Disenchanted: Reviews, Filming Locations, Meaning & More

There’s a special kind of disappointment that comes when a sequel doesn’t live up to its predecessor — and Disenchanted is a textbook case. Fifteen years after Enchanted charmed audiences, Disney’s follow-up landed with a 39% Rotten Tomatoes critics score. If you’re trying to understand what went wrong, where it was filmed, or what the title actually means, here are the essential facts.

Release date: November 18, 2022 ·
Director: Adam Shankman ·
Runtime: 117 minutes ·
IMDb rating: 5.4/10 ·
Rotten Tomatoes score: 39% critic, 51% audience ·
Budget: $85 million

Of the nine key data points pulled from official sources, one pattern: the numbers tell a story of a sequel that struggled to recapture its predecessor’s magic.

Why did Disenchanted get bad reviews?

Critical consensus on Disenchanted

The official Rotten Tomatoes critics’ consensus states that Amy Adams remains engaging, but the film lacks the magic of its predecessor Rotten Tomatoes (review aggregator). Review coverage frequently described the sequel as charming but less magical and less sharp than Enchanted.

Audience and critic scores comparison

• Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 38% based on 100 reviews Rotten Tomatoes
• Audience score: 51% Rotten Tomatoes
• Metacritic weighted average: 50 out of 100 based on 29 critic reviews Metacritic
• By comparison, Enchanted holds a 93% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes

Main criticisms from reviews

Common complaints cited in reviews include a lack of originality, weak musical numbers, and a forced plot that leans too heavily on suburban satire without committing to either fantasy or comedy. The film’s attempt to update the “happily ever after” theme for a more cynical, grown-up Giselle fell flat for many critics.

The pattern: the sequel’s creative shift away from what made the original work alienated the very audience that drove Enchanted‘s success.

Where in Ireland was Disenchanted filmed?

Filming locations in County Wicklow

Principal photography for Disenchanted took place largely in and around County Wicklow, Ireland Screen Ireland (national film development agency). The production used the village of Enniskerry to stand in for the fictional suburb of Monroeville.

Enniskerry village as Monroeville

Enniskerry’s picturesque streets and stone buildings provided the backdrop for Giselle’s new suburban life. The Irish Times noted that the village’s royal-looking and village-style locations helped create a fairy-tale suburb The Irish Times (Irish daily newspaper).

Other locations

Powerscourt Estate, also in County Wicklow, was used for exterior shots. Some interior and additional scenes were shot in Los Angeles, specifically on Riverside Drive. The official tourism site for Wicklow confirms these locations Visit Wicklow (tourism authority). The implication: Disney chose Ireland for its natural charm, giving the film a visual warmth that reviewers praised even when the story faltered.

What this means: the cinematography became the film’s lone bright spot, an ironic outcome for a movie about disillusionment with surface perfection.

What does Disenchanted mean?

Definition of disenchanted as a word

According to Merriam-Webster, “disenchanted” means disappointed, dissatisfied, or freed from illusion. The verb “disenchant” means to free from enchantment or illusion Merriam-Webster (American dictionary publisher).

How the title relates to the movie plot

The title reflects Giselle’s internal journey: after 15 years of marriage, she loses faith in her fairy-tale life and wishes for a more perfect existence — only to discover that “happily ever after” is more complicated than fairy tales suggest. This is the thematic core of the film, though the word is never explicitly defined on screen.

Comparison to the verb ‘disenchant’

The verb “disenchant” carries the sense of being stripped of magical thinking. In the movie, that applies literally: the magical wish-gone-wrong plot forces Giselle to see her real-world life as it is, not as she imagined it. The title is an apt summary of the film’s intention, even if execution fell short.

Is Disenchanted a sequel?

Connection to Enchanted (2007)

Yes, Disenchanted is a direct sequel to Enchanted (2007). The story picks up about 15 years after Giselle and Robert married, following their move to the suburbs with their daughter Morgan and Giselle’s newborn son.

Plot timeline and returning cast

Amy Adams reprises her role as Giselle, Patrick Dempsey as Robert, James Marsden as Prince Edward, and Idina Menzel as Nancy (who is now married to Edward). Maya Rudolph joins the cast as Malvina Monroe, the local queen bee of Monroeville. The sequel status is confirmed by Disney+ and Rotten Tomatoes.

Franchise continuity

The film incorporates musical sequences and animated-style interludes that echo the original’s style. However, the shift from New York City to a suburban setting marks a narrative departure that many critics found jarring.

What is the biggest flop in film history?

Comparing Disenchanted’s box office to historic flops

Because Disenchanted was released directly on Disney+, its box office is not publicly disclosed — so it doesn’t appear on traditional flop lists. However, its reported $85 million budget for a streaming release raises questions about profitability against subscriber growth metrics.

How Disenchanted performed commercially

Disney has not released viewership numbers, making direct comparisons impossible. The film’s 38% critics score and mixed audience reception suggest it did not generate the word-of-mouth that drives long-term streaming value.

List of biggest box office bombs

Historically, titles like John Carter (2012, estimated loss $200 million) and The Lone Ranger (2013, estimated loss $190 million) top the list. Disenchanted poses a different risk profile: a streaming-first legacy sequel where the success metric is subscriber retention, not ticket stubs.

The catch: without transparency on viewership, the film’s financial impact remains speculative, but the critical reception signals a disappointing outcome for a franchise once beloved.

Summary

Disenchanted arrived with high hopes built on the nostalgia of a 2007 classic, but low critics scores and a muddled script left it in a tough spot. For Disney, the choice is clear: either let the franchise end quietly, or take the lessons from this sequel and deliver a proper redemption — because the audience that grew up with Giselle still believes in happy endings.

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