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Disenchanted movie review: Amy Adams sleepwalks through a Disney fairytale sequel that could’ve been so much more

Disenchanted is a sequel 15 years in the making. Work on the follow-up of Enchanted had begun right after the release of the first film back in 2007. While all four principal actors from that film were onboard for the longest time, the script took a while to get into shape by writers David N. Weiss and J. David Stem. 

The premise of the sequel is promising enough for the cast and the makers to wait this long to get it into the world. Giselle (Amy Adams), a Disney animated princess who gets thrown into New York City from the fairy-tale world of Andalasia, is now married to Manhattan lawyer Robert (Patrick Dempsey). But as the opening voiceover by Chip tells us, she’s had a baby with Robert and is now going through postpartum depression. No, he doesn’t exactly use that term (too heavy for a Disney movie), but explains that the birth of a son robs the couple of youthful love and that Giselle consequently longs for a fairytale land.

Robert urges her to take a leap as they move to the suburb of Monoroeville, a township designed as a fairytale land. But Morgan, now a teenager, struggles to adapt to the relocation. In the heat of the moment one day, she refers to Giselle as her “stepmother,” which prompts the latter to wish for a fairytale land from a magic wand gifted by Nancy and Edward (Idina Menzel and James Marsden reprising original roles, and not aged one bit).The magic goes awry and Giselle soon starts showing signs of the Evil Stepmother in this fairytale world. 

While the premise makes for an organic progression in the story arc, the execution doesn’t go all the way in milking the possibilities. Firstly, this remains a musical but the way Alan Menkin’s songs are designed are not at all in tune with the times. There’s no inventiveness in either the choreography, Dan Hennah’s production design or Simon Duggan’s cinematography. The only technical department that shows some growth is costumes. Joan Bergin especially plays around with Giselle’s split personality in the sequel, making her evolve from floral prints and flowy skirts to sheer, sharply cut evening gowns.

Banking on the costumes, Amy Adams also tries well to play a woman that oscillates from a Disney princess to a vamp. As Princess Giselle, she has a spring in the step and a hint of self-doubt on her face. And as the evil stepmother, she makes a sinister sweetness simmer within. It’s a tweak instead of a transformation. But given that we’ve seen Adams display her range in films like Arrival and American Hustle since Enchanted, we never get to witness the ace performer she’s become, despite the author-backed role in Disenchanted.

It’s a pity that other characters who had prominent arcs in the first part are treated as throwaway elements in the sequel. Dempsey’s only contribution here is to play a supportive husband who’s taking long train journeys to reach NYC for work from suburbs and later, unsuccessfully fighting dragons and giants upon becoming a prince. Menzel finally gets her own song in the sequel, and Mardsen seems like he only gave dates for a cameo. Gabriella Bardacchinno plays Morgan here but her one-note performance only further reduces her character to a stereotype, as people around her keep attributing all her issues to her teenager phase.

The biggest void, however, is that of a solid villain.

Susan Sarandon, through voice acting for most part and a striking short appearance in flesh and blood, made her Evil Stepmother a treat to watch in Enchanted. She was animated, intimidating and larger-than-life. Maya Rudolph isn’t even a patch on that in the sequel. In the absence of a strong antagonist, Amy Adams’ Evil Stepmother bits could’ve been played up, but director Adam Shankman keeps them to shallow waters. Shankman, director of rom-coms like The Wedding Planner and A Walk To Remember, also doesn’t offer any fodder for a good romance here.

Sure, the focus of the sequel’s story is the relationship between Giselle and Morgan through the lens of the evil stepmother trope but even the treatment isn’t Disney enough. Kevin Lima, the director of Enchanted, was the force behind watershed Disney animated films like Tarzan and 101 Dalmations. He knew Disney fairy tales inside out and thus planted Easter eggs throughout the story. Disenchanted, as the title suggests, isn’t as allured by Disney fairy tales so the lack of self awareness makes sense. But it still aims to be subversive with its plot progression. Only if it would’ve been more invested in seeing that through.

Disenchanted is streaming in India on Disney+ Hotstar.