For some time now, Disney have shunned their traditional fare of fairytale retellings in favour of CGI animation with the Pixar partnership and what are arguably male-dominated stories (Chicken Little, Bolt). But their fiftieth animated feature as a solo studio continues the re-emergence of the romantic fable after 2009’s The Princess and the Frog, and marks a return to the big tales that guarantee big success. That is, if they’re handled right. But Disney has been around for long enough to know if they’ve got a winning formula…
Tangled is the story of Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), a girl locked up in a tower by evil Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) to ‘protect her from the world’ but really to keep Rapunzel’s precious, extremely long hair to herself (to help retain her youth through its magic qualities). But when thief Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi, TV’s Chuck) stumbles upon the tower, Rapunzel gains the confidence to live her dream and see the outside world. The Disney offering gives us a very assured Rapunzel – educated, ambitious – but still a bit naïve. Understandably. But even so, when an 18-year-old meets a mysterious young man very reminiscent of swashbuckler king Errol Flynn, sparks fly and the romance slowly envelops them – and us, as we see a return to the delicate issue of love that only Disney can portray as so seemingly innocent and effortless.
To suit the young target demographic, this is not a by-the-book retelling of Rapunzel – after all, what would parents the world over say if Gothel found out Rapunzel had a ‘tightness in her belly’ as the traditional story goes? Here, however, the retelling proves enormously beneficial as we’re given a strong workable story with plenty of adult-tinged humour to keep everybody satisfied. Of course, Tangled doesn’t stray from the classic romantic plot; there are struggles that come and go, where someone always gets hurt before the equilibrium is restored. Sure, we all know how it’s going to end, but with Disney finding their classic groove again, who honestly cares?
Byron Howard (Bolt) and Nathan Greno do well to keep the story tight with the help of screenwriter Dan Fogelman (Bolt, Cars), who gives us witty dialogue to bring Rapunzel into the 21st century amid the medieval setting. They’ve gone for a relatively well-known cast, breaking out from the general tradition of casting unknowns and separate singing talents – hybrid Moore does well as Rapunzel, giving her a bit of spunk within all the uncertainty of her adventure, and Levi as Flynn gives us a more conflicted character than we’d expect. The songs — such an integral part of any Disney film — may not be instant classics, but they are certainly worthy. To recognise the singing voices of Moore, Levi and multiple Tony Award-winner Murphy throughout Tangled is also refreshing. The 3D element is probably unnecessary, but its use is definitely not exploited – rather, used as a sharpening tool to further lose ourselves in the magical world Disney paints so well. With supports like Brad Garrett (Everybody Loves Raymond) and Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development) as thugs, there’s not really a lot that can go wrong.
Verdict:
Tangled marks a strong romantic return for Disney; a worthy adaptation to celebrate 50 films.
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