We may not be talking about Bruno, but we are definitely talking about Disney’s new movie “Encanto.”

After the death of their grandfather, the Madrigal family is blessed with a miracle by finding refuge in a charming place created by an Encanto, meaning enchantment. 

The magic hidden in the Encanto has given each child in the Madrigal family a gift. For instance, Pepa Madrigal (Carolina Gaitán) can control the weather with her emotions. Her son Antonio (Ravi Cabot-Conyers) can talk to animals. His cousin Luisa (Jessica Darrow) is super strong. The Madrigal’s use their gifts in ways that benefit their community.

The entire Madrigal family lives in joy with the magical gifts they have been granted.  Except for Mirabel Madrigal (Stephanie Beatriz), the only member of the family who was not given a gift. 

Feeling isolated from her extraordinary family, Mirabel tries her best to not disappoint anyone, especially her Abuela Alma (María Cecilia Botero). But when the magic of their house is threatened, Mirabel takes matters into her own hands. She is determined to save the magic for her family, for the Encanto. 

Personally, I thought “Encanto” had the same setup as any other Disney movie; however, I really enjoyed this movie for some reason. 

Yes, the soundtrack in this movie has some bops. According to People Magazine, Encanto’s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” outperformed “Frozen’s” “Let it Go” on the Billboard charts. But that’s not why I ended up watching this movie three times. 

I think what I liked most about “Encanto” was that it was just an honest film with an interesting take on family dynamics. 

First, the theme of the movie is somewhat “cliche,” yet still relevant and relatable to anyone. Mirabel struggles being accepted by her family for the way she is, gift or no gift. A lot of people struggle with isolation from family members, whether it be because of life choices, different beliefs, etc. We all have moments when we feel that we are alone and nobody understands us. 

Mirabel feels like she has to prove herself the whole movie when she was already special just the way she was. She never had anything to prove; she just needed to see that for herself. As people, we can become blind to our own unique attributes. Sure, we’re not perfect, but there are still aspects in each of us that make us our own beautiful person. 

Secondly, I like the plot concept of giving each family member a magical gift. They’re like superpowers to me, and I just like to see the variety of their abilities. It appeals to my creativity in a way that I can’t exactly explain. 

Lastly, Disney has upped their game when it comes to animated features. “Encanto” was the first new Disney movie I have seen in a while – excluding anything they own outside of their animations, such as Marvel productions – and the animation looked amazing. 

Disney is not afraid to put time and craft into the littlest details, and I am here for it. From the way each character’s hair looks to the individual grains of sand seen on Mirabel’s clothes and skin, I had to stop and appreciate the effort put into making this movie look good. 

The soundtrack to the movie also “slaps.” With all of the music composed by Germaine Franco and the modern musical prodigy himself Lin-Manuel Miranda, I was not disappointed by any of the musical numbers in “Encanto” 

This may be the “stereotypical” comment, but my favorite songs were, by far, “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” and “Surface Pressure.” If you catch me singing, “We don’t talk about Bruno-no-no-no,” please mind your own business. 

Overall, I thought “Encanto” was a good basic film that anyone would probably like. It’s fun to watch with friends, family, by yourself, or good for background noise (if you don’t catch yourself humming along to the music).

I’d give this film 3.75 stars.  Maybe an awkward rating, but my opinion of this film is somewhat awkward. I think it’s good, but it’s nothing exceptional that Disney hasn’t done before. 

Unless you oppose the occasional Disney film or musical, which, in every sense, I can respect, I say watch “Encanto.” Better yet, watch it with someone, literally anyone. This movie is great for connections and bonding with people. So go watch “Encanto.”