Film critics have given generally favorable reviews to the Walt Disney Animation Studios musical fantasy Encanto, the story of the Madrigal family who live in a magical house in a Colombian mountain town. The creative team includes Byron Howard (direction), Jared Bush and Charise Castro Smith (direction, screenplay), Lin-Manuel Miranda (songs), Germaine Franco (score), Alessandro Jacomini, Daniel Rice, and Nathan Detroit Warner (cinematography), Jeremy Milton (editing), Ian Gooding (production design), Camille Andre, Mehrdad Isvandi, and Bill Schwab (art direction), and Alberto Abril (animation supervisor). The cast includes Stephanie Beatriz (Mirabel), María Cecilia Botero (Alma), John Leguizamo (Bruno), Diane Guerrero (Isabela), Jessica Darrow (Luisa), Angie Cepeda (Julieta), Wilmer Valderrama (Agustín), Carolina Gaitán (Pepa), Mauro Castillo (Félix), Adassa (Dolores), Rhenzy Feliz (Camilo), Ravi-Cabot Conyers (Antonio), Maluma (Mariano Guzman), and Alan Tudyk (toucan Pico).
Associated Press (Mark Kennedy): Mirabel is extraordinary, in that when it comes to her family, she is totally normal. That’s the set-up for Disney’s absolutely charming new animated musical Encanto, which flips the typical children’s movie script. … It’s only appropriate that Encanto — fueled by eight original songs by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda — turns into that most special thing of all: A triumph in every category: art, songs and heart. … Encanto is a film about the pressure of living up to high expectations and the fear of revealing imperfections. … Behind all that is also a cheer for immigration and how we need to lend our gifts to the community. It is the Thanksgiving movie we need in 2021. 4 stars out of 4.
Chicago Sun-Times (Richard Roeper): Disney’s 60th animated film is one of the most beautiful in the long and storied history of the catalog and a surefire contender for best animated feature of 2021. … Encanto is a magical and warmhearted journey with lovely messaging about the importance of family, some genuinely funny set pieces and those stunning visuals that fill every corner of the screen. If you could hug a movie, this is the kind of movie you’d want to hug. … Blending just the right mixture of comedy, heartwarming family drama and thrilling adventures, this is one of my favorite movies — animated or otherwise — of the year. 4-1/2 out of 5 stars.
CNN (Brian Lowry): Encanto reflects a more recent tradition, in a movie about what makes us special, seriously enlivened, again, by Miranda’s musical gifts. … The main departure, and it’s an interesting one, is the lack of a traditional villain, an absence that’s felt but mostly overcome by the warmth and energy behind the execution. … Encanto compensates for the dearth of traditional conflict with a colorful world filled with powers and an abundance of music. “I will never be good enough for you,” an exasperated Mirabel says at one point. Happily, Encanto is plenty good enough for families seeking a sprinkle of that Disney animated magic.
The Guardian (Peter Bradshaw): This musical, boasting a lively voice cast and original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, has been promoted as the 60th “canonical” film from Walt Disney Animation Studios. But however well-meaning, this milestone movie could almost represent a creative crisis for Disney — it feels like yet another step down the cul-de-sac of bland, algorithmically generated entertainment. … There are some nice moments and sweet show tunes, but Encanto feels like it is aspiring to exactly that sort of bland frictionless perfection that the film itself is solemnly preaching against, with a contrived storyline that wants to have its metaphorical cake and eat it. 2 out of 5 stars.
New York Times (Maya Phillips): For better or worse, Disney has always been in the business of making magic. We all know the worst: the unimpressive secondhand sorcery of formulaic plots, flavorless songs and lifeless animation. But the best — well, that’s the kind of magic that gets passed on for generations. So it’s not unlike the magic of Casita, the living house of the Madrigal family in Disney’s brilliant new animated film Encanto. … Instead of on a journey, the action unfolds in and around the Madrigal home. But that’s because Encanto is most interested in the love and struggles of family, without silly side characters or romantic leads. … If home is where the heart is, my heart’s with Casita.