*** Caution. Spoilers ahead ***
Giselle (Adams) is back to remind audiences that “happily ever afters” still exist. It’s just that sometimes, they don’t look as we would imagine. The sequel to Disney’s 2007 Enchanted sees the return of Giselle, Robert (Patrick Dempsey), King Edward (James Marsden), and Queen Nancy (Idina Menzel) living out their “where are they now” scenarios. Robert’s daughter (Giselle’s stepdaughter) Morgan returns, this time as a moody teenager (played by Gabriella Baldacchino), and Adam Shankman (Hairspray) directs. The screenplay is penned by Brigitte Hales (Once Upon a Time) and based on the story by J. David Stem, David N. Weiss, and Richard LaGravanese.
The sequel picks up a decade after we last see the Disney princess living out her version of “happily ever after” in New York City. Giselle and Robert now have another daughter, baby Sofia, and life outside of Andalasia doesn’t seem to be such a fairy tale after all. Disenchanted with reality, Giselle, Robert, baby Sofia, and a reluctant Morgan pack up their life in the Big Apple and trade it in for the apple pie dreams of a suburban town called Monroeville.
The big move introduces characters rich with potential. Malvina (Maya Rudolph) leads the way as Giselle’s new nemesis, while Rosaleen (Yvette Nicole Brown) and Ruby (Jayma Mays) play her sidekicks. Oscar Nuñez (Edgar), Kolton Stewart (Tyson), Griffin Newman (voice of Pip), and Alan Tudyk (voice of the Scroll) all enter the scene bringing life to a seemingly ordinary town.
Longtime collaborators Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, who worked on the original score, lend their talents again, leading Adams, Menzel, and Rudolph to shine in their divine vocal prowess. “Badder,” a duet by Rudolph and Adams, whets the appetite enough to deliver a satisfying takeaway in the song department.
The story puts an opposite spin on the original. While Enchanted dropped Giselle and (the formerly known) Prince Edward into the real world, Disenchanted brings the fairy tale to us. As Morgan struggles to adapt to life as a big sister who was forced to move away from her friends, Giselle makes a wish that turns their very real life into a fairy tale, inadvertently making her a wicked stepmother. Each town member simultaneously takes their appropriate place in the modern fairy tale, bleeding both worlds together, inevitably at the cost of losing Andalasia and every animated character who lives there.
The good news is that fairy tales always have happy endings, even in the real world. Disenchanted may be predictable, but it’s layered with solid performances and entertaining anecdotes. The film is a clever follow-up to the original. The long-awaited sequel is equally as charming as the first. While Enchanted had the advantage of being the introduction to a brand-new Disney fairy tale that was inventive and imaginative, Disenchanted hedges its bets on nostalgia and wins.
Like every good fairy tale, there’s plenty you can take away from Disenchanted. Whether it’s a sweet song or a good moral, the beauty of any narrative is that there’s always more to be written. Disenchanted reminds us that “happily ever after” is attainable for everyone as long as you remember that you are the author of your own story.
Disenchanted is available to stream on Disney+.
