By now, everyone knows that Disney movies are for everybody, right?I would also think it’s common knowledge that even Disney “princess movies” — especially the modern musicals of the 1990’s — aren’t just for 10-year-old girls. (At least, that’s what I tell myself as a way to justify me knowing all the words to the songs in “The Little Mermaid.”)
“Tangled”, the latest attempt by Disney (after “The Princess and the Frog”) to revitalize that genre, is no exception.
In case you hadn’t heard, it’s the tale of Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), the princess with the ridiculously long hair who lives an isolated life in an impossibly high tower and under the thumb of her wicked, adoptive Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy).
The reason the movie is called “Tangled” and not “Rapunzel” is because the princess shares equal billing with Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi, who actually narrates the movie), a handsome, smoldering, self-absorbed thief who discovers Rapunzel and introduces her to the outside world.
As I spent so much time establishing in the first few paragraphs, this fast and funny movie has a little something for everybody.
Rapunzel proves a worthy successor to the Disney princesses before her by being a strong (but vulnerable) and independent role model for young girls.
Meanwhile, Flynn Rider (with an assist from the vain Mother Gothel and a truly relentless soldier-horse) handles the heavy lifting for everyone else in the audience by bringing a solid amount of humor to the proceedings. (Those Wanted posters just can’t get his nose right!)
For fans of eye-catching visuals, directors Nathan Greno and Byron Howard (“Bolt”) have made the fairy-tale story of Rapunzel jump off the page with backgrounds that make the forest look like a painting come to life and witty/lively action sequences.
I wish I could say the same for the movie’s music.
The thoroughly forgettable songs by Alan Menken (there’s “Mother Knows Best” and, um, the pretty one during the lantern scene) are emblematic of the movie’s disposable quality. Like “Tangled”, the songs work in the moment, but slip away from your memory as soon as they’re over. This is especially disappointing coming from the man who provided the music for new animated classics like “The Little Mermaid”, “Beauty and the Beast”, and “Aladdin.” (In case you think I’m living in the past, I also thought Menken’s work for “Enchanted” was far superior and memorable.)
While the movie is fun and entertaining, the main problem is that I completely forgot about it the next day.
Tangled…B
2 comments:
I really liked Tangled - It was the first Disney movie of the 2000's that actually gave me flashbacks to the Little Mermaid/Beauty and the Beast years. Not as good as those, clearly, but I could see 10-year-old Cara begging Mom for the mcDonald's toys and the soundtrack and drawing pictures of Rapunzel on my notebooks.
The animation was FANTASTIC - nice and snappy and cartoony for CG. You can see the old school disney influence on both the style of the characters and the animation. Beautiful.
It wasn't without flaws tho - much of the time I just found Flynn annoying. His bravado that was intended to be funny just fell flat. And I wasn't a big fan of how Rapunzel came to realize that she was the lost princess - "I've been painting things that vaguely look like suns my whole life based on a mobile I had as an infant! I'm the lost princess!" A little too simple and convenient for my taste.
But overall, enjoyable, I thought. Best animated movie from Disney since Lilo & Stitch in 2002.
The animation WAS great, and, as I said in my review, it definitely worked as a sort of throwback to the movies of the 90's.
I also completely agree that it's the best animated (non-Pixar) Disney movie since "Lilo & Stich." (Though I haven't seen "The Princess and the Frog."
The only problem is that I think that says more about how substandard Disney movies have been this decade compared to last, than it does about "Tangled."
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