I haven’t been dreading Disney’s Encanto, but I wasn’t excited for it either. It’s an original story directed by Byron Howard (Tangled) and Jared Bush (Zootopia) that features new music by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Sounds great, right? I try not to put too much stock in trailers, but the marketing for Encanto didn’t inspire much faith. The main character seemed like Disney’s now-standard goofy, quirky female lead and the basic setup of the story struck me as odd. However, I always see new animated Disney movies, and Miranda’s work alone would have made the film a must-see. Let’s take a look.
The Madrigal family house contains a mystical candle that grants each member a special power, or “gift,” when they come of age. However, Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz) isn’t given a gift,...