After almost two years without an animated musical epic, Disney returned with a brand new film showing rich culture and influential music in their most recent film, “Encanto.”
The film stars Stephanie Beatriz (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”) as Mirabel Madrigal, the youngest daughter of the Madrigal family. Every Madrigal child has a “gift,” a superhuman blessing from the house itself that gives them incredible powers. Mirabel, the only “normal” Madrigal with no powers, is the family’s only hope when she discovers she has to save the magic that blessed her family.
Beatriz stars alongside María Cecilia Botero as Abuela Madrigal, John Leguizamo as Bruno, Mauro Castillo as Félix, Jessica Darrow as Luisa, Diane Guerrero as Isabela, Angie Cepeda as Julieta, Wilmer Valderrama as Mirabel’s father Agustín, with Rhenzy Feliz as Camilo and Adassa as Dolores. The film was directed by Jared Bush and Bryon Howard, and features music by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Overall, the movie was a critical and commercial success, with fans adoring its cultural aspect and setting. The film has a 91% score on Rotten Tomatoes, which calls the film an “enchanting, beautifully animated fun for the whole family.” Metacritic gave the film generally favorable ratings, and CinemaScore graded it with an A on their “A+ to F” scale.
The movie grossed $216.1 million compared to its roughly $150 million budget, but it did reasonably well in the theatres. One of the highlights of the film was the music itself. The soundtrack has a variety of emotions and energy with every song, from the charming melody in “The Family Madrigal” to the Latin-pop beats in “Surface Pressure.” In addition, Beatriz’s singing ability in “Waiting on a Miracle” and in “What Else Can I Do?” with Guerrero was acclaimed as well as her chemistry with the other voice actors.
One of the standout songs was “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” which became a smashing success. It reached number one on Spotify’s Top 50 US chart and was viewed 67 million times on Disney Music’s VEVO Youtube Channel. It became one of the most successful Disney songs in recent history compared to Olivia Rodrigo’s “Driver’s License” because of how quickly it became popular. Paired with the vocals of reggaeton singer Adassa and the quickfire but jamming voice of Rhenzy Feliz, this song became a smash hit of its own making.
The movie also did a good job exploring the emotional side of this large family, showing how Abuela acts and reacts to members of her own family. Abuela’s personality and reasoning gave this film a solid emotional depth, and every character’s issues were seen and discussed.
In addition, it gave audiences a profound portrayal of mental health, from Isabela struggling to remain “pretty and perfect” to Luisa’s issues with carrying too much. It became a strong point of conversation, both on screen and with audiences.
Overall, Encanto was a beautifully made film that featured a substantial selection of characters and music that made it stand out amongst Disney’s pantheon of animated characters. The movie was a success and became a smash hit that made it 2021’s most successful animated film.
“Encanto” is an experience – both visually and musically – and is a movie that everyone should see while available.
