Executive Producer of Tangled (2011), Glen Keane, could possibly be regarded as The Walt Disney Company’s secret weapon. This is the animator who gave Ariel her flaming red hair; put the swoosh in the cape of the Beast; and created for Pocahontas her expression of longing as John Smith sailed away. It seems like something of a natural progression, then, that Keane should be at the helm of Disney’s 50th, full-length, along with directors, Nathan Greno and Byron Howard, and fellow Executive Producer, Pixar CEO, John Lasseter.
Tangled is a re-telling of the classic Brothers Grimm tale about a young maiden with unusually long tresses. Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) is kept in a tower by the twisted Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy), banished from setting foot outside. Little does Rapunzel know that she was stolen away from the King and Queen when she was a baby, when it became clear that the child’s hair held magical qualities which could maintain Gothel’s youthful appearance. Now, the lost princess, her hair inconveniently long and oblivious of her true identity, is eighteen years of age and wants to know more of the world. Intrigued by the “floating lights” which appear over the far hillside which she can see from her window every year on her birthday, she makes a vow to one day learn what they are. So, when hapless adventurer and opportunist thief Flynn (Zachary Levi) stumbles in through her tower window one morning, Rapunzel sees her opportunity, and recruits him as her guide to where the lights come from in exchange for his stolen goods – which she has hidden from him. Needless to say, this being Disney, they strike up a friendship which blossoms into romance. But the path of true love never did run smooth, and with Gothel on their tails, not-to-mention Flynn’s disgruntled business associates and Maximus, a horse of the Royal Guard who has Flynn’s scent and will never give up on his retrieval, the road ahead looks pretty bumpy…
This is a classic piece of Disney filmmaking with a modern spin. Whilst upholding many of the traditions we have come to recognise in Disney animation – a princess, musical numbers, a score by Alan Menken, a companion creature (Ariel had Flounder; Rapunzel has Pascal the Chameleon) – it also approaches the material with full knowledge of the conventions the audience expects and then makes postmodern reference to itself, which then turns that expectation on its head. For example, when Rapunzel asks Flynn where he is from, he replies, “Oh, no, no, no, I don’t do back story…”
The darker content is deftly handled, with frying pans becoming the weapon of choice (“Who knew?” cries Flynn at the height of one particular fight scene), and the strained relationship between Gothel and Rapunzel depicted as humorous in one breath, and disturbing in the next. In an astonishing leap forward, Flynn becomes only the second Disney character to my recollection to be shown bleeding (the first being Beast when Gaston stabs him in the torso just prior to the finale of Beauty and the Beast). First, his hand is wounded, and Rapunzel uses her magic hair to heal him. Later in the film Gothel stabs him with a scarily-long, sharp dagger; Rapunzel lifts Flynn’s tunic to reveal the blood soaking liberally into his garments. This is a telling statement concerning the resilience of child audiences in modern cinema; with the introduction of the 12A certificate back in 2002, young moviegoers have been exposed to cinematic material of a more adult nature over a period of time, so much so that a Disney character can bleed and they think nothing of it. Think about it – even Mufasa of The Lion King (1994), trampled to death in a wildebeest stampede, managed to die on screen without shedding so much as a drop of blood. Disney are taking more risks, but it is a testament to their ability to move with the times and gauge their audiences.
Speaking of audience awareness, some slurs of modern language can be seen creeping in here and there, with a line in one of the songs having Rapunzel sing the words, “…in, like, EVER!”. This addition of the word “like” is common amongst American teens, and its presence here could be seen a by-product of popular, Disney teen franchises such as High School Musical and Hannah Montana. This would be my only negative criticism of the film – declaring this as the 50th of Disney’s prestige animated movies, you would expect more adherence to tradition and a respect for the era in which the story is supposed to occur; you don’t want a medieval princess talking like your average, modern-day high-school student, like, “hanging at her locker”, or whatever. Man.
Comedy is certainly not in short supply – Tangled’s quick-humoured visuals fuel the scope for laughs – the film is laced with whip-glances and ultra-sudden changes of facial expression – all of which inspire a giggle or two here and there. The animosity between Maximus the horse and Flynn is reminiscent of two squabbling siblings, and is always entertaining. Action can be found here too, particularly in a scene depicting the collapse of a dam – possibly the best animated sequence featuring a substantial body of water since the parting of the red sea in Dreamworks’ The Prince of Egypt (1998). However, the scenes which stand out are those little moments of truth that cut to the quick in terms of being relatable. Watch out for the moment when Mother Gothel convinces Rapunzel that Flynn has left her and treated her badly. Rapunzel runs into Gothel’s arms; Gothel’s spin on the situation seems plausible. Every girl can relate to seeking comfort from their mother when a boyfriend lets them down. Also, the scenes in which Rapunzel begins to guess at her true heritage are truly touching.
Tangled is a well-rounded movie which entertains, moves and inspires. Easily their funniest modern comedy since The Emperor’s New Groove (2000), this film has the capability of inspiring belly-laughs and tears simultaneously. The flavour of the Walt Disney Classic has been captured here for the modern film audience, and Tangled has the power to usher in an entirely new generation of Disneyphiles who perhaps are too young yet to have enjoyed Disney’s body of animated work. What a treat they are in for.
Not as adept as Toy Story 3 (2010) or as hauntingly beautiful as Beauty and the Beast (1991), Tangled still manages to earn its rightful position as the 50th animated classic in the studio’s history, with stunning scenery lovable characters and memorable songs. Overall, an absolute joy to watch.
Star Rating: ****
(image sourced at: http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_movies_blog/files/2010/12/tangled2.jpg)
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