Encanto Is a Joyous Disney Treat Fit for the Holidays

The Madrigal family of Disney’s Encanto. Disney

I have great joy in reporting that Encanto is the beautifully bold jolt that Disney’s computer animation studio so desperately needed. The film still has all the stuff to love about Disney animation—the music, the energy, the charming characters, the magic—but there’s also a more ambitious story with themes rarely as well explored as they are here. There’s no villain to stop, no romance to seal, and no world-ending event to be averted. It’s a refreshing choice to have a film about a family where the conflict is more internal and the resolution is all the more introspective for the heartfelt nature of being honest.

The opening scene gets things started right with a spirited and fun musical number to explain everything. It’s an invitingly fast-paced melody as the underdog Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz) divulges all she knows about her family, the Madrigals, who have been the centerpiece of a small Colombian town, existing as the magical residents. Various members of her family can accomplish such feats as lifting buildings without breaking a sweat and healing any injury with their cooking. And their home, built after they endured a daring escape from soldiers, is itself a place of magic.

Meet Mirabel. Disney

Everyone in the family seems to have a special power except Mirabel. She tries to keep up her good spirit around the home but finds it hard to relate when her entire family has some special talent that makes them exceptional. There’s also a lot of relatability to Mirabel not looking like the typical Disney princess model. She has an “average” body, a rounded face, and giant glasses, all of which would probably reduce her to the stereotypical shy nerd in another narrative. It makes her home life a bit stressful the way she is constantly reminded that she’s not as graceful as the flower-power Isabela (Diane Guerrero) or as intimidating as the muscular Luisa (Jessica Darrow). She does, however, try to keep the household together in a manner that starts off emotional and may turn out to be literal.

Encanto is loaded with complex characters that one may not expect from a Disney musical. While Mirabel is a remarkable central character, it’s surprising to see the arcs of her entire family. The vision she has of them being perfect with their powers is altered when she starts to dig deep and discover there’s more to these people than being one-note X-Men. There’s anxiety unearthed in the household that brings a whole new level of intrigue to this picture bursting with gorgeous animation and equally engrossing songs.

Disney

Considering Disney has a tendency to push family away so that our young protagonists can prove themselves, it’s refreshing that in this film, the family needs to stay together more than ever. Mirabel has overwhelming love for her parents and for Abuela Alma (María Cecilia Botero), the originator of the family house and its powers. Everyone loves Abuela and wants to please her, but there’s also some doubt in the minds of the Madrigals about whether they can live up to their family name.

Every one of the musical numbers by Lin-Manuel Miranda reveals a great deal of character. A number of songs feature characters revealing parts of themselves that makes them vulnerable, unearthing a wealth of backstory and emotions. All of them are delivered with dazzling animation, where even something as personal as feeling insignificant carries some enthusiasm when paired with dancing sheep.

The magical Madrigal casita. Disney

The Madrigal house is also a real treat of a location. There are no eyes or mouth to give the colorful residence a literal voice, but it does have character. Stairs can transform into slides, and tiles can flip and change color. Each room is also a bit of a TARDIS in that each family member’s space opens up a whole new world—Isabela’s room looks like an enormous garden of hundreds of gorgeous flowers while another turns out to be a towering tomb of sand and endless stairs. There’s such wonder and care placed in this location that there’s genuine concern at the idea that a household like this could crumble in more ways than one.

Encanto is the full package of everything you want out of a charming, emotional, and exciting Disney animated feature. The music may not quite be earworms on initial viewing due to the incredibly fast-paced lyrics, but I said the same thing about Moana on first viewing and now can’t get those tunes out of my head. Hopefully, Encanto will become just as noteworthy considering that this is some of Disney’s best non-Pixar animation to date.