Tangled

Synopsis: Princess Rapunzel ventures out from her tower after meeting a bandit.

Release Date: November 24, 2010     MPAA Rating: PG-13

Genre(s): Animation, Children and Family

Film Review

Tangled is Walt Disney Studio’s attempt to relive the glory days of decades past and for the most part they’re successful. The classic princess longing for a world other than her own is this time a fresh take on the Grimm brothers’ Rapunzel. Kidnapped from the King and Queen as a baby for her magical hair by Gothel, Rapunzel is held captive in a tower not against her will, as she believes Gothel to be her real mother simply protecting her from the evils of the outside world. A life of somewhat voluntary confinement has bred a welcome addition to the Disney princess lineup in that Rapunzel is an interesting, multi-talented girl who can sing, paint, chart stars, act as a ventriloquist, and use her long blond hair the way Indiana Jones uses his whip. As charming as Rapunzel may be, the real show belongs to the cast of supporting characters. Gothel is surprisingly complex as a mother who loves her daughter, but maybe loves being young forever just a tad bit more, and as sidekicks, Pascal the chameleon and Maximus the horse are the film’s experts in slapstick comedy. Yes, with classic supporting characters, themes of escaping an over-protective mother in order to grow up, and a pretty princess all set in a happy ending world where love and dreams do come true, it would seem that classical Disney has indeed been restored. And yet the magic is never quite the same. Maybe it’s the translation to computer animation? Maybe Alan Menken’s bland musical numbers just don’t have the same grandeur as they did twenty years ago? It could be that the film’s adventure, romance, and emotion, although there, always feels two steps behind. Whatever the reason, Tangled is a good movie that just falls short of being a true Disney classic. Not that it’ll matter; after seeing the film with my six-year old cousin, I told her I would give the movie a B. Her grade, A+.

Set in the woods and in the mountains, Disney does a beautiful job of making their film feel like a warm landscape painting. On screen there’s never a shortage of lush trees and playful grass and the animators’ choice of combining today’s advanced computer animation with more traditional hand painted technique works to set the lighthearted tone. The animation is at its best in extreme wide shots when the audience can appreciate Tangled‘s entire kingdom full of majestic waterfalls and mountainside villages. The 3D effect combined with some clever angles aids these shots very well as the audience can feel the height of the palace rooftop as the thief, Flynn Rider, steals the princess crown or as Rapunzel lets down her long hair so her mother can climb up the tower. The animation and the movie reach their peak during a ceremony of floating lights where every one of the hundred or so lights takes an emotional hold on the viewer. Up close however, the animation lacks the same sense of artistic gravity. The characters themselves are paid attention to, but one wishes that Pixar would swoop in and give the background the necessary texture and detail to be groundbreaking. Tangled is an amazing painting from afar, but up close the simple palette of pinks, purples, greens, and browns is really kind of, boring.

Cast and Crew

• Director(s): Nathan Greno
• Producer(s): Dan Fogelman
• Screenwriter(s): Mandy Moore (voice of Rapunzel)Zachary Levi (voice of Flynn Ryder)Ron Perlman (voice of Stabbington Brother)
• Story: Jeffery Tambor (voice of Big Nose Thug)
• Cast: Donna Murphy (voice of Mother Gothel) Tim MertensDouglas Rogers
• Editor(s):
• Cinematographer: Alan Menken
• Production Designer(s):
• Costume Designer: 
• Casting Director(s): 
• Music Score: 
• Music Performed By: 
• Country Of Origin: USA