“We don’t talk about Bruno, no, no, no
We don’t talk about Bruno, but“

Let’s talk about Bruno! And Mirabel, and Félix… and Luisa… and Julieta… and Dolores… and all the other family members in the Madrigal family… including the house itself! (Though I will admit that Bruno is my favorite!)

In this Disney animated movie, the Madrigal family is the founding family of their town, which has been safely hidden from the turbulence going on elsewhere in Columbia due to the family’s “miracle.” As a continuation of that “miracle,” each member of Madrigal family receives a “blessing” – some kind of mystical power that will help the community. Mirabel’s mom, aunts, uncle, cousins, and sisters all have powers like healing injuries with food, super strength or hearing absolutely everything. But, Mirabel never received a gift. In a family that is “fantastical and magical,” Mirabel is completely ordinary.

Mirabel feels like the odd one out in her magical family despite her mother’s assurances. The tension builds between Mirabel and her Abuela as Mirabel investigates glitches in the family magic and discovers that her infamous uncle’s last prophecy before disappearing is about her and the destruction of the Madrigal home.

The animation is beautifully vivid and the story of acceptance and perception is one that rings true. This magical story is perfect for a family movie with something for each age range all the way up to adults. At two hours in length, the four and under crowd might find sitting for the entire length a bit hard, so encourage some dancing as the music plays!

The DVD and Blu-ray will hit library shelves in the second week of February, but holds can be placed now. For residents of Norridge and Harwood Heights who don’t want to wait, Encanto is available on Disney Plus so borrow the library’s Roku for streaming access.