I saw the review on “Ebert & Roeper” this weekend. Ebert wasn’t there.
Whoever and Roeper both loved Amy Adams, but weren’t huge fans of the movie.
They showed a clip where Adams is in New York, and is pitch perfect saying, “I require a place to lay my head, perhaps <something>. . .or a sunny meadow.” I thought it was funny.
I was wrong about it opening on Friday. It opened today! It’s now 91% at Rotten Tomatoes, with 63 “Fresh” reviews and 6 curmudgeonly “Rotten” reviews.
I’ve got tickets for tonight’s showing. Given that I already expressed hesitation regarding the film, I’ll drop by with my opinions sometime tonight.
L.A. Times gave it an enthusiastic review today-I’m going to be at tomorrow’s showing.
Ok, as someone who was dragged along and who has little interest in the fairy tale genre, let me say that I thought it was a great film. Don’t get me wrong – it’s a Disney film so it’s hardly deep with plot and you see most of it coming from a mile away but it was entertaining and wholesome fun. I laughed at the funny parts and only felt that a scene was going on a bit long once or twice. Even the musical numbers were fun to watch.
I’m not sure I’d make a point of seeing it again but, as a family film with the family, it was money very well spent. I’m sure if I was some Disney fan, I’d want it for the collection.
I was surprised to see the theater at only perhaps 15-20% capacity for the 7:30pm show. I don’t know if it was because of the impending holiday or if mothers took their urchins to see the matinee (my son had off school) or what but my insistance that we get to the movies early was pretty well misplaced.
And, Equipoise, Amy Adams was radiant.
Thanks for your report Jophiel! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Word of mouth is what’s going to make this movie a hit, and it’s especially nice to get word from someone who wasn’t particularly interested in seeing it in the first place.
Yay! I probably won’t be able go until Saturday, when it will be part of a lineup consisting of Enchanted, Margot At The Wedding (LOVE me some Nicole K and Jennifer J-L) and I’m Not There (Cate as Bob, Todd Haynes? I am so there).
Straight guy who is still looking forward to seeing this, but Peter Travers is wrong. There is nothin’ PG about what Amy Adams inspires in me. Just the right slight imperfections that say, “I’m not really a Disney Princess® and know how to get nasty if the role requires. :eek: .”
But the real reason–I can see pretty ladies anywhere–is that it looks so damned stupid, in a self-aware way. Everybody and his uncle has played with the Disney cartoon fantasies, but this time the pros do themselves, and apparently do it right. For the sake of my daughter the Fag Hag (her “boy” interned at Disneyworld) I said, “Isn’t that Dr McDreamy?” though I know perfectly well his real name. Good, timely, and well-timed-in casting–anybody could do it but he fits the requirements.
I get where you’re coming from but I’m also happy to say that this movie was about as pure as the driven snow. Not a moment where I winced for my eight year old son sitting next to me.
If I had to come up with a criticism or two, it would be that a few scenes were obviously boring to my son (plot stuff) but he ended the movie saying he liked it. The other would be that Pip the CGI Chipmunk wasn’t as amusing as the makers obviously hoped but he was still okay and his scenes weren’t the focus of the film.
Just got back from seeing this one with the family. What a wonderful movie.
Amy Adams does innocence so well that it was both heartbreaking and liberating when she finally got angry.
A brilliant movie. Worth any accolade it can get.
I’m glad you liked it Jonathan Chance. It had a pretty good opening day.
From AwardsDaily:
Great movie. Even the animation top notch (I guess it should be since it’s Disney). Loved all the nods to earlier Disney movies. The music was almost too on point (I really shouldn’t have been surprised when Alan Mencken’s name popped up in the credits).
Amy Adams was spot on, right down to the huge Disney princess eyes.
Actually saw the film. Pretty damn good, not great. The Princess was played straight, and that must have been difficult. Great acting on her part.
I finally saw this yesterday at a sold-out Saturday matinee, and I wasn’t disappointed in the least. The movie is charming and funny, and Amy Adams is all kinds of delightful. I knew she would be, and it was nice to see for myself.
I might have been doing some jokey wishful thinking when I said “Amy Adams for an Oscar nom!” in the OP, but now that I’ve seen it for myself, I think she’s a lock. I don’t want her to win, it would jinx her career and cause unnecessary hatred toward her (look at poor Marisa Tomei or Gwyneth Paltrow), but a nomination? Oh yes, definitely.
It’s still doing very well. After 5 days, it’s 93% at Rotten Tomatoes, with 84 Fresh and the same 6 Rotten, so it doesn’t look like it’ll be falling much below that.
For comparison and perspective, here are some other well-regarded movies and their ratings:
Ratatouille - 97%
No Country For Old Men - 95%
Gone Baby Gone - 93%
Enchanted - 93%
Michael Clayton - 90%
Control - 89%
Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead - 87%
Into The Wild - 80%
American Gangster - 79%
Lars And The Real Girl - 78%
Btw, the weekend box office charts (something I rarely pay attention to) lists Enchanted as winning the weekend with 35 million, for a 5-day total of 50 million. Good for Enchanted! A critical success, a box office success…and the main reason this makes me happy is that Amy Adams is now on the “A-list” and can do whatever she wants (and make good money, after struggling for years, as a Hooters waitress, in dinner theater, then bit roles, small indie films and TV).
Adams trivia: I read yesterday that she was cast in Enchanted before Junebug came out, so she didn’t get the role of Giselle because of her Academy Award nomination. I didn’t know that!
It was an enjoyable movie. Disney actually poked some fun at itself, the parts that should have been corny and schmaltzy were not because the film knew it was corny and played it for fun and it was. There were lots of young kids in the movie (girls) that all managed to sit still and be quiet through the whole film. Everyone, young and old, laughed when they were supposed to laugh. It’s not the bext most perfect film ever but it was good fun.
I just saw this last night (naughty break from studying for finals) and both me and my friend really liked it! It was just so cute & very refreshing to see a movie that is entertainment for adults but isn’t all Sturm und Drang*. There were lots of kids in the theatre and everyone seemed happy with it. I thought James Marsden was particularly good - Prince Edward was a gerat, meaty, hammy role and he really made the most of it.
I noticed that in the soap opera playing in the hotel where Prince Edward was staying the background music really sounded like the main song from Beauty & the Beast. Anyone else notice that?
*Not that I don’t like serious adult films, just sometimes you need a break from thinking about serious adult stuff, you know?
My sons (5.5 & 8 years old) MADE me go see this movie (I wanted to see Beowulf in IMAX 3D…). I braced myself for an hour and a half of cringing…
And I was dead wrong. The film was charming, funny and very well done. I highly recommend it!
Go figure.
Great movie- if you are too embarrassed to go see it without a kid, watch it the moment it comes out on DVD. The big musical number with the people in the park is priceless!
And I think I just found an inside joke! Is “Sam” the receptionist at the law firm? Because I was so sure that I saw Jodi Benson, who voiced Ariel in The Little Mermaid (and Belle too, I think)!
Now see, I don’t understand why anyone would be embarrassed to see it without a kid in tow. First, aren’t there lots of adults who grew up with Disney and still love Disney films? Second, why should anyone care what anyone else thinks? You want to be entertained? Go see the damn movie and know that anyone who judges you for either seeing a kid’s film or being alone are nothing bur pathetic losers of the busybody type who are too stupid to breathe air. Third, Amy Adams does already have a fan base, and IS getting a lot of awards buzz, so anyone who likes to follow the awards season races will need to see this this just so they can have an informed opinion. Fourth, it’s a good time movie, and makes a nice change from the dark, heavy alternatives and people should understand that.
Bottom line, for those who never go to the theater (poor souls) by all means get it on DVD and watch it at home. For everyone else, it’s worth a trip to the theater for several different reasons, and never ever for one second worry about what anyone else thinks.
Sam is the receptionist and is Jodi Benson, who voiced Ariel.
But Belle was voiced by Paige O’Hara.