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"Encanto" Coming Fall 2021
- Thread starter NateD1226
- Start date
Dear Prudence
Well-Known Member
Everyone is so hot on "Surface Pressure," too, and I literally don't remember anything about it besides the donkeys (which were great!).
Brer Oswald
Well-Known Member
I didn’t think that song was good. Conversely, Bruno might be the best Disney song in 10 years.
Animaniac93-98
Well-Known Member
I too remember the visuals more than the song itself.
We’re Going to Talk About ‘Bruno,’ Yes, Yes, Yes
“We Don’t Talk About Bruno” from “Encanto” is a surprise chart topper and TikTok darling. Here’s how Disney created its biggest smash since “Let It Go.”
I Watched ‘Encanto’ With My Dad. It Brought Him Back Home.
The animated Disney movie is set in Colombia, where my father is from — a place he rarely talks about. Would he fall for the film?
Rumbly in my Tumbly
New Member
- In the Parks
- No
The story of Encanto was what made this more worth it. The songs were okay in my book and "We Don't Talk About Bruno" was by far the best of the songs. I still enjoyed watching the movie for sure.
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
I think Surface Pressure is my favourite, followed by Bruno.
I love the message of Surface Pressure, the way it builds, changes throughout, tricks you. Everyone can relate to that song.
Where as Bruno is a SUPER fun ensemble piece, which is rare for a Disney film, so I love that, but I love the message of Surface Pressure most.
Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
I wasn't particularly struck by the songs after my first watch, including, if I'm honest, We Don't Talk About Bruno. I also listened to the review of Encanto on the NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast and they spent a lot of time panning the soundtrack, to the point of suggesting Lin Manuel Miranda needs to take a year off writing new material!
I think, though, it is one of that soundtracks that really grows on you the more you hear it. That might have something to do with the soundtrack and individual songs really taking off once the film moved to Disney+. Whatever the case, the soundtrack has certainly hit a nerve in a way that seems comparable with Frozen and Moana.
Surface Pressure is one that I was puzzled to see doing so well on the charts, but the more I listen to it the more I really like it for all the reasons you mention. I kind of like all the songs now, though!
Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
I would say they were more lukewarm than negative on the film overall, but I still felt they were outside of the general consensus. Comments by a couple of the reviewers about missing a villain, etc. seemed particularly off the mark.
I remember they were also pretty lukewarm about Frozen on the same podcast, and, well...
JAB
Well-Known Member
I kind of get where NPR was coming from. I thought the music was good, but it was *very* similar to a lot of his other stuff, so I think the NPR guys were saying that he's getting a little too predictable and repetitive, and might need to take a break to let his creativity "reset." When my family watched it, after the first song, my brother-in-law asked "Did Lin-Manuel Miranda write the music for this?" and every song after that became a running joke about how obvious his style was.
Sir_Cliff
Well-Known Member
I do also see the point that they are recognisably Lin Manuel Miranda songs, though I think their suggestion that you leave Encanto thinking of better LMM songs from other projects doesn't seem to have been the wider experience. From the looks of it, this will end up being one of his more successful songwriting projects so far and We Don't Talk About Bruno and perhaps Under Pressure some of his more popular songs.
One thing they did acknowledge was that the pandemic did kind of lead to a few of his projects bunching up and being released within a few months of one another. I suspect this might be more the issue than the songs themselves being sort of weak versions of his other work. It could just be that critics who have seen In The Heights, followed by Tick, Tick, Boom (admittedly, without songs by him), and now Encanto could understandably have some Lin Manuel Miranda fatigue.
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Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
I don't actually understand the criticism.
A lot of composers/musicians have a style. You always know a Sondheim when you hear it.
LMM has his style, and quite frankly it's one of my favourites as it has helped change and grow the world of musical theatre. And I think what I love about the music for Encanto is it is VERY musical theatre, with the LMM twist.
JAB
Well-Known Member
It's one thing to have a recognizable style, but Miranda's songs are starting to become almost interchangeable. That doesn't mean it isn't a good style (I do like it), but you could put different lyrics to the songs in "Encanto" and drop them in "In the Heights" or "Hamilton" and they wouldn't sound out of place.
In contrast, while Sondheim might have a common phrase here or there, and there are certain general aspects of his style that are consistent throughout his works (like his wordy, singer-torturing lyrics
), the songs are not interchangeable. Sondheim tailored his compositions to fit the story being told; he said of his work, "content dictates form" - the scattered staccato music of "Sunday in the Park..." mimics the painting style of Seurat, "A Little Night Music" is the only one of his works that's in 3/4 time, the chilling dissonance of "Sweeny Todd", etc. So, while his work might be recognizable as "Sondheim", it wouldn't necessarily sound right if you swapped songs between his works.doctornick
Well-Known Member
I thought the songs/music was the highlight of the film. It’s the plot and general lack of internal logic/world building that I thought was subpar.
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
Looks who back, a little older, and still just as incredible!
tcool123
Well-Known Member
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'Encanto' song tops 'Let It Go' as biggest Disney animation hit since 1995
Lin-Manuel Miranda's Encanto song We Don't Talk About Bruno passes Frozen's Let It Go as biggest animated Disney hit in 26 years.
BrianLo
Well-Known Member
I think because none are the more overt gooey power-ballads. Something like the Greatest Showman.
I thought the same about Moana in some ways, but once you hear the songs a few times some of them are much more nuanced and actually stronger than first glance.
We don't talk about Bruno and Surface Pressure are extremely good.
Disney Analyst
Well-Known Member
'Encanto' song tops 'Let It Go' as biggest Disney animation hit since 1995
Lin-Manuel Miranda's Encanto song We Don't Talk About Bruno passes Frozen's Let It Go as biggest animated Disney hit in 26 years.ew.com
But but… LMM is writing all the same songs. And they are just so forgettable
