Walt Disney Animation Studios’ 50th feature film “Tangled” can be summed up as an animated version of your typical romantic comedy.
But unlike the typical romantic comedy, in which scenes are usually as predictable as unrequited love and kissing in the rain in a Taylor Swift song, the story line “Tangled” is full of unexpected twists and turns.
Bringing back the good ol’ princess tale, Disney’s version of the story of “Rapunzel” follows a soon-to-be 18-year-old girl on her quest to find the mysterious floating lanterns that appear in the sky every year on her birthday. Oh, and aside from being ridiculously long, her hair has magic powers that glow and heal people when she sings. Don’t worry, there’s a story behind this rather odd ability in the movie.
Setting out on her adventures for the lanterns, Rapunzel (voiced by Mandy Moore) must go against Mother Gothel’s wishes for her to stay safely locked up in her tower. What Rapunzel doesn’t know, however, is that her “mother” (Donna Murphy) is actually an evil woman who stole Rapunzel from her royal parents as a baby to use her magic hair to keep herself youthful. True to Disney form, where mothers are usually nonexistent and stepmothers (or in this case, pseudo-mothers) are evil, Rapunzel’s innocence and naivete are what make the film’s villain that much more creepy.
And what about prince charming? The heartthrob in “Tangled” comes in the form of a witty and refreshing thief by the name of Flynn Ryder (Zachary Levi).
The movie’s real stars and true sources of the film’s hilarity are the horse Maximus and chameleon Pascal. Though minor characters, both manage to deliver loads of laughs without having been granted Disney’s signature gift of anthropomorphism.
One thing that may be addressed by extremist critics who read into the social implications of a film’s every little detail is when Rapunzel’s blonde shimmering hair is cut, it loses its magic and turns brown. Now, while I highly doubt that any brunette children who see this movie will develop insecurity issues about their hair color, I do find it rather surprising that this element was not replaced by some other imaginative idea in the final cut.
I was pleased to find “Tangled” quite funny, the kind of humor where you hear the high-pitched giggles of young children consistently accompanied by the lower-pitched laughter of the fathers forced to tag along.
The movie’s soundtrack, however, is only moderately successful.
Disney songs, especially those in signature princess tales, are supposed to be songs that become easily stuck in one’s head, songs that you can see yourself humming in years to come. I can think of only one song (“I’ve Got a Dream”) that had the potential to do this for me.
Now on to the topic that always seems to spark up debate: 3-D.
More specifically, did it add anything to the overall movie experience? Yes and no. First off, the colors and vividness of the film’s settings I believe were enhanced by the use of 3-D. On the other hand, the only scene in which 3-D was utilized to make images appear to leave the confines of the screen was a pretty breathtaking scene featuring the majestic floating lanterns.
“Tangled” has the potential to become a modern-day Disney classic. The only real difference compared to Disney’s past work is the fact that “Tangled” is Disney’s first computer-animated, and not hand drawn, fairy tale. While Pixar is usually the go-to studio for computer animations, I think most will be impressed by Disney’s expert use of visuals.
So, if you are experiencing severe nostalgia over your childhood, one largely defined by old-school Disney princess classics such as “Sleeping Beauty,” “The Little Mermaid” and “Cinderella,” then “Tangled” may just be the perfect dose of happily ever after you’re looking for.