(c) Disney

While one could easily say the rest of the cast just bask in Adams� glow, credit is due for their fine contributions as well. Dempsey in particular has the unenviable task of playing what is, in the realm of this story, essentially the �girlfriend� role (he is even referred to as a �damsel in distress� at one point), but the movie wouldn�t work if we didn�t believe in him the way Giselle does, and he delivers. On the other hand, Marsden embraces his goofy, slightly self-obsessed prince with gusto, and Sarandon, as expected, smolders brilliantly as the wicked stepmother with a few choice spells up her sleeve.

The trailers for the film have gone a bit overboard in tying Enchanted into past Disney classics, a tactic that is thankfully left at the door of the theater. While there are certainly familiar iconic images from stories past (a poisoned apple here, a lost shoe there), the movie doesn�t hit you over the head with these references. After all, such symbols are more directly tied to the fairy tales of old, although Disney certainly has had a hand in keeping them fresh in our minds for all these years. And you�d have to be a true diehard Disneyphile to spot the cameos by such former animated princesses as Jodi Benson (The Little Mermaid), Paige O�Hara (Beauty and the Beast) and Judy Kuhn (Pocahontas), although surely everyone will recognize the velvet tones of Miss Julie Andrews as the narrator.

The strongest connection to Disney past is actually in the film�s music. The Academy Award-winning songwriting team behind Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, have contributed five new songs to the film, some of which harken back to the glory days of Snow White and Cinderella. Nowhere is this more apparent then in the �Happy Working Song�, a clever riff on �Whistle While You Work�, except Giselle must use the critters on hand (pigeons, roaches, rats) to help her clean up Robert's ramshackle apartment. However, the stand out song is �That�s How You Know�, the showstopper that is the centerpiece of a delightful production number in and throughout Central Park; Menken returns to his �Under the Sea� roots with a Caribbean-flavored tune by way of Broadway, and Adams performs it for all its worth. Menken also penned the film�s score, and sharp-eared listeners should recognize a familiar melody or two mixed in there as well.

Alas, all is not entirely perfect in this land of Enchanted. If I had three wishes for this film, they would be: 1) a stronger director (Kevin Lima hasn�t progressed much from the days of 102 Dalmatians, he tends to let the story get out of hand), 2) a tighter script (subplots involving Nathaniel and the chipmunk go on for too long and end up exactly where you would expect them to; a handful of low gags fall flat) and 3) better animation. Actually not produced by Disney Feature Animation, the job was farmed out to James Baxter Animation (Baxter, formerly of DFA, was the supervising animator of Belle, Quasimodo and others). The results are not quite as � enchanting as one would hope. Comparisons to say, Quest for Camelot, are not that far off the mark, regrettably.

When all is said and done, though, Enchanted certainly makes for an (ahem) enchanted evening. And with the dearth of quality, wholesome family entertainment out there, this return to form for Disney will leave your heart warmed and your imagination soaring.