Do you remember the hubbub surrounding The Princess and Frog when it came out in 2009? It was Disney’s return to classic animation and because of that was showered with nostalgic-based accolades. It didn’t deserve them, but it got them because people were just happy to see a return to traditional animation by Disney, which used to reign supreme in the genre. The songs were mediocre, the story went downhill after the first act, and it just wasn’t up to par with Disney’s past films, even if it was Disney’s first ever non-white princess. And yet, despite the fact that Tangled is a monumentally better film (in virtually every way), it didn’t get nearly as much adulation. It deserves it though.
Starting with the basic fairytale of Rapunzel, Tangled takes the very limited setting of a tower and expands upon it by telling a story about a girl eager to get out from under the overprotective gaze of a sinister mother-figure and into the real world filled with adventure beneath a starry sky. Stolen from her cradle in the castle by Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy), Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) is raised by Gothel in a secluded tower so that Gothel can use the magic embedded in Rapunzel’s hair to prolong her life. When the thief Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi), in the process of escaping the king’s soliders, stumbles into the grove that houses the tower and climbs up to Rapunzel’s abode, they decide that Flynn will take Rapunzel to see the strange lights that she’s drawn on her walls. In the process, the two develop an affectionate bond that guides them through daring chases, a rousing bar song, and to the kingdom where Rapunzel discovers the secret of her past.
So what makes Tangled a worthy entry in Disney’s animated canon?
It’s all about the visuals. The vibrant and colorful world looks just as great in 2D as it did in 3D during its theatrical run, and frankly you’re not losing much at all by cutting out that extra dimension. Disney has crafted a film that, even if it wasn’t above average in other areas, would still be able to captivate children and adults alike with the more ambitious set pieces. Most notably, the film’s canyon scene and the starry sky finale are fairly memorable in Disney’s list of accomplishments, albeit for different reasons. In HD, this beautiful world shines in a way it couldn’t when you were busy concentrating on the 3D in theaters.
The voice cast might be film’s weakest asset, although both Moore and Levi performed admirably. Moore is the better fit of the two, and she plays the bubbly imaginative princess with the right amount of flair. Levi, on the other hand, isn’t able to completely ditch his self-deprecating style that most of the roles he’s taken have required of him. Unfortunately, when he’s supposed to be playing a charismatic swashbuckling adventurer, it’s out of place and he can’t seem to rout it from his voice. Donna Murphy is perfect as Mother Grothel, and she benefits from having a musical number that might be the best in the film and is almost worthy of a Boradway musical in terms of quality and tone. The impressive supporting cast includes Jeffrey Tambor, Ron Perlman, M.C. Gainey, and Brad Garrett.
Blu-ray Bonus Features
The set has the film on Blu-ray and DVD, and a few decent featurettes including a short but great piece on the film’s creation, a look at the integration of the storybook themes into the film, some deleted scenes, and a few smaller pieces like storyboards and design.
Of the non-Pixar Disney films that have come out in the last few years, this is easily the best. Bolt was enjoyable and John Travolta did the film justice, but Tangled does most everything right when it comes to making a film kids and adults will want to watch multiple times. That used to be an undeniable characteristic of classic Disney films, and with Tangled they’ve finally gotten back to that point (again, that’s excepting the Disney Pixar films).
"Tangled" is on sale March 29, 2011 and is rated PG. Adventure, Animation, Children & Family, Comedy. Directed by Byron Howard, Nathan Greno. Written by Jacob Grimm & Wilhelm Grimm (fairy tale), Dan Fogelman (screenplay). Starring Donna Murphy, Mandy Moore, Ron Perlman, Zachary Levi.
