I heard great things about Encanto and couldn't resist watching it much longer, so my wife and I dialed it up on Disney+. Turns out it does have a fair amount that I'd like in any film, as it has a story built around a family that sees each person get a special power when they come of age. It's a fun tale, and takes a new look at people in everyday life with super powers rather than the typical big battles between good and evil. I loved the simple ways they used their abilities to help their community, and make life in their small village better. The other striking and unique thing about the film is its visual style. The village is rich with color, and shines with a vibrancy that gives me flashbacks of the gorgeous animation in Coco.
The songs in Encanto were good fun even if they didn't totally stick in my head. Perhaps it's the amount I heard people talking about "We Don't Talk About Bruno" that made me think these were going to be remarkable tunes that would rival the greats of Disney past, but they didn't quite get there for me. But the only real complaint I had about Encanto was the extremely by-the-numbers plot. It follows every single beat you'd expect, and doesn't have any surprises to offer. Most of the great films that Disney animation offered within the last few decades find a new twist on familiar tropes, but this just is the tropes. That doesn't mean that Encanto is bad, the predictable script still is satisfying and it did a decent job of warming my heart while making me smile along the way.
The songs in Encanto were good fun even if they didn't totally stick in my head. Perhaps it's the amount I heard people talking about "We Don't Talk About Bruno" that made me think these were going to be remarkable tunes that would rival the greats of Disney past, but they didn't quite get there for me. But the only real complaint I had about Encanto was the extremely by-the-numbers plot. It follows every single beat you'd expect, and doesn't have any surprises to offer. Most of the great films that Disney animation offered within the last few decades find a new twist on familiar tropes, but this just is the tropes. That doesn't mean that Encanto is bad, the predictable script still is satisfying and it did a decent job of warming my heart while making me smile along the way.