‘Encanto’ Review: We Are Making Magic In This House


For better or worse, Disney has always been in the business of making magic. We all know the worst: the unimpressive second-hand magic of stereotyped fiction, tasteless songs, and lackluster animations. But best of all – it’s a kind of magic that has been passed down through the generations.

That’s why it’s no different than the magic of Casita, the Madrigal family’s living home in Disney’s amazing new animated movie “Encanto.” Forget Alexa – Casita is a smart home like no other. It speaks the language of fluttering tiles and flapping shutters and helps to keep everything in order.

And she has her traditions: when every young Madrigal comes of age, she gives them a gift and a door to a new bedroom, a room that is incredibly large and themed around a special flair. It all started years ago when Madrigal chief Abuela Alma (María Cecilia Botero) and her family fled the violence in their village. But after a tragic loss, a miracle appeared in the form of a candle, which gave the children their power. There’s a shapeshifter, a prophet, a healer, and more—and then there’s Mirabel (the perfectly formed Stephanie Beatriz), the muggle of the clan.

When Mirabel finds herself in the middle of a mystery about the future of her family’s magic, she embarks on a mission to find out how she can prevent the worst from happening. It’s a surprisingly small-scale story: instead of a journey, action unfolds in and around the Madrigal home. But that’s because “Encanto” is most concerned with family love and struggles, without silly side characters or romantic hints.

Some of the best of any major studio in the last few years, computer animation features a dazzling hue and meticulous weave of precious details such as embroideries on the skirts, the golden-brown rind of a cheese arepa, and the selection. native Colombian flora.

In “Encanto” there is a strong relationship and respect with all aspects of Latin culture. The skin tones of the Madrigal family members range from light to dark, and their hair texture ranges from straight to curly to curly. And the great pooh-bah of contemporary musical soundtrack, Lin-Manual Mirandapresents a captivating soundtrack of songs that combine salsa, bachata and hip-hop played with traditional folk instruments from Colombia.

Directors, Jared Bush and Byron Howard, have most recently collaborated on another of Disney’s brightest gems of the past decade, the racially aware “zootopia” and they skillfully incorporate an important political message into this film. This is a story about displaced people who built a house out of nothing. Their history is the source of their magic, and they use it to selflessly improve their community without needing to assimilate into their community. Considering our country’s track record on these issues, it’s extremely extraordinary to see such a story in a children’s movie.

But “Encanto” also resists the fall of its magical characters into the metaphor of migrant models – those who have earned their place solely because of their special abilities. Members of the Madrigal family belong to them even when they do not create roses or change the mood. And despite these fantastic magic feats, the Madrigals are believably loving, playful, and flawed, with all their kindred family dynamics.

If my home is where your heart is, my heart is with Casita.

encanto
Rated PG. Duration: 1 hour 39 minutes. In movie theaters.



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