Walt Disney Animation Studios continuing plan to explore other cultures through their films has always been enlightening even though they aren’t always educational. Their latest, Encanto, is a mixed bag of wonder created by a committee.
Byron Howard, Jared Bush and Charise Castro Smith introduce us to a latino world where mysticism is still practised. The backstory reveals how the Madrigal family became the town’s founders and protectors. A magical hacienda (called a Casita in the film) emerged out of the candle and it’s been protecting this clan for generations, so long as it keeps burning. It’s easy to ignore one factual problem of living in the middle of nowhere and nothing has been said further about those pesky conquistadores.