Voices of Stephanie Beatriz, Maria Cecilla Botero, John Leguiziamo, and Mauro Castillo
Directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard
Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda
This is one of two major non-Pixar animated movies Disney put out last year, the other being the princess action film Raya and the Last Dragon. Miranda had wanted to do another Disney film since his previous collaboration with the studio, Moana, was a huge hit in 2016. Bush and Howard were scouting around for another project after Zootopia and hit on this fairy tale set in Columbia. As with Moana, there was extensive research into Columbia culture, including their music and architecture. How well did they do with this unique South American fairy tale? Let's begin with Alma Madrigal (Botero) as she explains to a young Mirabel (Noemi Josefina Flores) about how her family came to their "miracle" and find out...
The Story: Alma and her husband Pedro fled a revolution with others residents of their town. She lost her husband to the raiders, but saved her triplet children with the help of a magical candle. The candle produced a miracle that destroyed the raiders and created a safe tropical "encanto," environment surrounded by mountains and a living Casita, home, where she could raise her children. The children are each blessed with magical gifts by the candle, and their children are blessed with gifts...except for Mirabel (Beatriz), who has no gift.
The day her little cousin Antonio (Ravi Cabot-Conyers) receives his ability to speak with animals, Mirabel sees the Casita break apart and crack. No one else sees it, and they disregard it as Mirabel being jealous of their gifts. Searching for answers, Mirabel tries to find traces of her uncle Bruno (Leguziamo), a psychic whose readings of the future were so hated, he disappeared a decade before. He may be the only one who can help her reveal all the secrets of the Madigals and their miracle candle, before the light goes out and they all lose their amazing gifts permanently.
The Animation: Absolutely stunning. The lush tropical forests of Columbia teem with rainbow colors that burst from every frame. The characters flow like the waters where Alma finds her miracle, and every single one looks unique, yet obviously related. The backgrounds are where this really stand out. The Casita is its own character, with its moving stairs for Mirabel to slide down and brilliant walls that can be ominous or welcoming, sometimes in the same shot.
The Song and Dance: Touching and unique fairy tale about family, expectations, making use of our unique gifts, and how it's better to talk about the past than avoid it for the sake of unattainable perfection. Columbians were mostly delighted at how their beleaguered country is depicted. Most portrayals of Columbia in North America tend to focus on the violence that's wracked their country or exotic romanticism. "The Violence" that drove out Alma and Pedro has apparently wrecked many similar Colombian families for centuries. Just the fact that the family is portrayed with such joy and happiness - and they're still together in the end - is special in and of itself.
As someone who also comes from a family where she feels like an outsider, I absolutely love Mirabel. She's quirky, clumsy, and a bit insecure, but she's also determined, loving, and extremely empathic. She will do anything to find out the truth and keep her family together, even if it alienates the rest of her family. Beatriz is perfect, just as quirky-cute sounding as her character. I also like Leguziamo as the family's other black sheep Bruno, Botero as the seemingly rigid and controlling Alma, and Jessica Darrow and Diana Guerrero as Mirabel's sisters Luisa and and Isabela who aren't as perfect as Mirabel thinks.
I also appreciate that, unlike almost every other Disney film in animation and live-action, there's no flat-out villain. Alma is to a degree, but the real "villain" here is more her outdated ideas of strength and ignoring problems, rather than her being a typical bad person. There's many other types of adversity a person can overcome besides an antagonist.
Favorite Number: Mirabel explains her family's gifts, how they help their community, and her place (or lack of place) in it in the opening number "The Family Madrigal." She's tired of "Waiting On a Miracle" after she sees the cracks in the Casita but no one believes her. Lusia reveals how "Surface Pressure" and the need to always be on call for everyone is giving her anxiety and making her doubt her gift. Her fun-loving Uncle Felix (Castillo) and emotional weather-controlling Aunt Pepa (Carolina Gaitan) explain why "We Don't Talk About Bruno" and how he became the black sheep of the family. Isabela wonders "What Else Can I Do?" as she shows off her other plant-creating abilities to Mirabel and reveals how tired she is of always looking perfect, to Alma's horror.
What I Don't Like: The story isn't quite as different as it's protagonist at times. It occasionally feels more like a Marvel superhero movie set in Columbia and with Latin American overtones. I commend Disney for trying to move outside the princess tales, but at the same time, the story meanders during the middle and sometimes gets a little dull before they find Bruno. The songs are lovely but not quite as memorable as Miranda's score for Moana (or even Hamilton).
It's also a bit dark for a family movie, with its talk of "the Violence" and family dysfunction. It's probably best for older kids and teens who are starting to ask questions in their own families
The Big Finale: It may not be perfect, but it's a fun ride with a sweet protagonist, enjoyable characters, and a gorgeously rendered world not often explored outside of South America.
Home Media: Right now, it's streaming only. It can be found at Disney Plus for free with a subscription.
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