Unpopular Opinion
- Locked due to inactivity on Apr 10, '22 3:54am
Thread Topic: Unpopular Opinion
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Lin-Manuel Kiranda has a habit of making his songs very fast-paced. There’s a lot of moments where it feels like rapping.
Comparing the music from Encanto to In the Heights or Hamilton, it’s way too similar. It feels like the same tune with different lyrics -
Really, Abuela was under a ton of stress that lasted over a long period of time.
Her town was being raided, she watched her husband die, she was suddenly a single mother of three, and then this candle gave her and the town this refuge that she was responsible for. Honestly, I'm not even sure she had time to mourn her husband over those 50 years. -
That’s what you’re supposed to assume, but they never give a clear explanation that Abuela’s had no time to cry about it.
The entire script danced around the idea that Abuela was suffering, and causing others to suffer because of that. There was never a single line that even hinted that Abuela was scarred about her dead husband. Sure, we see her praying to him, and the picture of him that’s hung in the hall- but she never talks about him. Even when he’s mentioned, she doesn’t bat and eyelash.
The villagers were very undeveloped, we saw them in a few songs and they were just annoying. The only somewhat developed villager is Mariano and his mother, the rest just pop in to deliver a “funny” line or ask a question -
It's pretty silly to assume that because there's not a spoken line that something wasn't implied. Movies are a visual art form. I hope that's not how you've been enjoying movies this entire time because of it is then you've been missing out on some pretty meaningful art
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I mean by “no spoken line”, is that when I watched it and even rewatched it, the only way to tell that Abuela was upset was by the flashback when he died.
The problem was that they tried to imply that Abuela was upset, but ultimately it ended it weak.
And also, a few things were implied. Like I said earlier, it’s implied that Mirabel is the character going through the hardest. Then it’s Luisa, then Bruno, then Isabela, then finally back to Abuela being the saddest. They delivered a very confusing message, which reads as, “Mirabel is the main character. Oh wait, wait, wait— scratch that, it’s Luisa. Wait no we have a better idea…- Bruno is the most important. Eh, but maybe Isabela. Wait, no. Let’s make it seem like Abuela is actually going through the toughest time.” -
I liked Encanto because of the colors and the environment, but if you look past the bright explosions of color and just read the plot to yourself,
“The family is being abused by the heartbroken grandma. But no one acts like it, and they can’t deal with pressure and can’t step up to help the village out, other than two people- this family is essentially useless. The main character seems to be doing very well, and it seems like the plot and theme are starting to make sense. But then the creators decide to change the idea of the movie, and take the main character’s spotlight away. In the end, they lose their strengths. But then all faith is restored, and they get their powers back. Except now they’re right back to where they started. Same house, same family, same village, same everything. The pressure and stress is gonna get back to them eventually, and then we’re up for an Encanto 2.” -
The movie could’ve been great. Abuela could’ve had trust issues, and with the help of her family and Mirabel, she learns that the miracle will not always protect them.
They never interact with the outside world, which was really disappointing. Due to Abuela’s backstory and personality, she should have had trust issues with the outside world. -
And they should’ve lost their magic for good. They needed to learn that magic can’t always protect them, and that one day they have to face the threats and challenges of real-life.
But no one learns. Abuela basically gets a warning because she’s mean to them. But it’s gonna happen again, logically Abuela’s going to become slightly abusive again. That’s what real life is. -
From one article:
Though wholesome and heartfelt, Encanto severely lacked the element of drama. It’s a very mild film with very little conflict. While that might seem like a strength — as it is a family film — it ended up making Encanto seem a bit bland. As the credits rolled, I felt bereft, completely underwhelmed, and generally unsatisfied.
One of my favorite writing professors once said, “We go to the theater to worry. We want to fall in love with the characters, and spend 1-to-2 hours worrying about them.”
I felt no reason to worry about any of Encanto’s characters. The stakes were far too low for that.
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One movie, which had stakes that were fairly low, was Luca. But still it was fantastic.
This was because even though the consequences were dire, the audience really worries over the main characters. While watching, it seems like the stakes were much higher than they actually were. It ended up not being disappointing, because it wasn’t PERFECTLY resolved. Things didn’t return to normal, it was still a bittersweet ending, and not everyone was entirely happy. -
Again, from that article
This happily ever after was anticlimactic, predictable, and — frankly — boring. It followed a formulaic storytelling structure that Disney has been using far too often lately. It was safe in every way, and made it a point to avoid any content that could even possibly upset viewers.
The worst imaginable outcome that the film offered was that the Madrigal Family could lose their powers, a reality Mirabel had been enduring her entire life. The writers could have implied the extinguishment of Abuela’s magical candle would lead to the return of The Raiders (characters highlighted at the start and climax of the film as faceless, merciless killers), but they did not. In fact, showing audiences that decades had passed since The Raiders last came to the region pushed that high-stakes possibility even further away.
Mirabel’s mission to save the magic, therefore, never felt significant or urgent. Of course, her emotional development could have been purposefully pushed ahead of the magical plot. Instead of lending importance to saving the magic, the writers chose to focus on her personal journey from desperately people-pleasing to finding her worth within.
If this was intended, I’d really like to say they did so well, but in my opinion, they did not. All of their characters — unfortunately — fell flat one way or another, including Mirabel.
Before handling characters, I’d like to touch on another issue with Encanto’s plot. It is divided into four different branches, and two of them are laughably illogical. The branches are:
1.) Mirabel’s Journey
2.) Isabella’s Marriage and Dolores’s Unrequited Love
3.) Bruno
4.) Abuela’s Past, The Raiders, and The Town’s Reliance On The Madrigal Family
While it makes sense for Abuela’s past, The Raiders, and the town’s reliance to serve as background tension, I feel they could have assisted in raising the overall stakes of the film. Still, they do — indeed — serve only as supplemental information and worldbuilding support. Their potential is squandered.
Isabella’s upcoming marriage to Dolores’s forbidden love is forced alongside the main plot, and it is done so in a way that is almost embarrassingly flimsy. Firstly, there are no scenes depicting Dolores’s connection to Isabella’s husband-to-be. So, I could not care at all for her little crush, thus removing any sense of urgency. Secondly, there is no significant reason Isabella is promised to Mariano in the first place. As there is no benefit to her specifically marrying him, it quite literally makes no sense that she would be pressured to do so against her will. She claims to be doing so for her family, but if the Madrigals were that desperate to marry off one of their girls, why not let it be Dolores, who was openly willing? This lack of logic made the entire conflict seem invalid.
Though well-designed and executed, Dolores, Antonio, and the others truly serve as catalysts and supporting cast. They further the plot but add nothing else to the story.
Antonio’s sole purpose is to exist as a reminder of Mirabel’s failed attempt to receive powers, as he gets his at the start of the film. Dolores overhears and spreads the initial rumor of Bruno’s prophecy implying Mirabel would cause the Madrigal downfall.
All of the others are just… there. They literally serve no purpose, and the film would be largely unchanged without them. In fact, I think cutting some characters — such as Camilo — could have actually given the film sharper focus.
As antagonists go, Abuela is… okay. She’s a classic, misunderstood woman who suffered a loss and uses it as an excuse to abuse her family and invalidate all opinions different from her own. She is redeemed with a song and a flashback and suffers no consequences for her actions otherwise. While this felt realistic, in a sense, it did leave me craving the kind of drama delivered by characters Mother Gothel from Tangled, or even Elsa at the climax of Frozen.
Admittedly, the Madrigal powers were one of the film’s most unforgivable failures, in my opinion. I understand that the proposed magic is unpredictable and strange, but that does not excuse the illogical choices the writers made.
It is said that the miracle gifted to the Madrigal family was meant to help them serve the surrounding community. In this instance, only Luisa’s strength, Bruno’s clairvoyance, and Mirabel’s mother’s healing make sense. The other powers are simply… useless.
Isabella grows flowers; not crops, or vegetables, or fruit, only flowers. Camilo shape-shifts. Dolores has heightened hearing. Tia Pepa’s emotions control the weather, but not always the weather of the entire region. Antonio can talk to animals.
Now, if you really search for ways these powers can be usual, I’m sure you can find some. However, if the candle was literally designed to gift Madrigal offspring with fundamentally helpful powers, it did not do its job. I know this may seem nit-picky, but the powers were such a central component of the film. The fact that they made such little sense was disappointing.
On top of that, some of the powers weren’t even consistent. For example, it is stated that Dolores could hear “an entire chorus” from a mile away. However, one of the film’s “plot twists” is that Bruno never left the family, instead opting to hide in the walls and watch from afar.
How could Dolores not hear his activity? There are points where he is seen speaking at full volume.
Well, the writers try to cover this mistake by having Dolores state that she “knew he never left, she heard him every day”. If that was the case, why didn’t she tell anyone? One of the major catalysts of the story’s conflict is that Dolores cannot keep a secret. Why didn’t she bring up the possibility of Bruno hiding in the walls? Luisa could so easily remove one and find him.
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The trailers honestly got me excited. There were exploding colors and clips of songs, even showing a little bit of the plot.
So, obviously, when the movie came out I was so hyped. I grabbed my popcorn and started the movie. I literally walked out of the room feeling like nothing had changed. Encanto hadn’t taught me a lesson, hadn’t moved me, and worst of all- it was so underwhelming. Almost the entire movie was so flat. Things were underdeveloped and it had a lot of wasted potential. -
I haven't seen it but I don't like the trailer. I actually like Coco, so much more. I watch it every day with my little sibs.
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Coco is really good
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Coco?
I've watched that 40 times already
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