Tangled

Tangled
Disney
92 Minutes
Rated PG for brief, mild violence

Tangled is a variation on the classic Rapunzel story. This new Disney-fied version showcases a more modern sensibility.

Rapunzel is a kidnapped princess, brainwashed by her captor to believe that her captor (Mother Gothel) is truly her beloved mother. Rapunzel stays in her isolated tower because she thinks that evil people want to steal her magical hair. Her hair is over 70 feet long and has healing abilities; these abilities are what led Mother Gothel to kidnap her. Rapunzel rebels against Mother Gothel upon her eighteenth birthday; she wants to explore the world and see the floating lanterns released each year upon her birthday. (These lanterns are sent by her biological parents in memory of their lost princess.) Rapunzel gains the assistance of Flynn Ryder, gentleman theif, to guide her to the lanterns. Meanwhile, he is doing his best to evade capture by the palace guards. By the end of the movie, he has rescued Rapunzel and she has returned the favor many times.

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I loved this movie so much! I’ve already seen it in theater twice. I know that I want to buy it when it comes out on DVD.

The music was enjoyable, and its pedigree is fantastic. (It was written by the superb Alan Menken, of the Little Mermaid fame.) It was a musical in which Rapunzel, et al., break into song throughout the film. Mandy Moore (Rapunzel) and Zachary Levi (Flynn Ryder) did great jobs voicing their characters and singing.

I liked the strong characterization. Each person reacted in ways consistent with their characters. Some were super dramatic and others funny. It was also great that Rapunzel nor Flynn Ryder were portrayed as helpless victims. They were balanced characters that actually grew by the end of the movie.

My favorite non-lead character had to be Maximus, the horse. He was so funny! I also appreciated that the animal characters (Maximus and Paschal) were not completely anthropomorphized. Although they each responded with human understanding, they never spoke out loud.

The first time I saw this movie, it was in 3D. The second time I watched it, it was in a standard theater. The 3D effect was pretty neat, and several scenes were enhanced by it — especially the scene in which the floating lanterns are dancing in the air. However, I don’t think the 3D effects were necessary. It seemed more like a gimmick designed to get more money out of theater goers. The 3D effect was not integral to the story line.

I’d recommend Tangled to everyone that loves Disney movies. I’d also recommend it to people that enjoy fairy tales, fantasy, or action adventures. Although it is technically geared towards kids, this is a movie that will entertain adults too.

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