What’s It About
Encanto tells the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia, in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift from super strength to the power to heal—every child except one, Mirabel (voice of Stephanie Beatriz). But when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she, the only ordinary Madrigal, might just be her exceptional family’s last hope.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
So it’s another movie where the person with no special abilities has to save the day. That plot has been done so many times. Fortunately for Disney, the world isn’t tired of it yet, and Encanto gives this very old plot new justice. In other words, Encanto is a hit, and that’s good news for everyone involved, especially the moviegoers. I loved this movie, but as I stated, it’s an old story but with a Disney twist. The family members’ special gifts are metaphors that represent real-world issues, such Luisa Madrigal, the strongest sister, carrying all the burdens. A metaphor for carrying the family’s burdens. In short, every family member relies solely on magic, making them shallow and one-dimensional. Therefore, the treatment of Mirabel may be challenging to watch. Her family treats her like that relative who has outstayed their welcome (every family has one). If you can get past her constant mistreatment, Encanto is a great film. Mirabel is upbeat and always (surprisingly) positive. She never lets the lack of a special gift get in the way of what she wants to do. She even gave a pep talk to her brother to help him through his nervousness before his special gift ceremony. You soon realize Mirabel is the true heart of the movie, and as much as you may want to hate how her family treats her, you can’t help but feel empathy for them. As for the music, if you like In The Heights, Hamilton, or Vivo, you’ll love the songs in Encanto because Lin-Manuel Miranda is responsible for all of them.
OUR RATING – A MADRIGALS 8
MEDIA
- Genre – Fantasy
- Street date
- Digital – December 24th, 2021.
- DVD/Blu-Ray/4K – February 8th, 2022
- Video – 1080p
- Screen size – 1.85:1
- Sound – English: Dolby Atmos, Spanish: Dolby Digital Plus 7.1, French: Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles – English SDH, French, Japanese, Spanish
Extras
- Sing-Along With The Movie – While watching the movie, a text track of the lyrics pops up.
- Far From The Tree (HD, 8 Mins.) – The short film that played before Encanto in theaters, that follows a couple of raccoons.
- Familia Lo Es Todo (HD, 24 Mins.) – A three-part featurette that covers most elements of production, including the story, themes, tones, origins, the family, the research of Colombian culture, voice work, and more. There are some great interviews with the cast and crew here.
- Discover Colombia (HD, 18 Mins.) – A two-part featurette that explores Colombia with the filmmakers scouting locations and using real-life settings for their film.
- A Journey Through Music (HD, 25 Mins.) – A three-part featurette that covers all aspects of the music in the film, from the original songs to the score, and its Colombian influences.
- Let’s Talk About Bruno (HD, 9 Mins.) – A fun extra that reveal the secrets about the film’s most fascinating character.
- Our Casita (HD, 11 Mins.) – A two-part featurette that covers the elements of the magical house, village, and more.
- Outtakes (HD, 3 Mins.) – Some fun gags with the voice cast reading their lines.
- Journey to Colombia (HD, 3 Mins.) – Another brief look at the scouting trip to Colombia to draw inspiration visually for the film.
- Deleted Scenes (HD, 21 Mins.) – There are four deleted scenes here with intros by the writers and story-heads.
- Song Selection (HD, 30 Mins.) – Click these buttons on-screen to access the songs from the film.