STUDIO: Buena Vista
RELEASE DATE: March 18, 2008
STARRING: Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Timothy Spall, Idina Menzel, and Susan Sarandon
WRITTEN BY: Bill Kelly
DIRECTED BY: Kevin Lima
FEATURES: Deleted Scenes
Bloopers
Fantasy Comes to Life
Pip's Predicament: A Pop-Up Adventure

Proof that even the hardcore horror, comic, and fantasy fans here at The Deadbolt can still find the innocent kids buried deep in our hearts comes home to DVD this week in the form of Enchanted, one of the more charming and enjoyable movies of 2007. Enchanted could make a hardened criminal smile. Floating along on the prodigious charisma of the adorable Amy Adams, along with great supporting turns by James Marsden and Susan Sarandon, Enchanted works on every level and is one of those rare movies made for little girls that their parents might like even more. Heck, even those of you without kids should check it out. Most of the Pixar movies, which everyone agrees rule, are clearly aimed at little boys (or boys at heart) with their focus on things like superheroes (The Incredibles) and fast-moving vehicles (Cars). Enchanted proves that you can make excellent entertainment about "girlie" things like princesses, talking squirrels, and, yes, even true love.

Amy Adams (Oscar-nominated for Junebug and scene-stealing in everything from Talladega Nights to Charlie Wilson's War) plays Giselle, an animated creation in the classic Disney fashion. You can picture Giselle having tea with Belle from Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and a talking woodland creature or two. Giselle sings her way through her days and hopes for true love, but she's banished by an evil queen (Susan Sarandon) from the serenity of Andalasia to the harsh reality of the Big Apple (well, the Disney version of the harsh reality of the Big Apple) and goes from animated to real-life. In all her princess glory, Giselle struggles to make it through New York City until she meets a cynical divorce lawyer (Patrick Dempsey) and his adorable daughter. The prince of Andalasia (James Marsden) comes after Giselle and, inevitably, so does the evil queen and all of Manhattan is turned upside down.

Just reading the plot of Enchanted, it becomes clear that this could have been a total disaster in the wrong hands. It could have been too cute, too stupid, or too kiddie, but director Kevin Lima and writer Bill Kelly have written a screenplay that really, and we know it sounds cliched, can appeal to all ages. The little girls will love the musical numbers and the gorgeous outfits and adults will appreciate the clever screenplay that might actually make a cynic believe that true, magical love can be found in the dirty streets of New York City.

The DVD for Enchanted is typically strong for Disney, even if it doesn't quite have the blow-out selection of special features that one usually associates with the studio. The video and audio are excellent and little ones will enjoy the pop-up adventure about Giselle's sidekick, Pip. "Fantasy Comes to Life" is a collection of featurettes about the making of the film and the deleted scenes and bloopers are entertaining, but it's the movie itself that will draw fans for generations to come. With the success of Pixar lately, most of Disney's instant classics have been in the animated arena, but Enchanted proves there's still life in the live-action side of the studio. It just needed a kick from Amy Adams.