Review: Tangled

WARNING: This review contains film spoilers. Read at your own risk.

[Editor's note] Tangled is the best Disney feature film in 10 years. This is not an exaggeration. This is not my Disney fandom run amok. This is not some desperate attempt at getting you to see this film. This is a straight up fact.

Despite having been released way back in November, I just recently went to see Tangled at the behest of a few friends. I was hesitant to watch it because of the hack job Disney did with its trailers. Highlighting the role of the male lead over the girl, the previews were trite and unfunny. They were essentially slapstick gone wrong and failed to produce any interest in the film. As I understand it, Disney tried to aim the Tangled trailers at the boy demographic after the Princess and the Frog failed to generate the profits Disney was hoping for. However, if you’re making a movie about a princess (as Rapunzel unquestionably is) market it as such. There is no shame in fairy tales.

Grudges aside, Disney's newest feature-length animated film is absolutely fantastic. As a far cry from the awful stuff Disney produced in the 00’s (I'm looking at you Chicken Little), Tangled is unapologetically magical and musical.

As the story goes, a magical healing plant is given to the ailing Queen. The powers of the plant are then passed on to her baby, Princess Rapunzel, who is later kidnapped from the Palace by Mother Gothel. Mother Gothel knows that the flower's magical powers are growing within the golden hair of Rapunzel. Ever the vain, she locks Rapunzel and the powers of staying young in her hidden tower. Fast forward 18 years (all of which she has been in the tower), the beautiful Rapunzel grows curious of the mysterious lights that fill the sky on the night of her birthday each year and of the outside world.

One day, a bandit named Flynn Ryder scales the tower (seeking a hiding place from Palace guards) and is taken captive by Rapunzel. Rapunzel strikes a deal with the charming thief: if he guides her to the place where the floating lights come from, she'll return his stolen loot. What follows is an exciting and magnificent journey for the sheltered heroine. Complete with a band merry musical ruffians, a relentless Palace horse named Maximus, and a no-nonsense chameleon named Pascal, Tangled is every bit the fun fairy tale Disney is known for making.

Just as I miscalculated, I fear many other people will do so and miss out on this gem. Don't let the trailers and your possible aversion to CGI dissuade you from seeing Tangled (as it did me). I'm here to tell you: it's brilliant.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Even though I called the ending within the first five minutes of the film it was still a good watch. Mother def had an Ursulaesque sound to her songs but well Alan Menken did do the music. I was left the theatre def feeling like this was a win for Disney. Aileen P
January 19, 2011 at 1:50 PM
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