Enchanted (Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Susan Sarandon) – Enchanting is the right word for this part-animated, mostly “merry mix-up” movie about a cartoon princess and prince who find themselves in 21st century New York City as a result of the prince’s evil queen step-mother’s jealousy. This could have been a camp boring-fest but, instead, is more like a smile-a-minute fantasy. The princess is played by Amy Adams (Oscar-nominated for Junebug); the prince by Hairspray co-star James Marsden; and the evil queen by Oscar winner Susan Sarandon. But the center of the story is current Grey’s Anatomy hunk Patrick Dempsey. Dempsey is the Upper West Side businessman and single father who is befriended by Giselle (Adams) as she brings her trusting, cartoon-bred naiveté and sunny disposition to hard-hearted, cold New York. She is waiting for her prince to find her, take her back, marry her, make her a princess, and live happier ever after. Marsden is perfect as the equally naïve, swash-buckling Prince Edward, seeing none of the real life around him while Giselle learns from her new environs. The best part of the movie is the music, written by 8-time Oscar winner Alan Menken (Pocahontas, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid, Little Shop of Horrors) and 2-time Oscar winner Stephen Schwartz (Pocahontas, The Prince of Egypt). Thus, the movie is as much Broadway as it is film and as much animated fairy tale as chick flick. It spoofs Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and King Kong while pimping most of the romantic comedies of years past. The princess becomes human at the point where she sees chest hair on Dempsey (now who wouldn’t?) and Dempsey dumps his girlfriend when he realizes that the clueless princess brings joy to both him and his (of course) too-wise daughter. The ending is a bit disjointed and dissolves into special effects hell but it is satisfying and fitting. The kids will love it and so will adults with a living sense of whimsy. Or, as my wife says: “It’s just cute.”