My rating	IMDb		Rotten Tomatoes
	Critics	Audience	Critics	Audience
9/10	75/100	7.7/10	92%	93%

Numbers obtained from IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes on November 29, 2021.

How would you feel if you were the only member of your family without a special gift? Not just ordinary skills, but actual magical abilities? Probably left out, which is how Mirabel (Stephanie Beatriz) feels when we meet her in Encanto, Disney’s 60^th feature animation.

The Madrigal family was blessed with the “Encanto,” a miracle, as it’s often called, that gave every child a unique magic power – except for Mirabel. After escaping persecution years ago, Mirabel’s Abuela (María Cecilia Botero) lost her husband and found the candle that gave her the “Encanto”. She, then, was responsible for building a village and the Madrigal family was in charge of helping the community, each one with their own gift. The family lives in an equally magical house they called “Casita,” where each family member gets a door to their own magic room.

Set in Colombia, Encanto does a wonderful job in showing diversity among the characters, as well as many cultural references to that country, from the clothes to the music. Even the yellow butterflies, famous symbols of hope in Gabriel García Márquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” are present here.

Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, Moana) did a wonderful job with the songs in Encanto, especially with “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” one of the best moments in the whole movie.

The animation itself is breathtaking, with so many different colors and details that it’s impossible to take it all in with just one viewing.

The characters are also incredibly interesting and funny – all “trapped” in their fate of having a gift and all struggling to prove that they’re more than their magical powers. One of the best characters is Luisa (Jessica Darrow), whose song “Surface Pressure” changes the tone of the story. And then there’s Bruno (John Leguizamo)! We can’t talk about him without spoiling the movie, but he’s definitely worth waiting for.

Like any Disney movie, there are many messages in Encanto that can touch everyone. There’s a subtle comment on how immigration is difficult for those who are forced to leave their homes in search for something better/safer. However, the main message is about self-acceptance and looking beyond what our families expect of us – something relatable to many people.

Mirabel is a great addition to the roster of Disney heroines and Encanto is a delight!