, I think adding even 30 minutes of run-time would've given more opportunity for resolving the clan's conflicts and the space for a more balanced, realistic ending for this magical family.