Walt Disney Studios’ new animation movie “Encanto” has recently been trending among family movies. Directed by Jared Bush, Byron Howard, and Charise Castro Smith, the movie was introduced in theaters on November 24. A month later, it was released on Disney+. The film included the contribution of nearly 800 crew members and 500 artists and its profits have skyrocketed above Pixar’s recent hit “Luca,” surpassing its earnings by nearly $150 million.

The movie’s compelling storyline features the main character, Mirabel (voiced by Stephanie Beatriz) and her family, all of whom are extremely gifted aside from Mirabel. Abuela (voiced by Maria Cecilia Botero) and her husband were run out of their home town. Tragically, Abuela’s husband sacrificed himself to save his family, and Abuela and her three kids were given the gift of a candle that would never burn out. With this candle, the family was given special powers, including the ability to heal the townspeople through a meal as well as the capacity to see the future. In addition to the animated cast, they also have a personified house that acts as though it’s alive.

Once Mirabel found out that candle’s light was fading, she did everything she could to preserve the flame to save their gifts, as well as her uncle, Bruno (voiced by John Leguizamo), who could see the future. Bruno was uniquely aware of this in advance, recognizing that the fate of everyone’s gifts lay in Mirabel’s hands.

“Encanto” shows how far Disney’s animation skills have come since the early days of Steamboat Willie. Even Disney’s modern feature “Cars,” which used 114,240 frames, employed nearly 20,000 fewer frames than Encanto.

“The animation in Encanto is pretty and fits with the whole theme and aesthetic of the movie,” said Declynn G.

Apart from excellent animation, the soundtrack includes multiple songs that are catchy and sticky, giving the movie its final touch. The album has received its own rave reviews, reaching #1 on the Billboard 200. There are eight songs in all, and each has received a positive reception.

“Encanto has the catchiest songs ever, it’s the best movie ever, and the songs in Encanto have been stuck in my head for a solid week,” said Jayden K.

The songs reflect the theme of the movie: that the typical teen stresses over typical teen angst, a common, relatable issue that’s never played out. Each of us struggles with the pressure to be brave and “perfect.”

“Teenagers in real life can relate to Luisa and Isabella because, if you watched the movie and if you listened to their songs, you can see how they have more pressure than people and they want to be perfect but they can’t,” said Ayanna C.

As new generations of teens come and go, we all experience similar stress. For the new age of teens viewers, “Encanto” expresses this familiar feeling of burden. But they’re not alone, as most people can personally relate to the movie’s theme.

While “Encanto” has some engaging music, thematic elements, and animation, it does have one flaw. As the movie came to a close, the plot felt rushed because there was no stereotypical villain to defeat. The solo objective was to simply save the miracle.

“I enjoyed the music and the animation. The movie made me understand more about Colombia’s culture and made me feel happy because of the resolution that family troubles will happen, but in the end it’s best to work it out together,” said Kelly C.

Rating: 4/5 stars

This story was originally published on The Day Creek Howl on January 19, 2022.