海角大神

In Disney鈥檚 animated musical 鈥淓ncanto,鈥� an ordinary teen struggles to fit into an extraordinary world.

Mirabel Madrigal lives in a house you won鈥檛 find on Zillow. Tucked into a mountain range, it鈥檚 a magical villa that bestows a unique power on each of its inhabitants. For example, Mirabel鈥檚 mother can heal others with her cooking. Her aunt controls the weather. One of her cousins is a shape-shifter. Her middle sister, Luisa, has superhuman strength. And Mirabel? She鈥檚 the only member of the family who doesn鈥檛 have a special gift. She鈥檚 like a Muggle at Hogwarts.

鈥淓ncanto鈥� is set in a pre-computer era Colombia. Yet the magical realist story about comparing oneself to others seems tailored for today鈥檚 teens, who spend hours scrolling through images of seemingly perfect lives. Mirabel doesn鈥檛 need a social media feed to feel inadequate. She only has to glance across the courtyard to observe the graceful pirouettes of her oldest sister, Isabela, who can make flowers instantly bloom. Mirabel鈥檚 mother assures her that she鈥檚 special, too. Yet when the family gathers for a group photo, they neglect to include the youngest daughter.聽

But 鈥� metaphor alert! 鈥� the villa鈥檚 impeccable facade is masking serious flaws. The magical home is a living entity. Its floors move like a conveyor belt and its staircase can transform into a slide. But cracks have started developing in the walls. When Mirabel expresses concern to her grandmother, the stern matriarch quickly shuts her down. And why won鈥檛 anyone talk with her about Uncle Bruno, the clairvoyant who disappeared years ago?

Before Mirabel can embark upon her quest to save the magic house, 鈥淓ncanto鈥� has to lay out its backstory. Plus introduce all 12 family members. It鈥檚 a lot to take in at once. An expository musical number, 鈥淲elcome to the Family Madrigal,鈥� sets the vibrant tone of the movie. The song showcases the witty lyrics of Lin-Manuel Miranda. These days, the musical maven seems to be juggling more enterprises than Elon Musk: 鈥淓ncanto鈥� follows 鈥淚n the Heights鈥� and 鈥淭ick, Tick ... Boom!鈥� as his third movie this year. Miranda鈥檚 wordplay here bops along to the polyrhythms of cumbia music, aided by the work of composer Germaine Franco. The melodies aren鈥檛 initially memorable, but the energy of the music complements the movie鈥檚 dynamic direction. When muscular Luisa (voiced by Jessica Darrow) sings 鈥淪urface Pressure,鈥� a song about carrying hidden burdens, it鈥檚 accompanied by a kaleidoscopic, 鈥淔antasia鈥�-like dream sequence. We get to see Luisa literally move mountains.聽

Throughout 鈥淓ncanto,鈥� directors Byron Howard, Jared Bush, and Charise Castro Smith utilize computers to create camera moves that not even a drone could pull off in the real world.

Thanks to the movie鈥檚 colorful palette, each frame pops like a firework. 鈥淓ncanto鈥� also sets a new benchmark in computer animation for its detailed renderings. You can almost count the individual threads in the characters鈥� ponchos. The ripples in the stucco walls are as tactile as Braille. Mirabel鈥檚 brown irises seem to contain galaxies.

The animated aesthetics are considerably more wondrous than the magical elements in the story. La Casita Madrigal aspires to be South America鈥檚 answer to Shangri-La. Yet the story lacks the imaginative surprises of the best fantasy tales. 鈥淓ncanto鈥� compensates with gentle humor 鈥� there鈥檚 something deeply hilarious about the indifferent expression of a capybara 鈥� and Indiana Jones-like action sequences.聽

Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz from 鈥淏rooklyn Nine-Nine鈥� and 鈥淚n the Heights鈥�) is a winsome protagonist. The most fun character, however, is the eccentric Uncle Bruno (John Leguizamo), who reappears. He helps his niece gain a whole new perspective on a family 鈥渟o full of stars that everyone wants to shine.鈥� As Mirabel learns to look beyond superficial appearances, she discovers her true place within the family constellation.

鈥淓ncanto鈥� is rated PG for some thematic elements and mild peril. The film is available in theaters as of Nov. 24 and will stream on Disney+ starting Dec. 24.