It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a kids Disney movie. For the past few years the only good Disney have been doing is the Pirates of the Caribbean and releasing Pixar films. While that’s still pretty awesome, it’s been far too long since they’ve created a feature length animated children’s film that didn’t go straight to video and didn’t suck. Strange, seeing as Disney was a pioneer of enchanting, fantasy animated features.

And then in steps Enchanted, a fantasy film which mixes live action with animation and pays homage to many classic animated Disney films. It pays homage not only in the way that it references character archetypes and storytelling devices typical of Disney, but also in the way that it doesn’t suck.

The film begins with pretence of being an animated feature. We’re introduced to the fantasy world of Andalasia which exists in a lush world of traditional 2D animation. Inhabiting this world are all the character archetypes you would expect: Giselle (Amy Adams), the young woman who seeks her true love, the dashing and heroic Prince Edward (James Marsden), his evil step-mother Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) and her loyal henchman, Nathaniel (Timothy Spall). Then there are the cutesy forest critters, a giant troll, a humble woodland setting and songs of true love and you’ve got thick, syrupy cheesy goodness. It’s the distilled Disney that we grew up on and for all its clichés, this beautiful world sucks you in with the aid of some superb animation. It’s all magnificently flowing traditional 2D work with sharp line art characters moving over richly painted backgrounds. However, it’s not long before Giselle is tricked by the evil Queen Narissa who, in true Disney fashion, rather than just killing Giselle, sends her to the real world; a place where there are no happy endings.

At that point, the film shifts to being a live action film set in modern day Manhattan. The transition from cartoon to live action is handled brilliantly and is nearly as seamless as the transition seen in the Disney classic, Who Framed Roger Rabbit. But whereas that film had cartoon characters existing in the real world, in Enchanted the cartoon characters become real people. Thanks to some excellent costuming and acting, the shift works really well. Amy Adams as Giselle is wide eyed and breathy while James Marsden hams it up beautifully as Prince Edward. The entire film is packed with impressive production design, right down the ending credit sequence. The musical score is vibrant and orchestral, ranging from epic and grand to light and dreamy. Meanwhile the cinematography even makes limited use of telephoto lenses and tends to keep the shots in clear focus, much in the same way that animated films rarely make use of depth of field and focus.

Stranded in the middle of Manhattan, Giselle is helped by divorce attorney Robert (Patrick Dempsy) and his daughter Morgan (Rachael Covey). And here’s where things get really interesting because film has a cast characters all with different experiences and views on love and relationships. Whereas Giselle fell in love Prince Edwards in a day and was to be married the next, Robert is a single parent looking after his daughter. As the film progresses all of these characters begin to be more introspective, which is particularly interesting in the case of characters from the fantasy world. Especially poignant is the character of Nathaniel, who begins to question himself as a human being, rather than just an evil lackey.

But at the forefront of the story, Enchanted is about Giselle waiting to be rescued by Prince Edward, whilst Queen Narissa and Nathaniel plot against them. The formula for this film is that is takes elements of fantasy worlds and elements from the real world. It’s when these two worlds mix that this film become special. There are some brilliant moments that take you by surprise, such as when Giselle bursts into song and is joined by a group of reggae buskers. There’s a handful of musical numbers in Enchanted and usually these type of songs would bring the story to a halt. However, even though the songs aren’t communicating story details, they work to bring fantasy to reality, which is what the film is all about.

Enchanted has an irresistible charm, but it’s not without its flaws. The storytelling is perfectly solid with spot-on pacing as the story makes its arc over three well defined acts, but the game of guessing who-is-going-to-end-up-with-who is predictable as ever. More niggling are the times when the film starts subscribing to cliché too much and loses it’s irony and wit, particularly in the ending climax. The end is nice and all, but for a film that was full of surprises and twists, the resolution is too simple and only slightly satisfying. Also, not enough screen time can ever be devoted to the villains, as they’re always the most interesting characters.

In the end, while there may be some intriguing character development going on in Enchanted, this film is at heart a romance movie. It’s heart warming, entreating and most definitely will be enjoyed by children and kids at heart. It doesn’t whore itself out like Shrek and it doesn’t become too predictable like The Brothers Grimm, it’s just ridiculously fun.