Enchanted (2007)

Robert, the divorce lawyer Giselle is supposed to fall for, has all the sparkle of a filing cabinet, and Patrick Dempsey can’t find a single surprise in him. The finale also trades the clever stuff for a big, generic fantasy showdown. Everything else is a treat. Amy Adams plays Giselle with total, beaming sincerity, a cartoon princess stranded in New York who never once winks at the camera, and that’s exactly why it works. Her cleaning song with pigeons, rats and cockroaches in a messy apartment is a perfect gag on a Disney classic. The Central Park number grows from one voice to a whole city dancing. James Marsden is hilarious as Prince Edward, stabbing a city bus with a sword. Idina Menzel is in this and doesn’t sing a note, which is wild. It made $340.5 million worldwide on a reported $85M. A 7.8 because Adams makes sincerity the funniest joke in the room. $696 says you whistle at a pigeon this week and feel betrayed when it doesn’t help with the dishes.

What works: Amy Adams is a radiant, fearless lead, and the musical numbers lovingly poke fun at classic Disney while still delivering the goods.

What doesn’t: Patrick Dempsey’s Robert is a bland love interest, and the last act turns into a routine effects-heavy showdown that drops the satire.

Who it’s for: Families, and anyone who grew up on Disney princesses and is ready to laugh at them with real affection.