Tangled
Why, for purposes of clarity and audience enthusiasm, wasn't Disney's latest animated feature, Tangled, given the more direct and identifiable moniker, Rapunzel? I'll give you a hint: it's not about creativity. After last year's straightforward, non-CG Disney Princess opus, The Princess and the Frog, was perceived as a box-office disappointment (after hauling in "only" $104 million domestic), pundits consistently pointed to the film's focus on the seemingly-antiquated notion of a Princess and its lack of appeal to young boys. Thus, Disney's Thanksgiving animated tentpole release is not Rapunzel, an updated take on the classic Grimm Fairy Tale, but rather Tangled, a reimagined version of the Grimm story featuring Rapunzel as a co-lead alongside brash masculine hero Flynn Rider, a smirking bandit with whom she meets cute and falls in love. So, a beautiful princess with the addition of a wise-cracking swashbuckler -- not to mention a little romance with a hulking dose of action heroics -- must equal box office gold in a shiny CG shell.
While its financial future is still up in the air, one thing that can be said is that this story, no matter how faithfully it skews to the classic tale, no matter what kinds of characters and themes were added to increase its appeal, is wonderfully, infectiously fun for nearly all of its 100 colorful minutes. While it is not a technological marvel like the standard-setting Pixar films, it's also not another hand-drawn epic like The Princess and the Frog or any of its famous forebears. Rather, Tangled is somewhat of a hybrid movie, blending the advanced technology of computer animation with the sassy charm of the traditional Disney animated classics. It is partially modern, partially timeless, and a completely joyous celebration of all that's great about the wit, whimsy, and wonder of the animated musical.
That's right -- I said "animated musical." One other note on Tangled's marketing campaign: it all but banished any musical elements from its trailers and TV spots, cleverly disguising what is simultaneously the film's strongest element and the one most likely to send those young male viewers into a different screening room. But yes, in fact, the film is bursting at the seams with musical numbers, with a lyric-to-dialogue ratio that might favor the former. The songs -- while not legendary like the music of The Lion King or Beauty and the Beast, and not spiked with the funk and flavor of New Orleans jazz like The Princess and the Frog -- are splendid emotional conduits through this very imaginative story, one that deftly blends various elements of the fairy tale's many iterations but never allows itself to stay closely tethered to silly notions of "accuracy" or "faithfulness." The surface changes allow the filmmakers some cinematic wiggle room, and their imagination is so bursting with energy and cleverness that this updated take on the timeless classic feels like a breath of fresh air.
So, too, does the casting, which bypasses a lot of the big names that consistently headline these computer animated spectacles to set each unique characterization at the perfect pitch. Mandy Moore voices Rapunzel with a refreshing combination of knowing spark and wide-eyed naivete. Originally recognized as a frothy teen pop star, Moore has shown legitimate acting chops before (see: Saved!), and is impressive here not merely for her spirited acting, but also her singing voice, once categorized as decidedly sub-par in the face of contemporaries like Britney or Christina, but which vibrates with the soaring boom of a Broadway star. Likewise, Zachary Levi (TV's Chuck) imbues the masculine parody Flynn Rider with goofball charm -- and yes, he can sing, too. Broadway veteran Donna Murphy is menacing in demeanor and brilliant in vocal performance as the dangerous Mother Gothel, who steals Rapunzel at birth and banishes her to a mythic tower, where she can forever utilize the restorative powers of the princess's famously lengthy locks. Smaller roles are filled by great characters actors -- from Ron Perlman to Jeffrey Tambor to Richard Kiel -- all of whom add great spice.
The story's essential framework is familiar -- born to a royal couple and blessed with the healing powers of a sought-after wildflower, Rapunzel is taken by Mother Gothel and lives the first 16 years of her life in a tower, banished from the outside world. From there the film begins taking liberties, each more clever and surprisingly interesting than one might expect. Flynn is not the straightforward prince of the original story, but a devious outlaw who adopts the overtly masculine persona to mask hidden insecurities. When he stumbles upon Rapunzel's tower, he doesn't simply ask for her hand in marriage, but engages in a sassy tête-à-tête with our imprisoned heroine that lays the ground for the film's most enchanting element: romance. It would seem like a no-brainer for the princess to fall for a dashing hero, but by refusing to follow the traditional Disney blueprint for pre-destined princess marriages, Tangled allows itself the freedom to craft an engaging romantic story between two characters who simultaneously embody and satirize stereotypical constructions.
Tangled was directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard, two members of the team behind another creative non-Pixar Disney film, Bolt. If their challenge was to create a Disney Princess film that also appealed to boys, then their triumph is that they don't allow the movie's action-adventure elements to distract from the core of its sweet romantic comedy. Yes, the comic swordplay and creative use of Rapunzel's hair as a means to swing from cliff to cliff will please young boys, but the remainder of the audience will likely be swept away by the clever humor, swooning romance, and fabulous music, combining a score penned by Disney master Alan Menken with songs that could be shipped off to Broadway at a moment's notice. PerhapsTangled, from its title to its content, was engineered as a savvy business decision. But the resulting film is such a bright, happy surprise that it makes one hope that business decision pays off, because the creative product is well worth it
While its financial future is still up in the air, one thing that can be said is that this story, no matter how faithfully it skews to the classic tale, no matter what kinds of characters and themes were added to increase its appeal, is wonderfully, infectiously fun for nearly all of its 100 colorful minutes. While it is not a technological marvel like the standard-setting Pixar films, it's also not another hand-drawn epic like The Princess and the Frog or any of its famous forebears. Rather, Tangled is somewhat of a hybrid movie, blending the advanced technology of computer animation with the sassy charm of the traditional Disney animated classics. It is partially modern, partially timeless, and a completely joyous celebration of all that's great about the wit, whimsy, and wonder of the animated musical.
That's right -- I said "animated musical." One other note on Tangled's marketing campaign: it all but banished any musical elements from its trailers and TV spots, cleverly disguising what is simultaneously the film's strongest element and the one most likely to send those young male viewers into a different screening room. But yes, in fact, the film is bursting at the seams with musical numbers, with a lyric-to-dialogue ratio that might favor the former. The songs -- while not legendary like the music of The Lion King or Beauty and the Beast, and not spiked with the funk and flavor of New Orleans jazz like The Princess and the Frog -- are splendid emotional conduits through this very imaginative story, one that deftly blends various elements of the fairy tale's many iterations but never allows itself to stay closely tethered to silly notions of "accuracy" or "faithfulness." The surface changes allow the filmmakers some cinematic wiggle room, and their imagination is so bursting with energy and cleverness that this updated take on the timeless classic feels like a breath of fresh air.
So, too, does the casting, which bypasses a lot of the big names that consistently headline these computer animated spectacles to set each unique characterization at the perfect pitch. Mandy Moore voices Rapunzel with a refreshing combination of knowing spark and wide-eyed naivete. Originally recognized as a frothy teen pop star, Moore has shown legitimate acting chops before (see: Saved!), and is impressive here not merely for her spirited acting, but also her singing voice, once categorized as decidedly sub-par in the face of contemporaries like Britney or Christina, but which vibrates with the soaring boom of a Broadway star. Likewise, Zachary Levi (TV's Chuck) imbues the masculine parody Flynn Rider with goofball charm -- and yes, he can sing, too. Broadway veteran Donna Murphy is menacing in demeanor and brilliant in vocal performance as the dangerous Mother Gothel, who steals Rapunzel at birth and banishes her to a mythic tower, where she can forever utilize the restorative powers of the princess's famously lengthy locks. Smaller roles are filled by great characters actors -- from Ron Perlman to Jeffrey Tambor to Richard Kiel -- all of whom add great spice.
The story's essential framework is familiar -- born to a royal couple and blessed with the healing powers of a sought-after wildflower, Rapunzel is taken by Mother Gothel and lives the first 16 years of her life in a tower, banished from the outside world. From there the film begins taking liberties, each more clever and surprisingly interesting than one might expect. Flynn is not the straightforward prince of the original story, but a devious outlaw who adopts the overtly masculine persona to mask hidden insecurities. When he stumbles upon Rapunzel's tower, he doesn't simply ask for her hand in marriage, but engages in a sassy tête-à-tête with our imprisoned heroine that lays the ground for the film's most enchanting element: romance. It would seem like a no-brainer for the princess to fall for a dashing hero, but by refusing to follow the traditional Disney blueprint for pre-destined princess marriages, Tangled allows itself the freedom to craft an engaging romantic story between two characters who simultaneously embody and satirize stereotypical constructions.
Tangled was directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard, two members of the team behind another creative non-Pixar Disney film, Bolt. If their challenge was to create a Disney Princess film that also appealed to boys, then their triumph is that they don't allow the movie's action-adventure elements to distract from the core of its sweet romantic comedy. Yes, the comic swordplay and creative use of Rapunzel's hair as a means to swing from cliff to cliff will please young boys, but the remainder of the audience will likely be swept away by the clever humor, swooning romance, and fabulous music, combining a score penned by Disney master Alan Menken with songs that could be shipped off to Broadway at a moment's notice. PerhapsTangled, from its title to its content, was engineered as a savvy business decision. But the resulting film is such a bright, happy surprise that it makes one hope that business decision pays off, because the creative product is well worth it
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