ClubHooligan.com - Burning it up at both ends

Web posted December 6, 2007

'Enchanted' by goofy romance

Chester Duke Carson

Courtesy of Disney

Princess pride: Amy Adams completely sells her role as a fairy-tale princess trapped in modern day New York in Disney's "Enchanted."

"Enchanted" opens as a cozy, old-fashioned animated film reminiscent of "The Little Mermaid" and is then thrust into live-action while somehow managing to maintain every single ounce of cheeriness that oozes from those older Disney pictures.

In fact, think of "Enchanted" as if you are watching "The Little Mermaid" except this time Ariel is named Giselle (Amy Adams) and the villain forces her into real-world New York City to keep her away from her one true love (James Marsden). Once in the Big Apple, Giselle is quite literally a damsel in distress.

It's a clever twist on the standard fairy tale if you are willing to accept it for what it is: a sweet, lovable and completely ridiculous romantic comedy.

In spite of myself, I was able to do just that.

Perhaps the biggest factor in my acceptance: Adams. In a story so over the top, she is committed to the foolishness 100 percent. She is innocent and wide-eyed in every scene, whether she's breaking into song - not a bad voice either - or fashioning dresses out of Patrick Dempsey's drapes.

MOVIE REVIEW 'enchanted'

Rating: ★★★

Starring: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden and Susan Sarandon.

Director: Kevin Lima.

Parent's guide: PG.

Running time: 1 hour, 47 mins.

I kept waiting for Adams to crack a smile, even for a split second, indicating she'd had a case of the giggles on set at least once or twice. Never did I see it. Adams managed to keep a straight face the entire time. I couldn't get over this. Dempsey, I know, agrees with me because a few of his split-second smiles betray him on screen.

With Adams providing the leadership in this "real" fairy tale, everyone else falls in step nicely enough. Marsden is well-suited to portray the charmingly narcissistic prince, and the gracefully aging Susan Sarandon is in her element as the evil queen hell-bent on getting Giselle to take a bite from a poisonous apple.

Sarandon also turns herself into a dragon in the final act. I mention this for two reasons: First, every good fairy tale needs a dragon! Second, she is by far the prettiest animated dragon I have ever seen.

Now for Dempsey. Even though he is my ally in thinking Adams' deadpan is hilarious, he doesn't do much for me. He is a fine actor, but has any one man ever been such a walking, talking depiction of smug? His character is harmless, but all I can think when he's on screen is, "Man! I would love to smack the smug right off of his face!"

That's probably just me.

Assuming I'm in the minority with my stance on Dempsey, one would have to try to dislike "Enchanted" to avoid enjoying it. I tried; I failed.

Still, there are too many ludicrous elements to this tale to list in full. Did I mention the movie is about cartoon characters that are running around real-life New York trying to find their way back to their animated kingdom? Or how about the sequence when Adams and Dempsey are strolling through Central Park and Adams' singing leads to a parkwide musical? Oh, and how about the fact that Adams' cartoon powers work in real life (she's able to call upon rats and cockroaches to help her clean Dempsey's apartment)?

Believe me the list goes on and on. It's all incredibly silly.

And yet disliking "Enchanted" for being goofy would be like hating your puppy for chewing up your shoe. Puppies chew. "Enchanted" is goofy.

Things are just as they should be.