I got home from work on Friday afternoon in the mood to curl up with a light-hearted movie, and Enchanted looked it it would fit the bill. This is more or less a spoof of Disney’s classic princess films, most especially Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. Giselle, a denizen of a magical (and animated) kingdom, is sent to real-world New York City by an evil queen who fears being dethroned if her stepson marries. Giselle’s betrothed, a prince she met that very morning, plunges through the portal after her. Behind him comes Nathaniel, faithful servant of the evil queen, to prevent the reunion. Robert, a divorce attorney with a young daughter and plans to propose to his girlfriend, gives Giselle a safe place to sleep her first night in New York. There’s a lot of talk about love and romance and spontaneity, and the whole thing is entirely predictable. Seriously, you know the entire plot within the first ten minutes or so, and every time a new character is introduced, you know exactly what their story will be as well. No surprises here.

But you know, I don’t suspect many people are watching it for plot twists. The music is campy and charming. Giselle sounds startlingly like Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Prince Edward is dashingly oblivious. The evil queen goes on a pun spree during the final battle. In short, it’s just a lot of fun to watch, clearly written with longtime Disney fans in mind. Definitely recommended if you’re looking for a bit of fluff.

On a related note, I wonder if James Marsden ever tires of playing The Other Guy, the heroine’s existing love interest who’s perfectly handsome and loving and great, but ultimately just can’t compete with Superman or Wolverine or Noah Calhoun.