Tangled

For Disney's 50th animated movie, they have returned to their roots, sort of. They had added a new princess to the long line of fairy tale heroines in their stable, dating back to Snow White in their first movie. However, instead of traditional hand drawn animation, they've chosen to make Rapunzel their first computer animated princess. While this doesn't bode well for those who want to see both forms flourishing side by side, Tangled itself is wonderful.When the queen was pregnant with Rapunzel, she became sick to the point of death. The only way to cure her was to find a magical plant. The plant was the secret of Mother Gothel (voice of Donna Murphy), who used it to keep herself eternally young.Mother Gothel soon discovered that Rapunzel's hair had that magical property, but if her hair was cut, it lost it. So she kidnapped Rapunzel and hid her in a giant tower. Over the years, her hair grew long and continued to restore Gothel's youth.Fast forward eighteen years, and it's almost Rapunzel's birthday. More than anything, Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) wants to see the floating lights that always appear on her birthday in person, but Mother Gothel is so controlling she won't let it happen. That's when fate enters the story in the form of Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi). He's the most wanted man in the kingdom, and he's trying to hide out in Rapunzel's tower. Only she blackmails him into taking her to see the lights. Where will this relationship lead?I must admit, I don't know much of the story of Rapunzel beyond the basics (young woman with long hair in a tower). A few times the thought crossed my mind wondering if something was in the original story or not. But as is usually the case with Disney, they take the basics and make it their own. While I'm sure most of the elements of the story are new, they feel like they've always been part of the story.The prologue, which sets everything up, is a bit on the slow side. But once the story really gets going, it's a complete blast. The plot was fairly obvious from the beginning, especially since it is a fairy tale. However, the story kept moving forward quickly, which kept me engaged. Plus, the Disney spins to the story made things much more interesting.And the humor was great. Pascal, Rapunzel's pet chameleon, and Maximus, the blood hound horse trying to track down Flynn, absolutely steal the show. Any scene they are an active part of is a complete hoot. The humans get some great laughs as well. I saw this with one of my roommates, and we were both laughing multiple times.The only complaint I've heard of the movie was the music. Yes, this is a musical in the grand tradition of Beauty and the Beast or Aladdin. The complaint I had heard was that the songs felt forced. I will admit that they didn't advance the story as much as they do in the movies I previously mentioned. However, I did feel like they were more a part of things than the songs in last year's Princess and the Frog. A couple of them are hauntingly beautiful (as you'd expect with Mandy Moore and Donna Murphy singing them), and there's one that is an absolute hoot. Zachary Levi does the singing for his character, and he holds his own with this cast.There's been some controversy with this film because they changed the name from Rapunzel to Tangled in an effort to attract boys. Trust me, this is a movie that boys will enjoy. It's got great action and the previously mentioned humor. In fact, I think the entire family will enjoy this one together. Yes, it does have romance to it, but this feel much like Aladdin to me, a movie that will appeal to everyone.The computer animation in this film is beautiful. They strove hard to create the look and feel of hand drawn animation with the computer, and the result is art like we've rarely scene in computer animation. Yes, it is still stylized, but it's a huge step forward.What I think surprised me the most about the film was how much I came to care about the characters. Flynn and Rapunzel are so nice, even though Flynn starts off as a thief. I really enjoyed spending time with them. On the flip side, I found Mother Gothel to be one of the most menacing villains in a long time solely because of her mind games on poor Rapunzel. I don't think she's scary enough to frighten young kids, but she is pure evil.If you are looking for a fun movie for the entire family, this is the film to see.

Without female companionship, it's hard to go see Tangled and still maintain an air of manliness and virility. So, abandoning all hope of preserving that façade, I decided to go all the way to the deep end of the lame pool and see it with my parents. And for once, the dearth of self-confidence that inspired me to long ago stop vying for success with the fairer sex paid off, because when the dust settled and the credits rolled, there was only one fact left standing, and it towered above all other thoughts and insecurities: Tangled was AWESOME!What a cast of characters! Zachary Levi, or Chuck from Chuck (for those of you who watch my favorite television show), is perfectly charming as Flynn Rider, the shallow and selfish thief whose good looks are rivaled only by Narcissus. Immediately likeable despite his negative qualities, Flynn Rider's journey toward empathy is one which is quickly obvious, and yet it is so flawlessly executed that I found his transformation transfixing at every turn.As for Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), well, I was pretty much in love with her the moment I saw her. The epitome of innocence, Rapunzel is a drop of sunshine in the darkness. Her unadulterated joy is contagious, infecting even the most jaded and cynical. It was a pleasure to see how people changed when touched by such a fair creature, whether it be a group of thugs singing about their dreams or innumerable citizens breaking out into dance in the streets. Again, Rapunzel's character arc was rather obvious: from an obedient girl afraid of the world to a real person living her life. And again, it didn't matter, because that arc was artfully crafted.Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) is an understandable villain. I mean, Rapunzel's magic hair gives her eternal youth. If that's not a good reason for keeping your daughter in a tower, I don't know what is. The two characters of a different genus deserve quite a bit of recognition themselves. Pascal the chameleon makes for an excellent sidekick to Rapunzel. He's just about the cutest thing ever (right behind How to Train Your Dragon's Toothless), and his indignant looks are a great counterpoint to Rapunzel's innocent absurdity. Even Maximus, the head guard's horse, is an amazing character with a story of his own. He tracks Flynn Rider with brutal determination, but as per usual, ends up joining the team.Honestly, this movie has the perfect setup. You see, Flynn Rider is a character you can really get behind. Sure, he doesn't care about other people, but his charm makes him unarguably, well, charming. Oh, and Rapunzel is a character you can really get behind. The opposite of Flynn, she is trusting and cares deeply for everyone, and yet she has much to learn about the world. We love both characters from the beginning, and the traits that make each of them so great directly reflect the other's flaws, so when fate brings them together, we get to watch an incredible relationship blossom.Plus, there were a couple of little lines that broke the fourth wall in an amusing way. At one point, Flynn Rider calls Pascal a frog. Rapunzel, offended, points out that it's a chameleon, to which Flynn responds "Nuance." Bringing up the cliché of a princess and a frog is especially amusing, since Disney's last animated film was titled The Princess and the Frog. Also, like I said, Mother Gothel isn't particularly villainous during the film, just a bit attached to the idea of immortality. Now, when she argues with Rapunzel, she always complains that Rapunzel is "making her the bad guy." Well, I really wanted her to be the bad guy so I could cheer when she got her comeuppance, and then finally, much to my delight, she snaps, saying "You want me to be the bad guy? Fine. Now I'm the bad guy." To her, she was harkening back to those old arguments, but to me, she was talking directly to the audience, letting us know that it was ok to root against her.If I had one complaint, and I do, it would be that the songs didn't quite live up to my expectations. They were still excellent, but they were a bit more ponderous than some Disney tunes. With the exception of "I've Got a Dream," they were slow, character-heavy numbers that, while still of a high quality, lacked the pizzazz that got the Aladdin soundtrack stuck so firmly in my head.But the songs certainly didn't detract from the experience. The dialogue was sharp, the animation was beyond beautiful, and the movie was both touching and hilarious. And as an added bonus, there was a lot of great insight into human nature. I cared for those characters, and the film was able to jerk my emotions around however it wanted. My sides hurt from laughing, my eyes ached from tears. Flynn's charm and Rapunzel's joy didn't just affect the other characters; they reached right out of that screen and touched me too, and because of that, I give Tangled:5/5 StarsThe only truly sad thing about this movie was that Rapunzel ended up becoming a brunette. Oh, the humanity!Check out thenickelscreen on wordpress for more reviews!