Over the last few years, Disney has been taking it on the chin from the likes of Dreamworks' Shrek and Madagascar and other animated features that have taken great delight in poking fun at the House of Mouse.

With Enchanted, Disney stays above the fray, proving they don't need toilet humor or double entendres to make people laugh. This animated-live action musical comedy is both a parody and an homage to Disney's "princess" cartoons. And, it's a pretty good marketing gimmick, too.

Amy Adams stars as the wide-eyed, winsome Princess Giselle who comes from a magical cartoon land, full of songs and friendly bluebirds. She could be right out of Snow White, Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty, as well as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Mulan, Pocahontas or the Little Mermaid. There's a little bit of all of them in her. But, before she is to marry her true love, the handsome prince, she is sent by an evil witch queen's curse to the frightening streets of real-world New York.

The lost, confused princess is taken in by a single dad (Patrick Dempsey). Using her cartoon charms, she trains rats and sparrows to clean up the man's apartment, and sings wherever she goes, which is embarrassing in New York City.

Meanwhile, Giselle's handsome prince come to rescue her. Prancing around New York in his tights, brandishing his sword and stabbing city buses, he is gallant but daft. He is played by James Marsden, in another rewarding role that shows his true range as a gifted musical comedy player - something revealed in last year's Hairspray, but kept hidden behind goggles when he played the dour Cyclops in the X-Men films.

Susan Sarandon also stars as the evil queen, and Timothy Spall portrays her loyal toady.

Enchanted has cast the right spell with critics, who have given it a 93% (fresh) rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Also opening

• Busaba Bold and Beautiful (Suay Sing Krating Sab) - Supakorn Kitsuwon (Tears of the Black Tiger, Monrak Transistor) stars in this comedy about a pair of bumbline diamond thieves who go on a caper with a conniving young woman (Suwanan Kingying). A love triangle ensues amidst the mayhem.
• The Flock - This is the first Hollywood feature by Hong Kong director Andrew Lau (Infernal Affairs). Richard Gere portrays a retiring sex-crimes investigator, who keeps track of 1,000 registered sex offenders, and he's training a young woman (Claire Danes) to take over a job that will put her in contact with some very strange, demented and dangerous people.
• Le Grande Chef - A box-office smash Korean comedy about two feuding chefs trying to take over a restaurant. Likely Thai dubbed only.

Also showing

• Japanese Film Festival - I am disappointed that I did not find time to see any of the films this year. The fest wraps up on Friday, January 25, with director Naruse Miko’s 1954 masterpiece, The Echo. Tickets are free, and they start handing them out at 6:30pm at Grand EGV Siam Discovery. Be prepared to queue.
• 2nd International Children's Film Festival - The highlight this week is Bhandit Rittakol's 1995 classic, Once Upon a Time ... In the Morning. It's showing at 4:30pm on January 26 at Major Cineplex Pinklao. Other films are being shown at TK Park in CentralWorld.
• Chulalongkorn University International Film Festival - This mini film festival continues, with The Bubble from Israel showing on
  January 28 and Tell No One showing on January 31. It continues until February 7.
• The Love of Siam Director's Cut - Tickets to this four-hour version of Chukiat Sakweerakul's acclaimed teenage romance and family drama are sold out until February 20! House on Royal City Avenue will keep showing the film until everyone that wants to gets to see it.