Disney's new movie Tangled is a delight for anyone who's overcome fear to break out of a bad situation. Disney has long been a voice that tells of our humanity, and this movie takes us once again to the center of our human condition. The combination of a simple message, spectacular songs, and mesmerizing animation makes it a winner in my book.
There are two relatively new directors: Nathan Greno, writer on Meet the Robinsons, and Byron Howard, director of Bolt. Though new to the scene, their accomplishment in this film is noteworthy. Their direction on Tangled amounts to a film that audiences will treasure on many levels.
There are not many characters in this movie, but in this case less is more. Mandy Moore does a stellar job as the big-eyed Rapunzel. The nuances of her voice match the "painted" style of animation very well. I was drawn in to watch carefully on extended speaking scenes because the syncopation is flawless. Because of such excellent animation, these characters are real to us from the opening scene. By the end we think they are our friends, and we are invested in them because the movie grows to prove quite deep in its concept.
The basic story is that Rapunzel, a baby princess, is kidnapped by a miserly old woman. The old woman then casts a spell from the magic flower into Rapunzel's hair and the hair keeps the old woman young. As Rapunzel grows, she is kept captive in a tower until she starts to get curious about the outside world. Through a rescue by Flynn Rider, a prince charming type voiced by newcomer Zachary Levi, she eventually breaks free of the castle. There is a lot of psychology to this escape since she has never been outside of the castle and it is food for thought to be sure. I could relate with a lot of it, as I am sure the general audiences will be able to as well.
.jpg?t=20130517094513)
Article comments
1 - Justin Germino
I thought the movie Entangled was fantastic and saw it with my boys, Rapunzel's "mother" was among the most passive aggressive and cruel villains from any film.
The story was enjoyable, my boys loved the film and it fits right in with their collection. I read somewhere that Entangled was to be Disney's last 2D animation film and I hope this isn't true.