“Encanto,” an original Walt Disney Animation Studios film directed by Byron Howard and Jared Bush, tells the story of the Madrigals, a Colombian family whose members all have a magical gift. The only exception is Mirabel, who upon discovering that the magic that surrounds their house is in danger, will have to risk everything to save the house and its family.

History as such is not new; someone who experiences emotional conflict because they feel different, like the “black sheep” of the family, is nothing we haven’t seen before in other movies, series and even musicals.

However, there are many factors that prevent this film from becoming a cliché.

What has garnered the most attention, even since the trailer released in September of this year, is where the story takes place: Colombia.

“Encanto” represents many Colombian elements, such as flora and fauna, the traditional clothes worn by the characters, typical foods such as “Arepa con Queso / Ajiaco” and even some familiar phrases used not only in Colombia but in the Most Latin American countries.

Beauty and feminine strength are two themes that the film embraces strongly through female characters like Isabela and Luisa, both of Mirabel’s sisters, who play Latin American women. Isabela, who has the gift of growing and controlling flowers, is a beautiful girl with dark skin, brown eyes and long black hair, who represents physical beauty through her attractiveness. On the other hand, Luisa, who has the gift of strength, represents the power and independence of women.

There are a variety of main characters that you can easily identify with through their lives and the growth they experience over the course of the story. Most of the Madrigal family are very well developed in their respective stories, revealing their personalities as well as their strengths and weaknesses. These factors make them unique.

“Encanto” shows the importance of family ties as well as self-love.
Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Animation Studios

Disney also did a great job of managing the color scheme and tones of the movie.

“Encanto” is full of bright colors, with yellows and greens that sparkle. An important aspect that was appreciated is the accuracy with the skin color of the characters.

In Latin American countries, there is no exact skin color because we are the product of a mixture that combines different races and ethnicities. There are people who may have a lighter or darker skin color, but they still belong to the same country. This can be seen in the Madrigal family itself since the color of the skin varies from one to another.

Each of the soundtracks is a fundamental part of the plot. “Colombia, Mi Encanto” sung by Carlos Vives, a famous Colombian singer, is the opening song. He describes the happiness that abounds in the Colombian people of the film and is optimistic, making you want to dance without stopping.

Other songs such as “Dos Oruguitas” sung by Sebastián Yatra, “What Else Can I Do?” performed by Diane Guerrero (voice of Isabella) or “Surface Pressure” performed by Jessica Darrow (voice of Luisa) were originally created with very popular rhythms from Colombia.

In an interview, Lin-Manuel Miranda, the songwriter of “Encanto”, said he drew inspiration from the rhythms of 90s rock in Spanish.

“Colombia has a lot of rich musical traditions within itself that are unique,” ​​said Miranda.

“Encanto” is simply beautiful. Viewers will love the characters and their stories. The plot itself will take you through a roller coaster of emotions, which will keep you hooked until the very end of the film. This will leave you with a completely inspiring moral on family love that can make you cry.

Mirabel comforts her young cousin Antonio.
Photo courtesy of Walt Disney Animation Studios

This film is currently available in theaters but will be available on Disney + in December of this year. You can not miss it.