This latest live action effort from Disney is undeniably charming. A fairy tale that sets out to flip the genre upside down. And for much of its running time, it does just that. As Enchanted opens, we are thrust into a cute, animated world of familiarity. Princess Giselle (voiced by the lovely Amy Adams) frolics through the woods consorting with her cuddly animal friends, hoping that someday, she'll find true love. That true love emerges in the form of bigger than life Prince Edward (voiced by James Marsden). Sadly, as is the case in most fairy tales, not everyone wishes a happy existence for Giselle. This includes the wicked Queen Narissa (voiced by Susan Sarandon). With a whisk of her magic wand, Narissa sends Giselle into another dimension. A place where dreams don't come true - New York City.

Once Giselle finds herself in New York, Enchanted becomes a live action piece. Upon arrival, the innocent princess befriends single father and divorce attorney Robert Philip (Patrick Dempsey) and his young daughter Morgan (played by Rachel Covey). There are a lot of clever things going on in this fish out of water tale. Watching Giselle break into song (the tunes were written by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz) while prancing through a New York City park was an absolute riot. Equally funny, a sequence in which Giselle requests the aid of several New York City critters to help clean up Robert's messy apartment.

As the film progresses, the princess becomes more independent minded. It seems the more time she spends in reality, the more human she becomes. Amy Adams is just a delight to watch. Her self effacing demeanor is incredibly endearing, and it's her willingness to commit to this part that really makes Enchanted so gosh darn charming. James Marsden is also wonderfully energetic as Prince Edward. The problem is, instead of going all the way, Enchanted ultimately slips into the confines of a cliched fairy tale scenario – the very thing it desperately appears to be sending up thorough the first half of the film. It all culminates in a sweet, but all too obvious resolution capped off by a climactic dragon fight that doesn't even feel like it belongs in the movie. Too many missed opportunities. Having said all of this, the film works for much of it's running time thanks to a game Amy Adams. This wonderful actress sells the majority of the proceedings with flying colors.