Coincidentally, while I never saw this when it was out in theaters I've just seen it on the plane. I'm definitely inclined to agree -- if you're in the mood for schmaltz, and can appreciate Disney gently taking the piss out of itself, then it's good. And I'm now also in love with Amy Adams ;-).

I really liked the cleaning-the-apartment number as well. Cockroaches cleaning bathtubs for the win.

I was almost in too much the right mood when I saw this movie. My hormones had me all weepy at the end. I really liked the way everyone was paired up, and how the girl who lost out wasn't evil and didn't lose out. I spoke to someone right after who found the whole thing sexist, but I didn't get that from it.

Yes, me too - although I was a bit disappointed that Idina Menzel didn't get more to do (lke sing, which is what she's really good at!). And I suppose I can *sort of* see the sexist point in that much of the Disney romance myth is founded upon "woman needs prince charming, regardless of whether he's an actual prince or a cynical divorce lawyer" and that, ultimately, the hard-edged modern woman turned out to want exactly the same as the sappy fairytale chick, and arguably more so since she went eagerly running off to fairytale land with Edward. But that doesn't bother me particularly - I mean, I think it's *okay* to want romance, if that's what really pushes your buttons.

Yes, that was the idea. And I could see her point, but I thought the movie laid it out clearly enough that it was more about everybody needing to be a little goofy to take a chance on romance. The problem with the hard-edged couple wasn't that the woman needed to be an idiot but that they were both with each other because they seemed like they should love each other when they really didn't. So I thought it was more about them getting "true love" rather than women needing to act like cartoon characters. (And they even showed that in the end Giselle's talent for making dresses became a business--and Idina Menzel did wind up running a country, albeit a two-dimensional one.) I do wish she'd gotten to sing, though.

Yes - I suppose it comes down to whether you consider "seeking/wanting true love" to be a valid lifestyle choice or having surrendered to the socially-implicit, patriarchal notion that a woman can't be properly happy unless she has a man. On the other hand, I suppose the thing about romance-plot, regardless of gender bias, is that the men aren't happy *either*. I really liked the fact that fairy-tale Prince Edward was rampaging around the country on a big horse with a big sword killing big trolls because his mother didn't let him meet any girls - I thought that was very mischevious :)

Also it strikes me as just a bit churlish to complain at *Disney* for anti-feminism.