Encanto

[Sotiris]

I do like the idea for the visuals, though. How time seems to freeze and Mirabel walks among all the people who are in slow motion. I guess it's all meant to happen in her head and it's a visual representation of how she feels at that moment. The only thing I'm not sure I like about the visuals is that sometimes it reminds a bit too much of "Let it Go". Not only the shot I already mentioned the other day, but also the one in which Mirabel goes up the stairs and they lit up as she passes.

I like the concept too, but like you said some of the shots in the sequence are a little too derivative.

"Part of Your World" and "Into the Unknown" are weird songs to lump together as a comparison.

I think that's because LMM mentions them in the interview about writing "Waiting on a Miracle" that D82 posted. He mentions "Part of Your World", "Out There", "Reflection", "Let It Go", "How Far I'll Go", and "Into the Unknown".

[Disney's Divinity]

I think that's because LMM mentions them in the interview about writing "Waiting on a Miracle" that D82 posted. He mentions "Part of Your World", "Out There", "Reflection", "Let It Go", "How Far I'll Go", and "Into the Unknown".

Yes, that quote was what I was responding to..? He calls "Let It Go" and "How Far I'll Go" main songs in one sentence, but then when he's calling "Waiting on a Miracle" an "I want" song, he says it's an "I want" song like "Part of Your World" and "Into the Unknown." The other songs weren't referenced in that particular sentence. I think POYW and ItU are a weird combo to describe what an "I want" song is. POYW is one of the quintessential Disney ones, of course, but ItU is sort of one mixed with a lot of exposition. I think of it as more of a mysterious song than one of profound longing like other "I want" songs.

[Sotiris]

I was talking about his video interview. I think the article was paraphrasing it. The two are too similar to be separate interviews. The context is a bit different in the video one. There, he didn't lump the two songs together. He said: "Disney's got a pretty good line-up [of 'I Want' songs] whether it's "Part of Your World" from Little Mermaid, "Reflection" from Mulan, "Out There" from Hunchback of Notre Dame, "Into the Unknown" from Frozen II, which is one of my favorite recent ones. It's an intimidating list. [...] It's always the hardest one to write. I remember locking myself in my childhood bedroom to write "How Far I'll Go" from Moana because that was the only way I could clear out the clutter of the shadow of "Let It Go" to be able to write it."

[estefan]

So, it was LMM who decided the setting and the genre. Isn't that supposed to be the director's job? LMM was given an unprecedented amount of power and influence over this film. Why didn't they just let him direct it and call it a day? I was thinking maybe this film is a stepping stone for him. Have the directors take him through the animation process and show him the ropes, so he'll be ready to direct an animated film on his own. I wouldn't be surprised if someday soon it's announced he's directing his own feature at Disney.

I don't see how this is any different from Howard Ashman pitching "Aladdin" to Disney, including writing a 40 page treatment with detailed explanations of what he wanted the movie to be. If he hadn't died, he probably would have been heavily involved in the production and "Aladdin" would have been different than the one we got. He definitely would have fought with Jeffrey Katzenberg to keep Aladdin's mother, as that was inspired by his relationship with his own mother.

Even before "Aladdin", Ashman helped influence "The Little Mermaid" in several ways, particularly with Sebastian and I believe he even wrote King Triton's talk with Sebastian near the end of the movie before he transforms Ariel back into a human.

[Disney's Divinity]

I agree with you, Sotiris (sorry, I only read certain posts on the last page or I would've said this before ), Miranda had unprecedented control over this film. So if it sucks, I guess we can put it squarely on him, right? Even if I agreed that Ashman was an accurate comparison--and I don't--this film looks a far cry from Aladdin, B&tB or The Little Mermaid. Ashman seems like the person estefan picked to compare this with because he knows you like him more than anything else.

Pitching Aladdin followed big success with two prior films in Ashman's case, whereas Miranda has only had Moana with Disney...which is not even in the top 3 biggest WDAS films of the last 10 years (the three films that came before it all performed better), whereas both B&tB and TLM were top 2 of the last ten years for Disney back when they were released. And they didn't come out when Disney was already well-perceived because of previous hits like Moana did, they had to turn the whole perception of the studio around by themselves. Ashman earned what good will he received at Disney via results. Miranda, not so much.

[D82]

• Snippet of "We Don't Talk About Bruno" at the end of this new featurette.


• Some new info about Mirabel and Isabela's duet. Jared Bush revealed in this interview that the style of music of that song is "rock en español".


• Dolby and RealD 3D posters:


Source: https://twitter.com/Dolby/status/1460684171370799108


Source: https://twitter.com/RealD3D/status/1460608729787760645


• And more promos:

https://twitter.com/EncantoMovie/status ... 7587423233
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3MAoAySj5U
https://twitter.com/UCI_Cinemas/status/ ... 9736365060

[Sotiris]

Even if I agreed that Ashman was an accurate comparison--and I don't--this film looks a far cry from Aladdin, B&tB or The Little Mermaid. Ashman seems like the person estefan picked to compare this with because he knows you like him more than anything else.

Imagine comparing the genius of Ashman with the mediocrity of LMM. What an insult!

Pitching Aladdin followed big success with two prior films in Ashman's case, whereas Miranda has only had Moana with Disney...which is not even in the top 3 biggest WDAS films of the last 10 years (the three films that came before it all performed better), whereas both B&tB and TLM were top 2 of the last ten years for Disney back when they were released. And they didn't come out when Disney was already well-perceived because of previous hits like Moana did, they had to turn the whole perception of the studio around by themselves. Ashman earned what good will he received at Disney via results. Miranda, not so much.

Exactly. The only reasonable comparison would the Lopezes and even they weren't given such carte blanche on any film like LMM was.

Snippet of "We Don't Talk About Bruno" at the end of this new featurette.

I liked the snippet, but I don't think its sound is indicative of the song. If I recall correctly, each character's part in the song will be in a different musical style. That's a tall order. We'll see if it's executed in a cohesive and seamless way or if it turns out a jumbled mess.

Some new info about Mirabel and Isabela's duet. Jared Bush revealed in this interview that the style of music of that song is "rock en español".

That actually sounds promising. A rebellious rock ballad could really work for Isabela even if it's not the first thing you would associate with the character.

Dolby and RealD 3D posters.

Both of them are atrocious! What did they do to Mirabel's face? In the Dolby one, she looks like a serial killer while in the RealD 3D one she looks likes the Potato Jesus meme.

And more promos.

The gag with Camilo mimicking his dad was funny.

[Disney's Divinity]

Exactly. The only reasonable comparison would the Lopezes and even they weren't given such carte blanche on any film like LMM was.

That's what I've been saying for ages, and nobody would complain if this was happening with them. It's mystifying how much better Miranda is being treated compared to the Lopezes, considering Frozen was astronomical for the studio. And--and I know saying this will end up being a bomb-detonator on this forum--even Menken probably deserves more credit for the Revival than Miranda really, with Tangled having been the first film to really take off at the box office post-Renaissance other than Lilo & Stitch (because TP&TF was sabotaged to kill hand-drawn animation). Tangled kept all three of musicals and female protagonists and fairy tales from being nixed at WDAS.

[estefan]

For the record, I'm not comparing Ashman and Miranda on a quality level. I think Howard Ashman is one of the greatest lyricists of stage and film musicals. While Lin-Manuel Miranda is a talented songwriter and I like a lot of his Hamilton, Moana and Vivo songs (although I was underwhelmed by In the Heights), I don't think he's written work on par with Menken and Ashman's tunes for Little Shop of Horrors, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. Those are classics that are difficult to top in terms of melody and wordsmith, in my opinion.

Ashman just happens to be the only songwriter who has gotten as much creative control of a Disney animated film as Miranda has gotten. The other songwriters have certainly had a say in the storytelling. The Lopezes writing "Let It Go" changed the whole narrative of Frozen, the ending of The Emperor's New Groove was altered because of a criticism from Sting and the "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" sequence was changed from Timon and Pumbaa singing the entirety of the song to just the beginning and end, because of Elton John. But their influence wasn't at the same extent as those two.

And while Aladdin was released after The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, Ashman pitched the movie to Disney in 1988 before The Little Mermaid was even released and before he was assigned to work on Beauty and the Beast. So he was still very early in his relationship with Disney at that point.

I'm of the opinion that everyone has the right to pitch, develop and work on the story for a Disney animated film and I think it's neat they've opened the door to new voices at the studio.

[Sotiris]

Encanto is long-range tracking an opening between $20-35 million at the box office. Even if it reaches the lower end of that prediction it would still be quite a feat given that Raya opened to $8,5 million and Ron's Gone Wrong opened to $7,3.

[Disney's Divinity]

The pandemic isn't over, but it's in a much better place than it was when Raya was released. I'm glad.

Ashman just happens to be the only songwriter who has gotten as much creative control of a Disney animated film as Miranda has gotten.

It would be more accurate to say Ashman is the only one who came closest to having as much control as Miranda has been given now. I don't think Ashman actually did have this much control. Pitching something that Disney can choose to pick up or not pick up is not the same as acting as director in all but name of a film actually being made. That's a stretch.

[DisneyFan09]

On a first listen, the song's disappointing. It starts with a traditional Broadway sound, but the chorus has a Flamenco sound to it which feels jarring and out of place. It's ill-fitted for the sentiment it's trying to convey and its purpose as an 'I Want' song. Still, I could have forgiven that if it at least had a memorable tune, but unfortunately it does not. Granted, the song was edited in this video and it was in another language, so I'm withholding final judgement until I listen to it in English.

Agreed. The first part of the song was fine enough, but the rest of the song was underwhelming and cluttered. It seemed like two different songs stitched together.

[blackcauldron85]

Was this posted? (I'm sure lots of reviews will be similar but this one was the first/newest? on Google News.)

USA TODAY: Review: Disney’s ‘Encanto’ enchants with awkward teen heroine, catchy Lin-Manuel Miranda songs.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertai ... 585806002/

*Edit* this one has more spoilers than the one above:

Variety: 'Encanto' Review: Disney's Lush and Lovely Animated Fairy Tale, Fueled by a Tasty Batch of Lin-Manuel Miranda Songs.
https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/e ... 235111940/

*Edit* more minor spoilers:

Hollywood Reporter: 'Encanto' Review – The Hollywood Reporter.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movie ... 235047171/

[D82]

• Featurette about "Colombia, Mi Encanto": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQm0c83L2QQ


• New Japanese promo which doesn't feature any new footage, but has a montage of past Disney heroines at the beginning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBJvGP3AFQY


• The "Waiting on a Miracle" clip with English subtitles: https://whogavemoththerighttohyperfix.t ... titles-for


• And some news about the release:

Disney’s “Encanto” Heading to the El Capitan Theatre November 23 – December 5, 2021
https://www.laughingplace.com/w/news/20 ... n-theatre/

‘Encanto’ Will Have a Spanish Language Release Across the U.S. — & Here’s How You Can Experience It
https://remezcla.com/film/encanto-will- ... s-the-u-s/

[Sotiris]

Tangled kept all three of musicals and female protagonists and fairy tales from being nixed at WDAS.

That's true; without Tangled, there would be no Frozen or Moana. Which is why it's so strange Menken wasn't given any other project to work on after that. You'd think they'd want to keep on a key member of the creative team who had contributed greatly to the film's success.

New Japanese promo which doesn't feature any new footage, but has a montage of past Disney heroines at the beginning.

They just showed the princesses. If the purpose was to showcase strong female characters from past Disney films, they would have included non-princess characters like Alice or Lilo or the more recent Honey Lemon or Judy Hopps. I think Disney is starting to prepare the ground for Mirabel joining the Disney Princess franchise.

[D82]

• New clip featuring Mirabel and his dad and more TV spots and promos:

https://twitter.com/EncantoMovie/status ... 3117677574
https://twitter.com/EncantoMovie/status ... 8526456839
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1v5vEcrckkU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99bsuhP_rw8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBPR0TbCfGQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3haEzo-0bg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXtHEgarVQQ

I liked the snippet, but I don't think its sound is indicative of the song. If I recall correctly, each character's part in the song will be in a different musical style. That's a tall order. We'll see if it's executed in a cohesive and seamless way or if it turns out a jumbled mess.

I liked it too; it's quite catchy. Yeah, I think I've also heard that about the song. We'll see if it's cohesive or not, but at least we know the main chorus is not bad. I think I've also read that Lin-Manuel Miranda chose the name Bruno among several options the directors had for that character so he could rhyme it with "no, no, no". What's funny is that now many people online are joking that Disney must have something against Brunos after "Silenzio Bruno!" in Luca and now "We Don't Talk About Bruno".

And once again, I like the idea for the visuals; how Mirabel is literally "transported" to her uncle and aunt's wedding. Though, I've noticed their wedding outfits are exactly the same as their usual ones, but white. I guess it's to save money and I understand it since they're probably dressed like that for just a couple of shots, but that's something that didn't happen in traditional animation.

That actually sounds promising. A rebellious rock ballad could really work for Isabela even if it's not the first thing you would associate with the character.

It's true; it's something unexpected and it sounds like it'll fit with the message they're trying to convey with the song.

Both of them are atrocious! What did they do to Mirabel's face? In the Dolby one, she looks like a serial killer while in the RealD 3D one she looks likes the Potato Jesus meme.

I don't like the posters either. The idea for the RealD 3D one is not completely bad, but that painting technique or filter they used really ruined them. By the way, I didn't know that "restored" painting had become a meme and was even famous outside Spain. Although, I'm not completely surprised either since it must be one of the most atrocious restorations ever made.

The gag with Camilo mimicking his dad was funny.

I found it funny too. I think I'm going to like Camilo. He reminds me a lot of one of my brothers, who also likes to play pranks and is very good at doing impressions of people. When I first heard the description of Camilo's personality, I immediately thought of him.

They just showed the princesses. If the purpose was to showcase strong female characters from past Disney films, they would have included non-princess characters like Alice or Lilo or the more recent Honey Lemon or Judy Hopps. I think Disney is starting to prepare the ground for Mirabel joining the Disney Princess franchise.

It's true; I didn't notice they were all members of the Disney Princess franchise. At first, I didn't think Mirabel would be added to the line, but now I think she might. The fact that she looks more like an adult than a teenager, as I first thought she would given her age, and that her family is pretty much like royalty in the town where she lives are two things that make me suspect she could indeed be included.

Agreed. The first part of the song was fine enough, but the rest of the song was underwhelming and cluttered. It seemed like two different songs stitched together.

I agree, it did sound like two different songs stitched together. I hope it's due to the editing and the full song is more cohesive.

Was this posted? (I'm sure lots of reviews will be similar but this one was the first/newest? on Google News.)

No, it wasn't. Thanks for doing it! I'm glad the film is getting such good reviews.

[Farerb]

I read that the film features the credits "Disney Presents" and "A Walt Disney Animation Studios Film" in the opening sequence.

[Jules]

I read that the film features the credits "Disney Presents" and "A Walt Disney Animation Studios Film" in the opening sequence.

That's great! Not sure why it took them this long to do that.

[Farerb]

I got a chance to listen to the soundtrack and it's a from me. I prefer to listen to The Princess and the Frog than this. I guess if you were a fan of In the Heights or Vivo, you'd like it, though I'd say that both of these had better songs. Inside Your Heart was much better than Dos Oruguitas. I don't know, maybe in the context of the movie they will be better, but so far I can understand critics who said that the songs feel more like fillers.

[Farerb]

Also since I guess there are people who like spoilers, this is a major one from the final song:
Mariano and Isabela do break up and he ends up with Dolores.