REVIEW

Blu-ray Review: Enchanted

Written by Matt Paprocki
Published March 07, 2008

While a cliché ridden romance is the basis of Enchanted’s story, the movie as a whole is a wildly fun, imaginative, colorful romp. Amy Adams shines as a would be cartoon princess tossed into the real world without a clue as to how things work. Her campy send up performance is simply perfect, and the heart of Enchanted.

The opening scenes are presented with a perfect Disney flair, mimicking the classic animation from the studio and mocking their lesser qualities. Following that, the film heads to Times Square where the live action takes over. Patrick Dempsey plays Robert, the kind hearted guy who takes Adams's Giselle in and tries to deal with her odd outlooks on life.

Enchanted doesn’t always follow its own logic, such as the way in which animals react and suddenly clean up a room as Adams bursts into song, which doesn’t follow the rest of the movie. Of course, in a movie where cartoons come to life logic is obviously not at a premium. The Central Park musical number at least tries to play up how little it all makes sense with Dempsey’s character questioning the entire scenario. Enchanted wavers in and out of the real world as it pleases, though this never takes away from the fun choreography or energetic music.

James Marsden has some fun in his role as the fairy tale prince who follows Adams into New York to rescue her. His encounter with a bus is priceless, and the film could have used more interactions such as that one. As it stands, the cartoon characters adjust to their new life rather easily taking some of the fun from the old one with them.

The finale couldn’t have been set up better, perfectly placing the events in New York, yet doing so in a fairy tale setting. The finale takes something of a dark turn, which is at odds with the otherwise harmless laughs that come before it, but it never gets so dark that the kids will be terrified. The special effects are impressive to watch, and the energetic action puts a fine cap on the story (even if everyone in the audience knows where it’s going).

Enchanted is owned by Amy Adams's performance. That doesn’t take away from the rest of the cast, but her role is critical in selling the concept and she performs with flair. This is simply a fun take off on the countless “princess” movies that have come from Disney, and its wide ranging appeal is undeniable.

The movie comes alive in HD, bursting with bold colors and lack of any source flaws. Grain is practically non-existent, giving the film a clean look and no artifacting is noticeable. Contrast is strong, and rich black levels give Enchanted some impressive depth. The transfer does waver slightly at times, looking soft and lacking focus in certain scenes (the restaurant date for example). Detail is retained though, and this is always an immense improvement over an SD presentation.

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Matt Paprocki is the former reviews editor for Digital Press. The deep game collection, which spans nearly 30 systems and 2,000 games, lines his walls for research purposes. Matt strives to bring credibility to video game journalism, and to aid the industry in becoming respected with all forms of entertainment media. He currently freelances for GameArgus.com and MultiPlayerGames.com.
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Blu-ray Review: Enchanted
Published: March 07, 2008
Type: Review
Section: Video
Filed Under: Video: Blu-ray, Video: Comedy, Video: Family, Video: Fantasy
Part of a feature: The Wild Blu Yonder
Writer: Matt Paprocki
Matt Paprocki's BC Writer page
Matt Paprocki's personal site
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