CNN —
Disenchanted asks the existential question, “What comes after ‘Happily Ever After?'” which, of course, is a sequel…only (because it’s 15 years later) to stream. Amy Adams nimbly reprises the role of an animated princess trying to adjust to the live-action world in an epilogue to Enchanted that contains moments of magic without fully fulfilling the premise.
As told in the storybook, Adams’ princess Giselle settled down with her unexpected prince, single father Robert (Patrick Dempsey), and had a baby with him. But life in fantastic Andalasia left her ill-prepared for the monotony and drudgery of married life, prompting her to seek a means to shake up her monotonous reality.
The HBO or Hulu version of this crisis would certainly have a darker and harder edge, but being Disney+, Giselle embraces the idea of relocating the whole family to the suburbs, a seemingly idyllic place called Monroeville, which points to the Billboards looked good. However, the decision leaves a lousy commute for Robert and Giselle’s teenage stepdaughter, Morgan (Gabriella Baldacchino), who feels marginalized and grumpy and forced to leave “the kingdom of New York” behind.
The bitterness and tension at home doesn’t sit well with Giselle, who is desperate enough to use a little magic that falls squarely into the “be careful what you wish for” basket. In its most inspired prime, the big setback comes from the formality of Giselle being a stepmother, a class of family members that has traditionally not fared well in animated fairy tales.
The initial kick that enlivens “Enchanted” perhaps inevitably feels a bit numerous in this context given all the chanting of the urban flora and fauna. Everyone’s in high spirits as far as these songs go – including Idina Menzel, who stops by just long enough to lend her Broadway belt to what’s clearly intended to be the film’s showstopping tune, and maybe a few extra copies of the soundtrack to move.
Though the songs are courtesy of composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz — an Oscar-nominated combo for the original — the music this time around is lively but less memorable. Similarly, the supporting cast feels alternately under and overused, with James Marsden reprising his role as the clueless prince and Maya Rudolph portraying the local suburban queen bee who gets to perform an energetic duet with Adams.
Directed by Adam Shankman (who directed the musical Hairspray, which coincidentally released Enchanted the same year), the film again deftly plays with fairytale conventions without much addition, by Giselle or otherwise, to the film to reflect intervening years. If there was room to creatively push the mythology, Disenchanted simply chose to recycle it.
Admittedly, that formula has served Disney+ well, which has built much of its programming strategy around the cozy familiarity that comes with reviving older objects in series or film form, including Santa Claus, Hocus Pocus, and soon Willow. ”
“I’ll never sing the right song again,” Giselle mumbles sadly at one point before the story really picks up steam.
To say so would certainly be an overly harsh review of Disenchanted, but it’s fair to note that the sequel doesn’t hit nearly as many high notes compared to its justifiably admired predecessor.
Disenchanted launches November 18 on Disney+.