Disney's energetic re-telling of Rapunzel in 3D animation turns out to be a dazzler. Despite the need to wear flimsy plastic glasses, watching Tangled reminds one that some brands of storytelling never go out of style, whatever that style may be.
The script's feisty humor and the cast's vocal charm bring to jaunty life a flimsy Grimms' fairy tale. It tries for the appeal of Disney's animation heyday, but individual scenes borrow a bit too liberally from such movies as Beauty and the Beast, The little Mermaid & Aladdin.
With his stolen bounty in his satchel, charming bandit Flynn Rider (voice of Zachary Levi) climbs up a tall, mysterious tower to hide out. But he is taken hostage by Rapunzel (voice of Mandy Moore), a beautiful girl with 70 feet of magical, golden hair, whose controlling Mother (Donna Murphy) has kept her tower-bound for many years. Rapunzel strikes a deal with the handsome thief, who reluctantly agrees to take her into the Kingdom on her 18th birthday to watch the floating lanterns released into the sky. Every year on the same day, the lanterns are released by the King and Queen, as a symbol of hope to find their kidnapped Princess daughter.
The movie’s real accomplishments are in its look, which was generated inside a computer but is as warm and wealthy as a painting. This is, of course, a credit to the animators who do manage to preserve that amazing classic Disney Movie Musical look, but with cutting edge CGI! Perceptibly the film looks incredible, but it looks incredible in all the precise ways. Emotion is captured, both slapstick and more multifaceted visual humor manages to be handled perfectly. Luckily this is never at the expense of character development. These things go hand in hand, as they should. Rapunzel is believable in her evolution and Flynn, the scoundrel, makes perfect sense as he slowly becomes much more... well, Disney Princely!
Stunning chase sequences and the scenes featuring countless lanterns are the most delightful visuals which Tangled offers. And, Alen Menken’s songs are written with infinite gusto which acts as heart of this fairy-fulsomely entertaining tale.
Though not exactly inventive, Tangled is hasty and the Broadway-style appeal of archetypal Disney fare.
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