Films in Wonderland: Staffers review “Enchanted Garden” themed movies on Disney+

In light of this year’s Homecoming theme, “Enchanted Garden,” staffers reviewed similarly-themed movies on Disney+

 

Down the Rabbit Hole: Alice in Wonderland

 

A well-renowned childhood classic, “Alice in Wonderland” follows Alice’s journey into a new world as she follows after the White Rabbit. The 1951 film is an enjoyable one for all viewers, from the joyful soundtrack to the captivating visuals. However, other aspects of the film remain dull in comparison, as the film starts out strong before slowly unraveling in potential. 

The viewer is initially enticed by the enchanting feel and comforting scenery, desiring more of the calming, serene feel of the characters, voices and visuals. Quickly, the viewer is entranced by Alice and her first song, arguably the greatest in the film. But the rest of the scenes do not compare to the introduction. Following this, the events are difficult to keep up with, and while this is important to the nature of the film, it is still off-putting to new viewers. It is a solid choice to watch in the background, but there are several points where the story drags on, especially when Alice is off-screen (but the Cheshire Cat almost makes up for it). 

Despite these downfalls, it is no surprise that the children’s film is a nostalgic classic. The animated version retains the feel of “enchanted garden” that its live action counterparts lack, and modern renditions of the film do not do the aesthetics and overall concept justice. 

 

Falling into Love: Enchanted

 

“Enchanted” puts a spin on the classic cartoon Disney movie. The movie starts with the typical, whimsical cartoon. She’s in her tower singing to her animals about her dream prince. The prince overhears her singing and they fall in love. She is then sent to a different dimension (New York City) by an evil witch so her stepson wouldn’t fall in love with her. She has no idea the prince has followed her into this strange world in hopes of finding her and getting married.

The creators did a good job of plopping these fairytale characters into our real and scary world. Overall the movie was quite a nice change from regular old Disney princess movies although it still has recognizable aspects of previous movies such as “Cinderella,” sprinkled throughout which tied it to the Disney genre. The film is charming and has ever so loved, happily ever after.

 

Curse of Misfortune: Into the Woods

 

If you loved fairy tales as a younger kid, you’ll certainly enjoy “Into the Woods.” The film is a movie adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s musical, which centers around a young couple trying to rid a curse placed upon them by a witch. It intertwines a number of classic fairy tales while providing a hefty amount of song. Having a bunch of childhood stories all brought together is certainly nostalgic. 

At the end of the film, it takes a sharp turn and overturns the traditional “happily ever after” trope. While this last portion of the movie seems a bit detached from the rest of the film, it is an interesting take on the classic fairy tale ending and it provides a unique conclusion to an otherwise predictable plot. 

Overall, it is a good watch in the moment, but it does not provide much of a lasting impression afterward. 

 

Down Memory Lane: The Princess Bride

 

Mix together a classic fairytale, comedy and a love story all together, and the result would be the 1987 film, “The Princess Bride.” This movie takes the viewer through the tale of the spontaneous kidnapping and adventure of a princess named Buttercup. The mood of the movie is unique in the way that it incorporates elegant scenery and medieval costuming with cheesy and quirky humor. 

Along with the tacky humor, the actors themselves seemed very awkward and unsettling. It could be the fact that Buttercup and Westley look like siblings, but even just the acting and dialogue is delivered poorly. The movie is also fast paced, with unexpected twists and turns throughout the story. The unpredictability of the film keeps viewers intrigued. However, looking away from the screen for even one second can cause the viewer to lose track of the storyline. New characters would pop up out of nowhere that were not very helpful to the overall plot. At a certain point, the movie became more of a mind puzzle to keep track of, but the story at its core is enjoyable and amusing. 

 

How well does it “Enchanted Garden”?

The Crier Staff rates how well the movies fit the “Enchanted Garden” Homecoming theme.

3/5

Alice in Wonderland

In terms of the film fitting the “Enchanted Garden” theme, it has the same issue as the movie overall. The film starts off with a serene and angelic enchanted garden aesthetic, but as the movie progresses, it transitions into chaos. 

3/5

Enchanted

It starts out as a very classic Disney movie with a theme that fits the enchanted garden perfectly. However, that only lasts for a couple of minutes until she is in New York. Still, even when she’s in the city, she still sings with her animals and very much acts like a princess.

4/5

Princess Bride

There is no specific garden in this movie, but it does have an enchanted feel. The classic princess fairytale movie, besides its uniqueness, is elegant and enchanted. The medieval and classy costumes combined with the vast fields and mountainous scenery adds to it.

3/5

Into the Woods

While the movie does not feature an actual enchanted garden, it does still fit the theme. It contains fairy tale characters, takes place in a mystical world, and although it isn’t called Into the Garden, it does feature a set with lots of nature, enchantment and wonder.