Teenage boys become "Enchanted"

I saw Enchanted with my 8 year-old daughter, and two disgruntled, teenage boys who wanted to see the PG-13 rated Juno, but opted out at the last minute due to one very adamant mother who insisted that her child not see a comedy about teen pregnancy. The boys sat low in their chairs and stared straight forward at the blank screen in abject silence. I mean- could this be more of a chick-flick? However, my daughter was more receptive and by the end of the film- so where the boys :)

If you don't want all the details below, then let me sum it up for you in three words:

Cliche', Silly, Entertaining.

Enchanted starts off as a blatant, cookie-cutter Disney Princess story. Even the classic-look animation can't shake you out of the feeling that you've seen this film a hundred times, and it borrows quite liberally (and intentionally) from all of those other films. You can follow the formula right along in your handy Disney Princess Movie program:
The cute as a button Princess Giselle, who is prone to break into song more quickly than an American Idol hopeful?
Got it.
Fuzzy, wide-eyed forest animals who provide back-up vocals while lending a hand with the sewing and cleaning?
Yep. Seen it.
The dashing, wide-mouth Prince Edward, with excellent hair, and an ego the size of several giant, green ogres?
Check.
Did we get the wicked step-mother, Queen Narissa?
Roger that.

The hotter-than-she-should-be Queen is not about to turn over her throne to some rosy-cheeked upstart, so she conveniently changes her appearance into that of an old hag, (saw that coming, did you?) and tricks our innocent princess into standing too close to a magic whishing well. The wicked Queen then shoves Princess Giselle over the edge of the well; banishing her to a world where there are no "happily ever afters." This is where the movie is supposed to magically transport you and the princess into modern day New York City through a portal that connects the whishing well in enchanted, animated, Andalasia, to a manhole cover in real-life Times' Square. What it manages to accomplish instead it to take you quickly, and thankfully, away from the Cliche' opening sequence.
Finally- the movie starts! And here is what you get in New York: More of the same old story with a few fun twist and turns- just not animated.

In live action, the flesh and blood Princess Giselle's appearance and dress do not look enough like her cartoon version to make the transition convincing. Actress Amy Adams is fine in the role, and her voice is distinctive enough to connect the opening animated character to her real world counterpart, but you wonder why they didn't try harder to make it more convincingly visual. It is a movie, right?
You also get the standard, practical-minded, "we-don't-have-time-for-fairy-tales" Patrick Dempsey who is the divorced father of the little girl who befriends our heroine. His character comes to find the lost princess affectionately amusing- if not a little nuts. Mr. Dempsey is very good with his hang-dog expressions, and he gets to use them quite often here, but like Adams, he manages to be charming enough to keep you interested.
Most of the plot, however is actually an exercise in suspension of belief, so much so that you are expected to take at face value an impromptu musical that occurs in Central Park involving every gay man in New York City.

Let me tell you right now: The whole movie feels like it's just a mad rush to get each plot element together so it can bring all of the principals together for one big, expensive showdown in the end.
Oh, it's fun getting there:
Amy Adams has a beautiful scene where her character realizes she can experience anger, and the subtle shift from her goofy, make-believe princess to a real woman confused about her loyalties and feelings is understated- but exceptionally well done. A surprise appearance from Susan Sarandon is fun as she leaves chewed up bits of scenery in her wake, and Timothy Spall has some interesting scenes as the evil queen's henchman who begins to question their dysfunctional relationship. All of the performances are better than you would expect, and it is the skill and talent of these players that lifts Enchanted from similar Fairy-tale-mixed-with-reality movies that you've already slept through.

For all of it's faults, the movie is still entertaining. My son and his teen friend laughed in all the right places, and both temporarily forgot the troubles of their earlier attempt to see a more "adult" movie.

And that is the point, I think.

Enchanted doesn't fail to make you smile, and you may just forget about the troubles and realities of our bland, grungy, real-life world... if only for a little while.
Even cynics like me may walk out of the theater remembering their youthful belief in the magic power of "love's first kiss".

For the Kids: Four out of Five.

For me: Three and a Half out of Five. (Extra points for making two teenage boys enjoy a much derided "Chick-Flick." )

Gary