Review of Encanto (2021)
Seen in 2022.
A Latin American setting like Coco (2017), but this time it’s Colombia, with sympathetic refugees fleeing from an unknown armed conflict at an unknown time. That bit of realism, coupled with the special-teen main character being less special than the people around her and the trauma-psychological depth of Tangled (2010), all go against the grain of Disney’s traditional “princess” narcissism and fairy-tale monarchism. The character design and animation are joyful without simply imitating Disney’s competitors.