Spoofing one's self is always a dangerous proposition. If you don't poke quite enough fun at yourself you will be seen as soft; poke too much at yourself and you risk destroying all your previous work. Magically, wonderfully, Disney managed to get the balance just right in one of their latest releases, Enchanted.
Directed by Kevin Lima (Tarzan), the film stars Amy Adams as Giselle, a cartoon woman from a fairy tale, who, naturally, is destined to marry a prince (James Marsden). The prince's wicked stepmother, Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon), fearing loss of control of the kingdom, sends Giselle to the real world.
After some misadventures in New York, Giselle is found by Robert (Patrick Dempsey) and his daughter, Morgan (Rachel Covey). Reluctantly, Robert takes Giselle in and tries to help her find her way in the wiles of New York City. At the same time that Giselle learns about this new land, she tries to explain to Robert and Morgan they way things are where she comes from. The more the two explain of their various worlds, the more the other grows confused.
For his part, Prince Edward heads to New York and attempts to find and rescue Giselle. By the time he does find her, she isn't quite sure she wants to leave anymore; she likes this new world and Robert. At the end, of course, everyone finds a way to live happily ever after (save the wicked stepmother).
Enchanted is huge, fun, Disney-style fairy tale making, which manages to spoof itself and the fairy tale tropes Disney films helped create. The film works on both an ironic and straightforward level, providing amusement for many age groups.
Unquestionably, a large part of why the film works so well is Adams herself. She is tasked with the immensely difficult job of portraying an over-the-top, syrupy-sweet Disney fairy tale princess, yet her ignorance of the real world and ever-present bliss has to be endearing instead of sickening. With her wide-eyed stare and huge smile, it is a task that Adams is more than up to. She is charming and witty, and even after she learns to love the real world, manages to maintain a fairy tale sheen.
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