Encanto Review
Disney’s latest animated film, Encanto, directed by Byron Howard and Jared Bush, tells the story of a family who is granted a “miracle” following the devastating loss of Abuelo Pedro, as he attempted to flee with his family from their burning village. This miracle takes the shape of Casita, their magical home, which is undoubtedly alive and sentient, caring for and playing with the many children of the house throughout several generations.
Most notably, when these children come of age, the Casita and the miracle gift them a door to their own magical world and their unique magical ability. Three generations after its inception, Casita houses a large cast of characters including matriarch Abuela, healer Julieta (and husband Augustin), supernaturally perfect Isabela, heavy-lifter Luisa, weather-controlling Pepa (and husband Felix), animal whisperer Antonio, shapeshifting Camilo, super-hearing Dolores, and, of course, our protagonist, the gift-less Mirabel. Oh, and prophet Bruno—but we don’t talk about him.
That cast introduction is quite a mouthful, it’s true, but it’s also one of the many features of Encanto that make it so unique. Each of these characters (perhaps with the exception of Camilo) are fully developed as individuals throughout the film. Never has Disney attempted to introduce such a large and filled-out cast—because of this, the formula of the movie is incredibly unique. Unusually, there is no true villain in this story, very little conflict and no romantic plotline. Instead, Encanto plays out as a complex and loving tribute to family, the ups and the downs, the hardships and the celebrations.
The choice to include so many developed characters was one that was difficult for animators to execute. Encanto is a computer-animated film, but a lot goes into creating each character—both their appearance and the way they move. To tackle 12 main characters instead of two or three meant that the animators faced a challenge they never had before, and the amount of effort that went into Encanto is evident based on the unbelievable 18 minutes of credits rolling after the final scene.
The visuals of the film made up for the lack of true conflict and the slightly slow and winding plotline. The concept of each gifted character having their own world behind their door allowed for incredible creativity and diversity in scenery throughout the film, and directors Bush and Howard stated that all of the plants and flowers animated in the film were thoroughly researched and native to Colombia.
Another thing that allowed the animations to truly flourish was the soundtrack, written by Lin Manuel Miranda. While there were some less-memorable songs that fell short of doing the film’s character development and animation justice, there were certainly others that made up for them.
Luisa’s “Surface Pressure” has a chorus that you can’t help but sing along to, and the opening number, “The Family Madrigal” is an efficient and exciting way to introduce each character and their special abilities. However, the two songs that truly stand out in Encanto are Oscar nominated “Dos Oruguitas” and 5-week Billboard 100 chart “We Don’t Talk About Bruno.” While the gently unfolding of “Dos Oruguitas” and the layered, passionate “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” couldn’t sound more different, each displays Miranda’s writing at its best.
So, before we wrap up here, let’s finally talk about Bruno. While it may not be the most discussed aspect of Encanto, what hit me most on my first watch was the focus on neurodivergence that we see reflected in Bruno’s character. While I’ve seen situational grief and anxiety depicted in countless Disney films, this is the first where I have ever seen a character whose brain clearly does not function in a typical way.
Bruno was cast out by his family for being misunderstood, as he shared his visions in an attempt to help but ended up making people afraid. He is introduced by other characters throughout the film as scary and dangerous, when really, he’s just a bit of a hermit, who feels more comfortable in the company of rats than people. Bruno’s compulsive behaviors (such as knocking on wood, crossing fingers, etc.) are depicted on screen as soon as he is, and yet they are not at the forefront of his character. Instead, what stands out about Bruno is his soft-spoken and kind, gentle and sensitive nature. This kind of representation is new for Disney, and I hope to see more films like Encanto from them in the coming years.