Disney sequels. The base-breakers of the Disney fandom. Some love them, some hate them. Some think they bring new perspectives to beloved characters, while others think they ruthlessly destroy and twist every aspect of the original movie. Well, one thing must be admitted: they were made with the intent to milk more money for the franchise. But does that make all of them necessarily bad? No, but it does not make for a good start, really.

I think "The Enchanted Christmas" is proof of this. Having seen it yesterday, I can attest it has a lot of "pros" and "cons", which makes for a mixed bag. So I can understand both people who love it and people who hate it - moderately, though. I would find it weird, to say the least, if someone declared this to be one of the best movies of all time; and I am disturbed to learn that a popular reviewer found this to be worst than the Holocaust.

But enough of the introduction (honestly, that is the hardest part). To review the movie, I'll break it down in topics I found noteworthy to talk about. In the end, I'll wrap it up by giving the main departments a rating and averaging the sumn for the total score.

—The Story—

I like the idea of learning what Belle's Christmas was like when she was captive in the Beast's castle. However, I think that the producers should have separated it from the whole "A Christmas Carol-esque" plot. If a princess were to star a movie like that, I'd chosen Cinderella or Snow White (more on that later). I think the right storyline would've been about Belle feeling downhearted because this is a special time of year for her and her father, but then the Beast cheers her up with the help from his servants. I think it would have proved to be fitting and also more original and an important step in the Beast' development and in the couple's relationship.

— The Songs —

I fell in love with Stories. It is a gorgeous song - the melody's so rich. I find I prefer the Brazilian Portuguese lyrics, as well as the singers' performance. But the English version is the basis, so credit is more than due here. As Long as There's Christmas is heartwarming (and can be fun too, when sung by the objects), but I stand by saying that it would have fared even better with Cinderella or Snow White. It is a hymn of hope, and these are the princesses which better embodies this quality. When Belle and Angelique sang the reprise surround by the other objects in the dungeon, I at once thought of Cinderella singing it in the chatêau's attic and the mice listening to her lovingly. And I can see it, clear as day, Snow White trying to convince Grumpy to celebrate Christmas like the rest of the dwarfs.

Deck The Halls is as cheery and catchy as always. A Cut Above the Rest is silly and not annoyingly so. Don't Fall In Love is caotic, sloppy, and the actual scene is even worse - more about it later.

— The Animation —

The animation isn't amazing, but it is good. It is a bit too cartoony to me. The colors lack refinement and nuance. Maestro Forte's CGI comes dangerously close to being an eyesore a few times. But if there's one thing they succeed in, it's making Belle beautiful. Her features are very soft, and she also is more consistent here than she is in the first movie.

One scene the animation blew me off though: Stories. The animation was gorgeous, it managed to reproduce the feel of classical, ancient drawings on a fairy tale book. It reminded me of Walter Crane's illustrations at times, which I think was what they wanted.

— Belle —

"The Enchanted Christmas" Belle is often called a doormat, and while I can see where it is coming from, I think the choice of word might be too strong for the case. Putting it simple, I don't like the scene where the Beast throws Belle in the dungeon and says she'll rot there forever. It is a major step back for his character. And I like it even less when she simply forgives him as if it was nothing. Locking up Maurice was different: that was before he saved her from the wolves, before he showed that there was some good in him too. But I think Belle, in accordance with her character in the original film, would have been indignant and would have stood up to the Beast, if not run away. Because there he was, breaking her trust and being abusive again.

Also, it bothers me that Belle's attitude thorough the movie is basically "If I love Christmas, then everyone must love it too! This Beast will like Christmas, either he wants to or not!" She is right in trying to provide the servants with the right to celebrate Christmas, but she shouldn't try to force the Beast to like it too. She should respect his trauma.

Btw, I really liked the scene about the Yule Log where Beast asks "Is this what you wished for?" (I don't know the exact words in English). Clever dialogue.

— Maestro Forte —

I think "Th Enchanted Christmas" might have worked better without a villain, or at least with a redeemed villain. I think Forte doesn't fit in with the rest of the movie. He is too unscrupulous, too wicked. I think the right portrayal would have been that of a spiteful, decadent old maestro who was not on the prime of his career anymore and thus found the transformation somewhat comforting. He fears change and thus wants Belle far, far away from the castle (but not dead), but in the end he is touched by her kindness and lets go of the rancor.

The worst part is Forte's superpowers. Floating green notes that can shape-shift and actually touch matter, coming to the point of being able to hold the Beast? That is too far-fetched. And let's not even talk about the castle-destroying organ music of doom. The purpose of the Enchantress's transformation of the servants into objects is to limit their abillities, not to enhance them.

— Wraping Up —

Okay, after expanding my thoughts on the topics that caught my attention, it's rating time.

Plot and Execution: 6/10. Good concepts, but could have been revised and improved before execution. No problems with pacing, but the narrative proves problematic at points, such as when Belle is imprisoned in the dungeons.
Characters: 4/10. The main characters are out of tune with their portrayal in the original movie at times. The villain is over-the-top and not in a good way. The side characters seem to stay faithful to their origins, but they don't cause that much of an impact on you this time. Some minor characters from the first movie (namely Babette and the Wardrobe) were abandoned, whereas they could have been expanded on - a missed opportunity.
Music: 7/10. One amazing song (Stories), one touching song (As Long As There's Christmas Reprise), two good songs (As Long As There's Christmas and Deck The Halls), one mediocre song (A Cut Above The Rest) and one terrible song (Don't Fall in Love). I didn't pay attention to the score, which means it is likely very unremarkable.
Animation: 7/10. Decent most of time (6) + Gorgeous Stories sequence (+2) - Forte's bad CGI (-1).

AVERAGE SCORE: 6,0

All in all, while this might not be a fantastic movie or in the same level as the original, it's still a good movie with some stand outs, one that I enjoyed watching.

Well, that's it. I hope you have enjoyed reading my review of "The Enchanted Christmas". Thank you for checking it out!