Disney's ‘Encanto’ is a one-note wonder, simple but sweet

Encanto’s jazzy opening song “The Family Madrigal” is the most entertaining the movie ever gets. But that doesn’t make watching the rest of its charming tracks, which remix the same themes and tunes, too much of a chore. 

Co-directed by Byron Howard and Jared Bush, Walt Disney Animation’s newest adventure kicks off with a roll call number performed by protagonist Mirabel (voiced by Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Stephanie Beatriz). A smiley 15-year-old radiating love for her family, Mirabel literally sings the praises of her mom, dad, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandma as a gorgeous animated world thrusts each of them into the spotlight for a verse. It's a joyous family affair, combining frenzied festivities with effortless choreographed spectacle.

As Mirabel sing-splains, every Madrigal family member has been blessed with a unique power, like her sister’s super strength or her cousin's shapeshifting. Well, that is to say everyone — except Mirabel. 

Why doesn’t Mirabel have a power? That’s the question Encanto sets out to answer when a mysterious change to the Madrigals’ magic threatens the family and their enchanted house, Casita. Shortly after that fateful first number, the Madrigals’ future is left in Mirabel’s hands. Her fight to do right by her family, and the surrounding Colombian village that relies on their powers, is full of humor and heart. By the end, audiences have a satisfying enough answer as to what makes Mirabel special, and a decent lesson in accepting others as they are.

Credit: Disney

Still, the rhythm getting there can feel repetitive. A set of original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, all enjoyable but with no stand-out hits, carry Encanto through a perpetual rehashing of that first number’s best moments that can start to feel old remarkably fast. Scene after scene, we meet a Madrigal, they do something magical, and the plot slowly advances — rinse and repeat.

Like Frozen and Frozen II before it, Encanto doesn’t have a villain. While that formula might have worked then, this time around the action feels aimless. Too often, Mirabel’s narrative progression comes off as arbitrary, even if an explanation was technically given. As a result, watching Encanto can feel more like browsing a family photo album than reading a fairytale start to finish. The middle feels especially tedious, adding multi-minute song flourishes to plot points inferred earlier on.

That said, that can be enjoyable in its own way. Between laugh-out-loud one-liners and a chorus of dancing animals, Mirabel’s story has catchy charisma to spare with a relaxing sameness some will appreciate. Likability makes up for the lack of tension just long enough for you to fall under Encanto's spell. It wasn't until the final swell of an underwhelming final act that I started to feel disappointed. Even then, it didn't ruin the entire movie.

Antonio and his animal friends are *definitely* a highlight. Credit: Disney

A bit too simple but still very sweet, Encanto isn't going to be a Disney classic. But it's still a solid choice for families headed to the theaters this Thanksgiving — or looking for something to cue up after it hits Disney+ over the holidays.

Encanto is in theaters Nov. 24; streaming on Disney+ Dec. 24.