It's no secret that Disney has a rich history of providing viewers with some of the most memorable animated films to ever grace the silver screen. Whether it be original classics like
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or more modern favorites like
The Lion King, it is almost a guarantee that Disney will provide a fun and well put-together film that not only kids will enjoy, but the entire family.
The latest film to join the epic ranks of Disney's animated repertoire is
Tangled, a modernized version of the popular Brothers Grimm fairy tale Rapunzel. When the Queen falls ill during pregnancy, a magical flower, which has healing powers, is brought in to save her life and the life of her unborn child. However, those healing powers are carried over into the luxurious blonde hair of the baby girl. Mother Gothel kidnaps the child so that she can use the magical powers of the girl's hair to keep her eternally young. When a thief, Flynn Ryder, happens upon the tower that Rapunzel calls home, both their lives are forever changed.
As I mentioned earlier, Disney has "massaged" the classic tale to make it easier for the modern audience to relate to the characters, and it actually works pretty well. The movie is paced rather well and it recognizes that it has to keep the attention of young children, so from the get-go, things are happening , with few slow points. Not to mention the addition of a few musical numbers, as only Disney can do.
The characters are modernized as well, particularly Rapunzel, who is voiced by Mandy Moore. They've written her character in such a way that she becomes almost child-like in her demeanor. Moore does a decent job voicing the character, but it is fairly apparent they she was chosen because of her ability to both act
and sing. Mother Gothel, who is voiced by Donna Murphy (
Spider-Man 2, The Fountain) excels more in the singing department than the voice over, as she seemed to be over-emoting through just about all of her scenes. The real stand-out in the show is Zachary Levi (
Chuck), who does a fantastic job voicing the hero of the film, Flynn Ryder. His quirky personality carries over to the character, whose interactions with a horse are among the several high lights of the film. Who knew that Chuck could sing?
Where the movie falls short,especially compared to past Disney animated features is in the musical numbers (which is what I'm sure you were all so interested in. Don't worry, I'll keep it short). They seemed very half-hearted and almost like last-minute additions, with several of them seeming to take notes from past Disney films, making them seem oddly familiar.
There are some laugh-out-loud funny moments through out the film, most of which involve a very eager horse and Flynn Ryder, and occasionally a chameleon that is a friend to Rapunzel (I don't get that either). It's a fun film that the entire family can enjoy. There were parts for the grown-ups to enjoy, as well as the silly humor that kids love so much. Having said that,
Tangled is not quite up to par with past Disney films, lacking in that "it" factor that so many Disney movies seem to posses. But don't let that keep you from seeing this one.
Tangled also stars Brad Garrett, Ron Perlman and Jeffrey Tambor and is set to hit theaters nationwide November 24 in 3D and standard formats.