Featuring The Voices Of: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ron Perlman, M.C. Gainey, Jeffrey Tambor, Brad Garrett, Paul F. Tompkins, and Richard Kiel
Directed By: Nathan Greno and Byron Howard
Screenplay By: Dan Fogelman
Inspired By: The Brothers Grimm fairy tale, Rapunzel
Produced By: Ron Conli
Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures
Rating: PG, for brief mild violence.
Running Time: Approximately 100 minutes
Website: disneypictures/tangled
Budget: $260 million
Genre: Animation/Comedy/Musical
Release Date: November 24, 2010
Tangled, Disney’s 50th animated feature film, is a tongue-in-cheek retelling of the classic Grimm Brothers fairy tale, Rapunzel. Directed by Wisconsin native Nathan Greno along with Byron Howard, the film stars pop singer-turned-actress Mandy Moore (A Walk to Remember, Saved!), “Chuck” star Zachary Levi, and two-time Tony Award winner Donna Murphy (“Passion,” “The King and I’).
In the film’s emotionally-wrought prologue, narrated by Flynn Rider (Levi), a half-bumbling, half-suave thief who comes into play later in the story, a pregnant queen develops a mysterious illness that’s cured by a rare, magical flower known as a “sun drop.” The flower’s restorative powers are inherited by the queen’s unborn child, a princess. Mere days after being born, the young princess is kidnapped by an old heretic, Mother Gothel (Murphy), who raises the child as her own in a tall tower deep in the forest, far away from prying eyes, and christens her Rapunzel.
Gothel holds Rapunzel hostage inside the tower for the majority of her young life, brainwashing her into thinking that absolutely nothing good could ever come from her venturing out into the world. Her ulterior motive is an unnatural obsession with youth and beauty, which she believes Rapunzel’s abundant golden locks helps her to maintain.
When a nearly 18-year-old Rapunzel is denied access to the outside world – yet again –by her overprotective mother, um, captor, she gets a reprieve when Flynn Rider (think a medieval Han Solo) holes up in the tower after narrowly escaping palace guards following a successful palace robbery. The surprisingly resilient Rapunzel tricks Gothel (unaware that her daughter, um, captive now has a captive of her own) into a long journey to get her out of the tower for a few days. Rapunzel later blackmails Flynn into escorting her from the tower so she can witness an annual celebration that involves thousands of lanterns being released, filling the nighttime sky.
Gothel gets wind of Rapunzel’s disobedience and gives chase, as does a palace horse name Maximus. In a predictable twist, Maximus, who speaks volumes without uttering a word, joins Flynn and Rapunzel on their journey.
Tangled features several new songs by Oscar-winning composer Alan Menken, who worked on some modern-day Disney classics like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. Suffice it to say, none of the new songs here hold a candle to best of the lot, but Gothel’s big number, “Mother Knows Best,” comes within shooting range with Broadway baby Murphy channeling equal parts Julie Andrews (“My Favorite Things” from The Sound of Music) and Ethel Merman (“Everything’s Coming Up Roses“ from Broadway’s “Gypsy“). She’s aces among the voice cast. Another number featuring Rapunzel and Flynn set in a woodland tavern populated with all form of burly, surly roughnecks makes for a memorable set piece, as does the amazing lantern sequence, which is arguably the most beautiful use of 3-D animation since the filmmaking technique’s recent resurgence.
According to some reputable media reports, Tangled may be the last female-centric, animated fairy tale Disney produces – at least for the foreseeable future – as the family-friendly studio aims to broaden its appeal. Tangled’s performance at the box office will likely play a key role in determining just how long Disney pumps its breaks in regards to producing another “princess movie” which dates back to the 1937 classic Snow White.
Grade: 3.5 stars
