The long-awaited Enchanted sequel, Disenchanted, has finally landed on Disney+. And the reviews are now in. So, has the follow-up been worth the 15-year wait? Or should the franchise have ended with Enchanted’s happily ever after? Let's find out.
We begin with Kate Rice of The Evening Standard, who found a lot to enjoy with Disenchanted, praising the songs, the use of nostalgia, and the way the movie updates the tropes of the original.
“Ultimately, Disenchanted hits the nostalgia nail on the head and gives us two hours of silly antics and earworm tunes that more than capably fill the fifteen year Gisele-free hole we’ve had to live with. While it doesn’t quite reach the peak that That’s How You Know (That You Love Her) did, it’ll be hard to finish without your heartstrings still feeling well and truly played.”
IGN’s Amelia Emberwing felt similarly, applauding Disenchanted for focussing on doing its own thing rather than simply rehash the original outing.
“Rather than rekindling the magic of Enchanted, Disenchanted focuses on its own version of Happily Ever After to mostly successful results.”
Benjamin Lee of The Guardian meanwhile criticized Disenchanted for its runtime, but did conclude there is enough Disney magic to keep audiences engaged.
“At a baggy, over-stretched two hours, its welcome is close to being overstayed, but there’s just about enough charm to keep Disenchanted from living up to its title.”
Disenchanted Lands on Disney+ Today
Unfortunately, things now get far more mixed, as Digital Spy’s Ian Sandwell found it hard not to compare Disenchanted with its beloved predecessor. And sadly, the sequel finds itself wanting.
“It's hard to escape the feeling though that as enjoyable as Disenchanted often is, it feels quite flat in comparison to the original.”
Collider’s Ross Bonaime compared Disenchanted to direct-to-video Disney sequels and, despite some “lovely ideas,” ultimately felt deems the follow-up to be unnecessary.
“But these charming ideas get lost amongst all the chaos and mediocrity that zap most of the fun out of this highly-anticipated sequel. Disenchanted posits that happily ever after isn’t always the ending of the story, but Disenchanted also proves that sometimes, maybe it should be.”
Things don’t get any easier for Disenchanted courtesy of THR’s Lovia Gyarkye, who felt that the sequel loses its way when not “trying to create a portrait of suburbia or examining its protagonist.” Though they did praise the songs and the work of composers Stephen Schwartz and Alan Menken.
“Stephen Schwartz’s reliable original songs and Alan Menken’s fantastical score yield a handful of strong moments — a zesty duet by Adams and Rudolph, a soaring solo by Menzel — that almost recreate the magic of Enchanted. In these scenes, Disenchanted loosens up just enough to actually be spellbinding.”
Variety’s Owen Gleiberman heaped praise on the likes of Maya Rudolph and Idina Menzel, but found Disenchanted to be an uninspired adventure.
“Maya Rudolph keeps giving drop-dead looks of what-the-heck snob incredulity, which she’s great at, but you wish that she had more to do. By the time Idina Menzel belts out a ballad called “Love Power,” we realize that we couldn’t be more in awe of her pipes and couldn’t be less invested in the goofy scattershot story of “Disenchanted.””
Finally, Theresa DeLucci of Den of Geek concludes that Disenchanted is neither fun enough for children, nor clever enough for adults.
“Disenchanted aims to lessen that sting with a song and dance routine dressed up in nostalgia, but never fully recognizes that while Andalasia doesn’t change, audiences’ sensibilities do. Not exciting enough for young kids, nor clever enough for grown-up romantics, Disenchanted may focus on middle age, but seems stuck in that awkward phase somewhere in between.”
Directed by Adam Shankman and starring Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, Maya Rudolph, Yvette Nicole Brown, Jayma Mays, Gabriella Baldacchino, Idina Menzel, and James Marsden, Disenchanted is available to stream on Disney+ from today.