The 50th Disney animated feature film is coming to Gustavus, and it is not one you will want to miss. Tangled is an animated musical loosely based on the Brothers Grimm fairytale “Rapunzel,” though thankfully not nearly as medieval. This movie is reminiscent of the Disney films of our youth, so if your nostalgia needs a little prodding but you want a fresh story, look no further than Tangled.
Princess Rapunzel (voiced by Mandy Moore) is locked up in a high tower with Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy), whom Rapunzel believes to be her overbearingly passive-aggressive mother. However, Mother Gothel actually kidnapped the princess as a baby because her hair is a veritable panacea and Fountain of Youth–important for the ancient Mother Gothel. Despite Rapunzel’s relatively good life in the isolated tower, she yearns to see more of the outside world.
The movie opens with Rapunzel shortly before her 18th birthday, considering running away from her isolation to make her way in the world to discover the secret behind the floating lanterns that light up the sky every year on her birthday. Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi) fills the part of the charming bad-boy in Tangled. The thief, who has stolen a crown from the royal castle, stumbles upon Rapunzel’s tower, and woe to him! Rapunzel knocks out the ruffian with a frying pan and takes him hostage. She makes a deal with Flynn, though, and the two set off on an epic quest together, accompanied by Pascal the chameleon and Maximus the ambitious and comical supercop horse.
Tangled is a great hybrid of both classical Disney and newer cinematic elements. The film is in 3-D and features a modern sense of humor with the princess often saying things that sound like they were lifted straight from a preteen girl’s Facebook page, but the storyline, songs and romance all harken back to the classics of Disney’s golden age. The songs are especially nostalgic, sounding awfully similar to those in Pocahontas and Anastasia.
The main characters, Flynn and Rapunzel, are charming but a little one-sided and bland. No fear, the supporting characters more than make up for this lack. Mother Gothel’s lines are often extremely hilarious, her jokes truly witty, and the woman is one of the most compelling and misunderstood characters of the film. For example, of her humor: when Rapunzel asks her so-called mother, “How did you find me?”
Mamma Gothel responds with, “I simply followed the sound of COMPLETE AND UTTER BETRAYAL!” Gothel is a fantastic hybrid compromise between Marie from Everybody Loves Raymond and Karen from Will and Grace. Maximus, the sidekick horse, steals the scene on more than one occasion and is definitely one of my favorite characters from Tangled.
The movie perhaps overuses its 3-D, with multiple scenes involving Rapunzel’s hair swooshing and swaying around the screen. But when the 3-D is good, it is really good. Watch out for the scene with the floating lights festival! The scenery in the movie is, for the most part, nothing new-although beautifully rendered.
If you are looking for a good, light-hearted movie, I would highly recommend seeing Tangled. If you are looking to experience that childlike wonder inspired by Disney classics, this is a movie worth going to see. If you are a Brothers Grimm fanatic and traditional folklorist, you ought to avoid it. Charming, visually pleasing and funny, I give Tangled 4.5 stars.