Once upon a McDreamy

Despite the best efforts of other animation studios -- including Pixar -- the best candidate for mocking Disney movies has always been Disney. The studio finally realizes this potential in Enchanted, with spot-on songs, visual gags, and other in-jokes that take a meta-approach to standard Disney fare. (Some is subtle, like the Muzak version of "Part of Your World" in the office lobby scene.)

Ridiculously early Oscar buzz* has Amy Adams in contention for her second nomination. Really? Seems like a bit of wishful thinking. That's not to say she's undeserving of praise; it's a wonderfully demented performance that prepares you for the rest of the film's charming loopiness. And maybe it's the red hair, but the actress' wide-eyed weirdness reminds me of Nicole Kidman, back when she was interesting.

The trailer tells you the premise, and you can guess most of the story, so the real enjoyment is watching the cast have some fun. If anything, the men are positioned as the eye candy: it's as if Patrick Dempsey and James Marsden are battling to see who's more floppy-haired and pretty. (Advantage: Cyclops.) Susan Sarandon is such a good fit as a wicked queen that I wonder why she doesn't get campy more often. And as the movie inched toward its inevitable resolution, I was mostly concerned with how Idina Menzel fit into the happily ever after.

* I never understood this. When people haven't seen the movie yet, how can they pretend that their predictions are anything more than guesswork? It's as if one person offers a vague opinion and everyone else latches on. Then the rest of us (who don't live in NYC or LA) hear about the hype for months. Hollywood punditry is lame.

Having said that, the film has legit chances in the Makeup and Song categories.