Enchanted

        Although Disney's Enchanted subverts the studio's usual fairytale conventions, with the Princess' endless optimism and singing grating on the nerves of a cynical New York lawyer, the end credits title sequence by Yu+Co reverts to a more familiar style.

        The closing book that begins the sequence mirrors Disney animations such as Snow White and Sleeping Beauty which begin with an opening book, before the illustrations segue into the animation, a convention pastiched at the beginning of Shrek. In the case of Sleeping Beauty the book serves a greater purpose than to reference the story's fairy tale beginnings; the illustrations clearly suggest a medieval, almost tapestry style, immediately establishing the period for the audience.

     

        With Enchanted the hand drawn and watercolour illustrations are more reminiscent of Lotte Reiniger's cut out animations than the Disney house style, but the familiar scenes make reference to past Disney films as well as events within Enchanted, with little mermaids, horse-drawn carriages, waltzes, apples and dragons all making an appearance. This affectionate homage goes someway to remedying the subversion of the archetypal fairy tale, in which the Prince is slow witted and redundant and the Princess' charm ineffective in the contemporary world. Despite these unusual plot twists, the characters mange to find their own unique 'happily ever afters' and the traditional end credits animation reflects that despite the ostensible differences, the message is universal.