“Godmothered”

Directed by: Sharon Maguire

Rated: PG

Runtime: 1:50

Review by: Livi Edmonson

From the director of “Bridget Jones Diary” and available to stream via Disney+, “Godmothered” is Disney’s latest original film that is exclusive to those with a subscription. Instead of persuading subscribers into renting an original film for a whopping $20 like they did with the non-theatrical release “Mulan” this summer, “Godmothered” is available for anyone who already has a subscription — as it should be.

Starring Jillian Bell and Isla Fisher, the family film follows an inexperienced fairy godmother named Eleanor (Bell) who is overly optimistic that the world still needs fairy godmothers, despite the older fairy godmothers she works with saying that the job is no longer necessary and that they should resort to the “tooth fairy” industry. When Eleanor finds a letter from a young girl that was written years ago, she decides to shoot her shot at being a fairy godmother and help the little girl. Mackenzie (Fisher) is no longer a little girl, but instead, a cynical, workaholic widow who is struggling to keep up with her busy lifestyle while taking care of her two daughters. Eleanor, of course, does her very best job to still be of service as a fairy godmother for her, despite a few magical mishaps along the way.

The plot of this film is unarguably juvenile, but it is a PG-rated flick. “Godmothered” reminded me a lot of another Disney film, “Enchanted” (2007). But instead of the protagonist having a traditional happy ending where she finds true love, this film proves to be more progressive for its time, putting a modern twist on what a happy ending should actually be.

The movie is funny, but not over-the-top hilarious. This is one of the more family-friendly roles for both Bell and Fisher, though, so I guess I expected the humor to be toned down a little bit. After all, it is a Disney movie. Since families will be stuck inside the house more this holiday season, this movie is just one of the hundreds of movies on Disney+ that the whole family can enjoy. Despite being your typical princess fantasy film in terms of genre, the film still works as a Christmas movie, with its many Christmas-related themes, suiting the film’s perfectly timed-release date.

All in all, “Godmothered” is an enjoyable holiday film for the entire family to enjoy. It is by no means the most entertaining Disney movie, but it does prove to be one of the most contemporary, inclusive ones, which is a step in the right direction. The only negative to watching the film is that you cannot enjoy it unless you own Disney+, and I don’t think this film itself is worth purchasing the app for. However, Disney+ as a whole is most definitely worth the purchase if you’re still looking for a Christmas gift for the entertainment lover in your life. That is, if you’re willing to pay $69.99 a year. I give it a 7 out of 10 — at least I didn’t have to pay an additional cost to rent it like last time. (Cough, cough, “Mulan”).