Enchanted

Enchanted represents what occurs when a major studio decides to wink at its own conventions without actually dismantling them. Kevin Lima's 2007 confection invites us to admire its self-awareness, the way it positions Amy Adams' Giselle as a princess who gradually recognizes that real romance does not conform to animated expectations. This is positioned as a form of enlightenment, a female character learning to think for herself rather than accept predetermined narratives. One could almost mistake this for progressive sensibility if one squinted and ignored the film's complete lack of interest in anything resembling actual social consciousness.

The film contains not a single thread of contemporary cultural awareness. Its Manhattan is a playground for fairy tale characters, not a city of actual human complexity. There are no characters of color in meaningful roles, no queer subtext, no interrogation of capitalism or power structures, no engagement with bodies outside the conventional range, no neurodivergent representation. The satire operates entirely within the realm of romantic convention, a narrow and self-contained universe where the only oppression worth noting is the tyranny of expecting happily ever after.

What remains is a charming, well-executed family film with clever production design and committed performances. It is precisely the kind of movie that demonstrates the difference between being smart about your genre and being conscious about the world. Enchanted knows fairy tales inside and out. It has nothing to say about anything else.