Disenchanted review

Fifteen years after the charming Disney fantasy Enchanted comes this sequel. It picks up the story 10 years later of princess Giselle (Adams), who left her fairytale animated world of Andalasia for the gritty live action streets of New York, where she found true love with lawyer Robert (Dempsey).

However, more than a decade on Giselle has decided that her happily ever after isn’t meant to be in Manhattan (despite her, Robert and his daughter Morgan having a very swanky uptown apartment) and she convinces the family to move to an idyllic suburban village. With Morgan (a terrific turn from Baldacchino) now an understandably grumpy teenager (would you want to leave NYC for the decidedly uncool countryside?) and town queen bee Malvina (Rudolph) being less than welcoming, the move doesn’t exactly go well, leaving Giselle to wish (uh-oh) that things could be different. Unfortunately that magic wish threatens not only her new home but her old land of Andalasia, too.

Packed with musical numbers – in fact, probably one too many as the movie does feel a little overstuffed – this takes a while to get going, with far too much time spent on Giselle’s new life before some real magic actually happens. When it does, however – and when Giselle realises exactly what she has done with her seemingly innocent wish – it becomes much more fun and both Adams and Rudolph are a joy as the town’s premier women.

Dempsey, meanwhile, doesn’t have much to do, and there are brief appearances from Enchanted stars Idina Menzel and James Marsden that mainly remind us how – while it’s an enjoyably bright diversion – this sequel just isn’t as fun or brilliantly magical as the original.