Early Disenchanted reviews agree that the film can't compare to Enchanted. The original film, which came to theaters in 2007, followed an animated future princess named Giselle (Amy Adams) as she is sent to real-life New York City, where she falls in love with cynical divorce lawyer Robert (Patrick Dempsey). Now, 15 years later, Disenchanted has dropped on Disney+, following Giselle and her family a decade later as a wish for her happily ever after to be more like a fairy tale goes wrong and accidentally turns her into a wicked stepmother. The cast includes Maya Rudolph, Jayma Mays, Griffin Newman, and Yvette Nicole Brown, along with returning performers Dempsey, James Marsden, and Idina Menzel.
Today, the embargo lifted on reviews of Disenchanted, so critics were able to share their thoughts on the belated sequel. Critics generally it that seeing the cast return in their original roles will push viewers' nostalgia buttons, especially when Amy Adams as Giselle is allowed to relish a new villainous turn. There is a huge divide between critics who think that the charm of the performers can overcome a vanilla script and those who find the sequel to be a complete disappointment, but they all agree that the film can't hold a candle to Enchanted. Read select quotes below:
Rachel LaBonte, Screen Rant:
For all its charms, though, Disenchanted has its flaws. Over-reliance on musical numbers aside, certain returning figures fall to the wayside as the movie focuses more on Giselle and Morgan’s arcs. Dempsey’s Robert has hints of a compelling storyline, but his scenes are disted, thus making his arc feel incomplete. Marsden, always a charismatic screen presence, doesn’t get as much to do either, and all the newer characters aside from Malvina struggle to make an impression... In the end, though, it’s hard to resist a movie that allows Adams and her fellow co-stars to play in such a fun sandbox.
Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire:
Much like its message, “Disenchanted” reminds us that every moment has the potential for providing us with a happily ever after, but it’s the good and the bad that makes it ever more enchanting. Did we need a sequel to “Enchanted”? Not really, but it’s cute enough to cast a bit of an escapist spell this holiday season.
Owen Gleiberman, Variety:
One has to ask: How much fun is there in that? The fish-out-of-water hook is gone, as is Giselle’s identity as an overly nice specimen of a vanquished world. Obvious in its comedy, at once overblown and undernourished in its fantasy, “Disenchanted,” at times, is like a kiddified “Don’t Worry Darling” crossed with “Cinderella Strikes Back.”
Jamie Graham, Total Film:
Where that movie offered feminism with a featherlight touch as Giselle learned to step beyond the trammels of life as a 2D princess, this one threatens to lose its tiara twinkle as it juggles themes of identity, memory and a Wizard of Oz-alike message to appreciate what you have. Even so, it’s a delight to watch Amy Adams do Jekyll and Hyde as she incrementally transforms from cheery Giselle to noxious stepmother
Lovia Gyarkye, THR:
When Disenchanted isn’t trying to create a portrait of suburbia or examining its protagonist, it becomes a predictably plotted and humdrum battle to restore order. As a setting, Monroeville doesn’t quite lend itself to the same kind of amusing comedy as New York’s most touristy locales, which means that certain elements of Disenchanted have to work harder to keep our attention.
Johnny Oleksinski, New York Post:
And just like that, the whole point of this fish-out-of-water franchise is unceremoniously tossed into the Hudson. No more gags with an innocent Disney princess who radiates goodness clashing with angry, perpetually frowning, clad-in-black New Yorkers. Instead we’re ladled familiar family slop that has mamma Giselle butt heads with spitfire Morgan (Gabriella Baldacchino), who misses her old home.
Josh Spiegel, Slashfilm:
It's a novel and welcome choice that "Disenchanted" enables just about everyone to get in on the fun with heightened performances meant to evoke cartoonish fairy-tale visions. Adams and Rudolph are both extremely funny, as when sharing a villainous duet in the equivalent of an evil sing-off, but Dempsey (getting a chance to go big a la Marsden, who returns briefly) seems to relish being more than the straitlaced type.
How Critics Felt About the Original Enchanted in 2007
At the time of writing, Rotten Tomatoes has aggregated 22 critics' reviews of Disenchanted for a Rotten total score of 50%. While this number could very well fluctuate as more reviews are added, potentially even pushing it over the edge into Fresh territory (which would require 60% or more), it likely won't reach very much higher than that point. This is a far cry from the original Enchanted, which holds a Certified Fresh rating of 93%.
Back in 2007, critics were equally voracious in their praise for Adams, whose role as Giselle made her a household name after her Oscar-nominated role in 2006's Junebug. The film's effervescent throwbacks to the Golden Age of Disney were also praised, as was the music by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz (both of whom returned to pen new songs for Disenchanted). Although the film was viewed as something of a novelty at the time, it was wholeheartedly embraced by critics and audiences alike, making $340.5 million off its budget of $80 million, becoming a nostalgic classic for many young viewers without needing to develop a cult like certain Disney live-action films of the past like 1993's witchy Hocus Pocus (a project that also got a belated sequel this year), which didn't find its audience until it hit home video.
What This Could Mean for Disenchanted's Performance on Disney+
Although Disenchanted isn't performing quite as well with the critics as fans might have hoped, it still has a chance to be a hit for Disney+. It will be difficult to quantify how well it performs compared to the original film due to the fact that it's not a theatrical release and thus will not see any box office receipts. However, soon the streaming numbers will arrive and it can at least be compared to previous Disney+ film premieres. If the power of nostalgia can overcome the negative press and get viewers to click play, it seems likely that fans of the 2007 Enchanted and their children will be more inclined to align with the 50% of critics who enjoyed the film, potentially giving Disney+ one of their stronger streaming debuts.
Source: Various (see above)
