One thing that I think helps me with the story is that we’ve watched it with subtitles, including the words to the song sung in Spanish at the end.
I think the Abuela just feels so protected by the candle and its miracles that she depends on it alone, vs recognizing individuals. The miracles DO help each member of her family serve the community - and I love that Abuela wants them to be helpers to all the people. But if their magic disappears, then maybe the community would abandon them? That as a family they have nothing to offer but their magic. She’s very narrow in her thinking. But I don’t see that as a villain thing. I see her as a very shallow character… Controlled by fear. For her, I think Maribel’s lack of a gift scares her. I don’t get the impression that she and Mirabel have had a bad relationship. I think Mirabel is doing some weird stuff that would get attention if you didn’t know what she was doing that day.
MEANWHILE - I love how Mirabel’s parents love her deeply. They are some of the BEST Disney parent EVER IMO.
Not every movie is going to appeal to everyone, and I can see where this one won’t excite all audiences. I love it so much. I love the music. I can’t wait to get to Box Lunch today to see if they have any Encanto
merch.
I also love how they made Luisa so strong and still so feminine. Her song and dance delight me.
I love the human vs nature and human vs self as opposed to hero vs villain storytelling. It hits me on a much more human, emotional level. I relate to those struggles so much more than Aladdin vs Jafar type movies. I don’t have a super villain in my life, but I struggle with myself, I struggle in relationships with others, and I think it’s brilliant that Disney has managed to turn those themes into viable story telling. I love that they’ve been able to break away from their stock formula of hero vs villain.
The songs of Encanto weren’t great the first time I heard them- neither were the songs of Moana. But just like the songs of Moana, the more I listen to them, the more I appreciate them.
And Luisa is the star of the movie for me. Oh my gosh, I love her so much. Favorite character, for sure. She is hilarious and I just want to give her a big hug.
I love the focus on family. This was a really insightful article I read, written by a Colombian, which gave me a deeper appreciation for this film.
I didn’t hate her, but she was quite a vitriolic character from my perspective.
The article has given me a renewed notion of her hardships, but I’m not entirely sure that helps me forgive her for her perceived treatment of young Mirabel. The woman doesn’t even have any ‘gifts’ herself, so I would’ve wanted her reaction to be more comforting and ‘you’re just like me, let me guide you’, rather than being cold and disinterested in Mirabel’s lack of gift while still putting the others on pedestals right in front of the girl. Honestly, Mirabel not being noticed as missing from the group shot broke my heart.
Of course, if she’d reacted as I would’ve wanted her to, then there would be no story, so it is what it is, but that’s certainly what makes her villainous in my eyes.
She definitely reminded me of my grandmother - we grandchildren (all of us except for the one blood (not adopted) grandson) could do nothing right in her eyes. I still remember once my family was over because my grandaddy was having some kind of surgery. My sister and I were dropped back at their house after dinner while mom and daddy and grandmother went to visit him and had been told we could have cookies from the pantry. We each had TWO oreos. The next morning we only wanted cereal and toast - our normal breakfast - but grandmother always insisted on grapefruit, cereal, and then eggs and bacon and toast and when we didn’t want all of that she said “If you hadn’t been such pigs last night…”
So yeah…I didn’t hate her, but I wasn’t a fan either.
I can understand this. The other view is one I remember the father of my childhood best friend expressing after watching a movie that related to real life problems: “I have enough real life in real life. When I go to the movies, I want to see fantasy.”
@QwertySC has there been an Encanto Blitz event??
I see Mirabel in the gold box, but I don’t remember an event. If you have her, is she worth using magic wands to get?
There was an Emoji blitz event around the time the movie opened in theaters. I have Mirabel and Antonio. I haven’t really used them, but I collect the emojis, so I use wands on any gold box emoji. I’m only missing some story, rainbow and villain emojis. Ones that are harder to get.
It was a two day item card challenge right at the very beginning of the month. The castle looked like Casita. But in the end, I didn’t win either Mirabel or Antonio; I believe I won someone from Coco.
I have a very very long list of diamond boxes I do not have. There are six gold boxes I don’t have. I was very close to having them all at one point and then it all got away for me.
I am missing a ton of villains and the pink ones. I wish they would stop just putting a red hat on the princesses and calling it a Christmas princess.
That rings a bell! Beginning of December was crazy with orders, so I think I just opened the app to get my daily prizes, but I don’t think I played any of the event
That’s actually making sense to me now, because I’m a few levels short of the monthly token quest. Given how much I’ve been playing since the holidays started I keep thinking that I should be finishing it this month, but I was forgetting that I had a slow start
