Disney hits the big five oh with Tangled, their 50th feature length animated film released in theaters. They've released dozens of classics and some that should be forgotten (Treasure Planet, Chicken Little). Tangled may not rank among Disney's greatest efforts, but it's a fun film for the young and old.
Tangled is Disney's version of the famous fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm. You might be wondering why the House of Mouse didn't simply call it the more recognizable Rapunzel. Chalk that up to the ad wizards. Disney felt their previous picture, The Princess and the Frog, underperformed at the box office because boys didn't want to see a movie about princesses. Considering the studio reportedly spent a whopping $260 million on the picture, they definitely want to get their money's worth. So the marketing division put the focus on the dashing male lead and emphasized the film as an adventure story. However, make no mistake about it, Tangled still follows the classic Disney formula that has worked since Uncle Walt had the crazy idea to do Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. We've got our plucky princess heroine, a handsome love interest, an evil stepmother figure, wacky animal sidekicks, and plenty of musical numbers.
Tangled opens with a prologue involving a magical flower with the ability to rejuvenate. An old woman named Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) finds the flower and uses it to make herself young again. When the King discovers the flower's existence, he sends his men to find it in order to save his wife when she grows weak during childbirth. The Queen is saved and the flower imbues the hair of their daughter, Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), with the same healing properties. Mother Gothel kidnaps Rapunzel and never cuts her hair lest it lose its wondrous power.
Years pass and it is now Rapunzel's eighteenth birthday. She has spent her entire life inside a tower and never allowed to leave. Mother Gothel has spun wild tales of the dangers lurking in the outside world in order to keep her "daughter" in line. However, Rapunzel's curiosity keeps her dreaming of what lies beyond her tower. Meanwhile, the notorious thief, Flynn Rider (Chuck's Zachary Levi), is being chased through the woods by the royal guard after robbing the castle. He takes refuge in the tower where he's knocked out by Rapunzel and her trusty frying pan. She eventually convinces the reluctant Rider to escort her to the royal kingdom.
As you'd expect from a Disney feature, the animation is absolutely gorgeous. Inspired by old oil paintings, the animators created a picture perfect storybook kingdom with a luscious forest. Ironically, a lot of work went into making the CGI resemble the hand drawn animation found in the classic Disney films of yesteryear. The facial expressions of the characters are incredibly detailed. Rapunzel, in particular, has a wide eyed sense of wonder and the animation for her hair is well done. It's a shame that the filmmakers didn't make better use of Rapunzel's long locks as the film progressed. They also don't do much to distinguish the lead characters beyond just perky princess and swashbuckling rogue. The antagonist, Mother Gothel, has to be one of the least memorable Disney villains in a long time. It's a disappointment from the same studio that created great baddies like Cruella De Vil and Gaston.
Equally forgettable are the tunes from long-time Disney composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater (Home on the Range). Most of the songs seem to burst out as a requisite to the Disney formula rather than a natural extension of the story. The only number with any real energy is "I've Got a Dream," a hilarious musical sequence set in a seedy tavern for medieval thugs, some of whom are voiced by Jeffrey Tambor, Brad Garrett, and Jaws himself, Richard Kiel.
The show is actually stolen by the animal sidekicks, who aren't voiced by A-list celebrities this time around. There's Rapunzel's one and only friend, a feisty little chameleon named Pascal. There's also Maximus, a horse for the royal guard who pretty much steals the entire movie. Maximus is more police dog than handsome steed. He growls and snorts as he sniffs out the trail of Flynn Rider. He even punches him and draws a sword in a ludicrous duel.
Despite some stereotypical characters and a bland soundtrack, Tangled is a fun adventure that is beautifully animated. It's not an all-time classic, but a great effort from Disney.
Rating: *** (*****)
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