Sunday, February 03, 2008

Enchanting In-Jokes

This afternoon, we went to see "Enchanted." (Only 2 1/2 months after it premiered. Good thing it was still around -- albeit in matinees only.) I'm glad we got to see it on the big screen. It showed that Disney can still do an entertaining family movie, 2-d animated movie, musical, and romantic comedy -- all in the same film.

I thought Timothy Spall stole every scene he was in. He truly looks like a cartoon henchman come to life. Between this film, the Harry Potter series, and SWEENEY TODD, he's got the evil toady market sewn up.

I particularly enjoyed the various Disney in-jokes -- from the obvious (the evil queen/stepmother's various transformations) to the more subtle (a sign for the "Bella Notte" cafe; Patrick Dempsey wears the tunic the Beast wore in "Beauty and the Beast," and the waltz scene features the tracking shot through the chandelier from that film) to the extremely subtle (Jodi Benson, the voice actress for Ariel in "The Little Mermaid," plays a law firm receptionist who watches while Giselle peers through a fish tank, while "Part of Your World" plays on the muzak). The film contained numerous in-jokes that I didn't catch. But other viewers did catch them. You can find lists here, here and here.

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