Movies - Enchanted

Ninety seconds into Enchanted, I figured I'd made a terrible mistake. I was feeling low. I was on a detox diet. I needed some light relief. I needed a Love Actually or a Bridget Jones - a daft yet smart Rom-Com to get me in the festive spirit. It was a toss up between August Rush and Enchanted. The latter got far better reviews. In fact, so enamoured were seasoned critics with this Disney production that I reckoned that it could be the new Princess Bride. High expectations indeed, but Hollywood needs a hit and is bound to score sooner or later, right?

I paid my admission and was cautiously hoping for a Christmas miracle. But oh my! I forgot about the songs! If there is anything that will drag down the savvy, meta-humor of contemporary Disney, it's the damn songs. Why do they insist on filling empty plot with cheesy song and dance numbers. We want action, romance, laughs- not a musical interlude to remind us that we are not in the real world! Enchanted starts in animation and launches straight into the musical numbers. Oh dear god what have I done! I'm a 34 year old woman willfully paying for Disney and I don't even have the excuse of a young brood in tow. I should have opted for American Gangster instead.

But, despite the cringe-like introduction, Enchanted evolves into a quite entertaining experience. What would happen if a fictional, animated fairytale character is banished to a modern, unforgiving 3-D NYC? She'd be labelled a basket case, that's what. Thankfully she meets a sensitive divorcee, played by Patrick "McDreamy" Dempsey, whose daughter is instantly enamoured with this strange, perpetually optimistic princess. There's the obligatory wicked queen, intent on destroying our heroine Giselle before she can reunite with her handsome groom-to-be (an idiot whom she fell for whilst singing the aforementioned embarrassing song). There's also an endearing chip-monk and a traitorous minion, smitten into following the Queen's orders.

Enchanted is indeed daft, and is no Princess Bride, but it does tick a lot of boxes. Amy Adams is quite engaging as the dislocated heroine, and believe it or not, the remaining musical numbers are not half bad. The infestation of city vermin to clean the apartment is gross but inspired and I challenge you not to be moved by the Central Park number. Kids will be enthralled, and the accompanying adults will not be bored.

I question the casting of Dempsey however. While he may appeal to the Mini-Van Mums, he is not (and seriously, no pun is intended here) animated enough when compared to the scene-stealing Adams. His sleepy-eyed look is just too disconnected to the energy that the film requires. And as for his hair, it's a character in itself. Keep an eye out for the scene in the restaurant. His hair changes with each shot. It's woefully distracting. Ease off the hair product Pat! Another gripe is Susan Sarandon's casting as the Queen. She was far more interesting in 2D and her climactic assault is the low point of the movie. A remarkable actress shamefully underused.

This won't fill your Christmas wish list but it will effortlessly pass a chilly winter's evening.