Customer Reviews

Tangled

5 star:		(588)
4 star:		(95)
3 star:		(36)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

*contains some spoilery bits*

Tangled, Disney's version of the oft-refashioned folk tale Rapunzel, is the studio's 50th animated film and one that is destined for classic status.

The Synopsis:
This latest retelling begins with a tiny piece of sunlight falling to earth and a magical golden flower sprouting where it lands. The flower, and its ability to restore youth, is discovered, used and kept secret by Mother Gothel. When the kingdom's beloved queen falls ill, a search for the flower (apparently its existence wasn't *completely* secret) is successfully undertaken and the healing potion brewed from it restores the queen's health. The flower's magical abilities are also transferred to the hair of the queen's unborn child, Rapunzel. When Mother Gothel discovers this and learns that the magical properties are only retained as long as the hair remains uncut, she kidnaps Rapunzel and raises her as her own child. Claiming that she wants to keep Rapunzel safe from a frightening world full of danger and thugs, Mother Gothel locks her away in a remote tower. While her hair (almost a character in and of itself) grows longer and longer, Rapunzel blossoms into a surprisingly well-adjusted young woman and gifted artist who longs to see the world - particularly the mysterious lights that appear in the night sky each year on her birthday.

Enter our amusing narrator, Flynn Rider, a roguish thief who has just stolen a tiara and is on the run from palace guards when he comes across Rapunzel's tower and takes refuge there. The very competent Rapunzel restrains Flynn, hides the tiara and strikes a bargain with him - she will return the tiara to him if he will agree to take her to see those mysterious lights, which he tells her are floating lanterns. Flynn agrees and the two set off on a rollicking adventure. Pursued now, not only by Maximus - a horse from the palace guard who refuses to give up the chase - but also by a pair of thugs Flynn double-crossed AND Mother Gothel, Flynn and Rapunzel learn to trust each other as they make one narrow escape from their pursuers after another.

Comments:
Tangled is a laugh-out-loud funny family film that will thoroughly entertain both children and adults. The animation is stellar, the story engaging and the pacing excellent, never dragging for a moment. Rapunzel and Flynn are both charming and likeable, making it easy for viewers to root for them. Further, they are surrounded by a terrific supporting cast including tavern thugs with secret dreams and Pascal, Rapunzel's pet chameleon. But it's Maximus who truly steals the show. The expressive horse is brave, determined, sometimes petty, and hilarious. Every scene he's in is solid gold. I would love to see some sort of sequel with Max and Flynn trading quips - particularly since Max doesn't speak at all and the two still seemed to be doing just that through much of Tangled.

I did have a couple of quibbles, neither of which significantly impacted my enjoyment of the film. First, the colors often seemed a bit too dark to me, rather grayed out. This impression may well have been exacerbated by the 3D glasses. (ETA: A couple of fellow reviewers have commented that they found the colors bright and vibrant when they viewed the film in 2D. It seems likely that my experience may have had more to do with the theater where I saw the film or with the 3D glasses - or a bit of both. This is especially important since I imagine most Amazon costumers will be purchasing this film in 2D. My thanks to Star Fire and Thomas Plotkin for their input - I really appreciate it!) Second, even though I felt they were well performed, the songs were, IMHO, largely under whelming. With the exception of the lovely "I See the Light", I felt they had neither the excitement of previous Disney showstoppers "Be Our Guest", "Under the Sea" or "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" nor the memorable melodies of "Kiss the Girl", "Beauty and the Beast" or "Circle of Life".

On the plus side, the film is rich in emotional depth and is blessed with a number of wonderful scenes. My favorite sequence begins with Rapunzel and Flynn entering the village and dancing with the villagers and continues on through their scene on the lake among the floating lanterns. Their happiness in the village, Rapunzel's sense of wonder (and ours!) while surrounded by the lanterns, the romantic song they sing as they realize they're attracted to one another and may be falling in love - it's all perfect. The lantern scene is jaw-droppingly gorgeous - well worth the price of admission on its own and the film's most effective use of 3D. Another scene that I loved for its poignancy centers on the silent communication between Rapunzel's parents as they mourn their lost daughter together just before releasing their floating lantern.

I do want to alert parents to one element. The relationship between Rapunzel and Mother Gothel is difficult and layered, dealing with emotional abuse masked with concern and declarations of love. (Mother Gothel's frequent put-downs of Rapunzel, followed by a cheery "Just kidding!" had me clenching my teeth.) Young children who are used to a more black and white portrayal of good and evil may be confused by Rapunzel's oft-declared love for the woman she believes is her mother and by Rapunzel's conflicted feelings when she first leaves the tower with Flynn. This unhealthy relationship doesn't overshadow the film, nor does it steal the humor and fun from it, but parents should be prepared for questions children might ask and concerns they might have. These questions may not come until a second or third viewing, when children have already seen the scenes where Mother Gothel more explicitly reveals her true nature and so have that knowledge when viewing the early mother/daughter scenes.

That said, I still loved the film and believe it's a great addition to Disney's animated classics. Lastly, let me just add a big "Yeah!" to the film's final moments when Flynn, back in narrator mode, reveals that it was several years before he and Rapunzel got married. A much better message for children than the more usual we-saw-each-other-twice-before-tying-the-knot which seems almost de rigueur in so many fairy tales.

Highly recommended.




Note: Author, editor and fairy tale aficionado Terri Windling has written a wonderful essay about the long history of the "Maiden in a Tower" story which, it turns out, predates the Brothers Grimm by more than 200 years. I found reading about how a story evolves over time and across cultures absolutely fascinating. (Essay is available at Windling's website. A simple google search - "Rapunzel" + "Terri Windling" - should get you there.)

The marketing for Tangled was atrocious. It was the sole reason why I originally had no interest in this movie at all, and is why the majority of my friends still have no interest in seeing it. Although Disney's former attempt to "return to the glory days", The Princess and the Frog, was moderately well-received by critics, it was considered a financial failure. They marketed it as a warm-hearted Disney musical in the vein of the classics, but apparently the potential audience still wasn't that interested. Smart ol' Disney, attempting to learn from their mistakes, decide to go the polar opposite for the Tangled marketing. Bad idea! Now they've gotten even less people interested! The marketing made Tangled (even the name gives it a cheesy, "edgy" feel) seem like this super-hip retelling of Rapunzel, full of non-essential gags and devoid of any warmth or heart. If that's what you think, you'll be pleasantly surprised if you give Tangled a chance. I bet you didn't even know it was a musical. It's a freaking Alan Menken musical! The composer from all of your favorite Disney movies, including Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Little Mermaid composed the songs for Tangled! And he's still got it! Does that get you excited? Well what if I told you that, contrary to the tone the ads create, Tangled is one of the most touching, beautiful, and joyous movies of the decade? EXCITED NOW?? You should be! Tangled is absolutely PHENOMENAL! It's easily the strongest Disney movie since Lilo and Stitch (2002). I'd even say that it's at the very least in my mental 'top three Disney movies of all time' list. It's that good. Forget The Princess and the Frog. Tangled is the true return to what made Disney classics so fantastic and magical. Apparently it didn't have as much to do with it being hand-drawn as we might have thought.

An old hag finds a magical flower that forever keeps her young. A dying queen's soldiers find the flower and use it to heal her. The queen gives birth to a daughter, Rapunzel, and the flower's magic is passed to the girl. Healing power is embedded in the girl's hair, but is lost when the hair is cut. The old hag steals the girl and locks her in a tower, acting as her protective mother. She continually uses the power of Rapunzel's hair to stay young. The king, queen and townsfolk set loose lanterns into the night sky every year on Rapunzel's birthday in honor of the missing princess. I loved everything about Tangled from the moment it started. The serene tone was immediately set and it never let go. It's just a beautiful movie; rich in emotion and lush in visual splendor. The characters are lovable, the environments are gorgeous, the comedic timing is spot-on, and all tied down into a fantastic Disney package through Alan Menken's music. This is what it's all about. Pure Disney magic. Pure joy. I was beaming the entire time. I can't remember ever having enjoyed myself at a movie this much. I'd say it's on the verge of perfection if not for one annoyance. The final scenes of the movie have no songs. Characters go into song during the story's emotional high points, and yet in the end, when everything is climaxing into an emotional finale, we get nothing. I left feeling slightly underwhelmed, because the ending seemed so lackluster in comparison to how emotionally intense Tangled's other high points felt. I've made peace with that gripe, and I'm sure I'll enjoy it just fine the second time, knowing what's coming. I just really think the end would have made much more of an impact if one of the key melodies made one last reprise...

The story falters slightly in a few minor places, but as a whole is told quite well. Some small areas include the usual "true love happens overnight" phenomenon that apparently exists in the world of Disney animation. The one area that I was rather disappointed in involved Rapunzel's relationship with her phony mother. We're set up with a really thought-provoking dynamic. We know that Mother Gothel's intentions are purely selfish. I mean she did freaking kidnap the girl and has been lying to her for eighteen years. But we're shown that there really is genuine affection between the two. Obviously more from Rapunzel's side, but we still get the impression that Gothel has become quite attached to her pseudo-daughter. I found their relationship really interesting, but as the story unfolded, the focus drew farther and farther away from it and by the time Gothel's original intentions are revealed to Rapunzel, she has become a simplified villain. An icon. And Rapunzel isn't torn in the slightest. She instantly goes from viewing her mother as loving, to as a complete witch, and never looks back. So much for all that early character development about how attached they were. I think that the story would come across much more fleshed-out and profound if that dynamic followed through and came around full-circle. I can understand that for a simple story such as Tangled, they maybe wanted to narrow the focus a bit and only tell the audience what was necessary, while only hinting at supporting plot-lines and dynamics. I just personally found their dynamic really interesting, and think the overall story would have been just a little bit better if it followed through.

Sorry to spend so much time on the negative for such a fantastic movie. I'll leave you with a list of random aspects of Tangled that I loved!

-Rapunzel, herself! She's so adorable! I can't handle it! Most adorable Disney princess, hands down. So much spunk. So much personality.
-The animation! So fluent! So lively! It's amongst the liveliest CG animation I've ever seen. The characters faces have so much personality. So much expression. And the mouths! I kept staring at their mouths. I've never seen CG mouths move so beautifully. It kind of blew my mind.
-The gags! Oh, such gags! The funniest five seconds of my year involved Tangled and a horse eating a piece of paper.
-The sidekicks! Come on, animal sidekicks make any animated movie better! Maximus and Pascal will stick with me for some time.
-The songs and music! God, I didn't realize just how much I missed Alan Menken's music. So delicious. So timeless.
-The colors! So much lavender...
-The pacing! This movie was paced PERFECTLY!
-Enough is left up to the imagination! We're given backstory, but it's not shoved in our faces. I think anyone over the age of 15 will be able to piece together some pretty deep backstory for the characters, and anyone under that age probably won't care if the characters come across a little flat.
-Glen Keane! Although it's 3D, it's incredibly obvious how much influence Disney animator Glen Keane had on the visual look of this movie. I kept seeing Glen Keane facial expressions popping up on all the characters! Especially on Maximus, the horse.
-The voice actors are also the singers! No double-casting here.

4.5/5

Tangled is an amazing movie! The story is very well written and the pace of the movie never gets boring. Alan Menken's score is breathtaking! Easily one of my favorite Disney movies of ALL TIME, and I grew up in the second golden age of The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty And the Beast, ect.
I have seen the movie twice in the theater. I cannot recall EVER going to the see a movie a second time in the theater. I actually might see it again in 3D as it was stunning! Also One of Disney's best villains in my opinion. The psychological aspect of Mother Gothel is deep.

Don't miss this new age Disney classic. Perfect for everyone in your family. It will warm your heart, make you laugh and cry and gives you that Disney magic feeling we have been waiting for since Beauty and the Beast! Amazing!!

I cannot wait for this to come out on Blu-Ray. I even thought about getting a 3D tv..Yeah this movie was that good in 3D for me...haha

Disney is very unpredictable. They crank out the movies; some great and some not so great. But their animated movies are a little more trustworthy; most of them are brilliant family fun. "Tangled" may perhaps be the best Disney Animated production yet!!

Tangled is the story of a girl named Rapunzel (played by Mandy Moore), who was kidnapped as a baby and put in a tower, where her "mother" (played by Donna Murphy) takes care of her, telling to stay indoors, where it is safe. Now, 18, Rapunzel's dream is to see (up close) the mysterious floating lanterns that are released through the sky on HER Birthday each year. Her mother forbids it. And thus enters Flynn Ryder (played by Zachary Levi). Flynn Ryder is a wanted thief who stole the crown of the long-lost princess. He seeks refuge in Rapunzel's castle while her mother is away. Thus begins a long adventure; seeking the mysterious floating lanterns, escaping palace guards and evil captors, finding true love, etc.

"Tangled" is full of intense adventure and roll-on-the-floor humor, as well as quotable lines and memorable songs.
Rapunzel and Flynn have great chemistry, clashing and blending in the perfect way.
Secondary characters like Pascel the chamelion and Maximus the horse add so much feeling and humor to the movie.

One of the things I love about "Tangled" is the depth. The 'bad guy' isn't some large sea monster or scary witch, she's a little bit more subtle, a blend of good and bad.
The scenes switch from suspenseful, to romantic, to funny, to intense, without a single boring moment.
This unforgettable romp is great for all ages, and a brilliant addition to the Disney Princess Movie collection.

Without female companionship, it's hard to go see Tangled and still maintain an air of manliness and virility. So, abandoning all hope of preserving that façade, I decided to go all the way to the deep end of the lame pool and see it with my parents. And for once, the dearth of self-confidence that inspired me to long ago stop vying for success with the fairer sex paid off, because when the dust settled and the credits rolled, there was only one fact left standing, and it towered above all other thoughts and insecurities: Tangled was AWESOME!

What a cast of characters! Zachary Levi, or Chuck from Chuck (for those of you who watch my favorite television show), is perfectly charming as Flynn Rider, the shallow and selfish thief whose good looks are rivaled only by Narcissus. Immediately likeable despite his negative qualities, Flynn Rider's journey toward empathy is one which is quickly obvious, and yet it is so flawlessly executed that I found his transformation transfixing at every turn.

As for Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), well, I was pretty much in love with her the moment I saw her. The epitome of innocence, Rapunzel is a drop of sunshine in the darkness. Her unadulterated joy is contagious, infecting even the most jaded and cynical. It was a pleasure to see how people changed when touched by such a fair creature, whether it be a group of thugs singing about their dreams or innumerable citizens breaking out into dance in the streets. Again, Rapunzel's character arc was rather obvious: from an obedient girl afraid of the world to a real person living her life. And again, it didn't matter, because that arc was artfully crafted.

Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) is an understandable villain. I mean, Rapunzel's magic hair gives her eternal youth. If that's not a good reason for keeping your daughter in a tower, I don't know what is. The two characters of a different genus deserve quite a bit of recognition themselves. Pascal the chameleon makes for an excellent sidekick to Rapunzel. He's just about the cutest thing ever (right behind How to Train Your Dragon's Toothless), and his indignant looks are a great counterpoint to Rapunzel's innocent absurdity. Even Maximus, the head guard's horse, is an amazing character with a story of his own. He tracks Flynn Rider with brutal determination, but as per usual, ends up joining the team.

Honestly, this movie has the perfect setup. You see, Flynn Rider is a character you can really get behind. Sure, he doesn't care about other people, but his charm makes him unarguably, well, charming. Oh, and Rapunzel is a character you can really get behind. The opposite of Flynn, she is trusting and cares deeply for everyone, and yet she has much to learn about the world. We love both characters from the beginning, and the traits that make each of them so great directly reflect the other's flaws, so when fate brings them together, we get to watch an incredible relationship blossom.

Plus, there were a couple of little lines that broke the fourth wall in an amusing way. At one point, Flynn Rider calls Pascal a frog. Rapunzel, offended, points out that it's a chameleon, to which Flynn responds "Nuance." Bringing up the cliché of a princess and a frog is especially amusing, since Disney's last animated film was titled The Princess and the Frog. Also, like I said, Mother Gothel isn't particularly villainous during the film, just a bit attached to the idea of immortality. Now, when she argues with Rapunzel, she always complains that Rapunzel is "making her the bad guy." Well, I really wanted her to be the bad guy so I could cheer when she got her comeuppance, and then finally, much to my delight, she snaps, saying "You want me to be the bad guy? Fine. Now I'm the bad guy." To her, she was harkening back to those old arguments, but to me, she was talking directly to the audience, letting us know that it was ok to root against her.

If I had one complaint, and I do, it would be that the songs didn't quite live up to my expectations. They were still excellent, but they were a bit more ponderous than some Disney tunes. With the exception of "I've Got a Dream," they were slow, character-heavy numbers that, while still of a high quality, lacked the pizzazz that got the Aladdin soundtrack stuck so firmly in my head.

But the songs certainly didn't detract from the experience. The dialogue was sharp, the animation was beyond beautiful, and the movie was both touching and hilarious. And as an added bonus, there was a lot of great insight into human nature. I cared for those characters, and the film was able to jerk my emotions around however it wanted. My sides hurt from laughing, my eyes ached from tears. Flynn's charm and Rapunzel's joy didn't just affect the other characters; they reached right out of that screen and touched me too, and because of that, I give Tangled:

5/5 Stars

The only truly sad thing about this movie was that Rapunzel ended up becoming a brunette. Oh, the humanity!

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Since buying the set up for my 3D TV I have been starved for good movies to watch in 3D and this one delivered a spectacle of visual harmony. Coraline and A Christmas Carol were also beautifully done, but there are moments in Tangled I felt I was in the movie. I was scared when Rapunzel and I were in the cave filling up with water, to on the boat ride dazzled by how the floating lights danced over my head. Some people may say that 3d takes away from the movie experience, and that is true if it is bad 3d but Tangled delivered me an experience I could not get while watching it in 2D. 2D will still have the same great story and character triangles that make this a great movie, but it may not add that next level of emerging yourself in that story world.
I am 29 years old and never thought I would get reacquainted with Disney movies and enjoy them as I have with Tangled. If Disney continues to put forth more great movie in 3d like this then they will undoubtedly lead the DVD 3d sales when they sway more people into purchasing the proper equipment.

I grew up with The little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin and this is one of the best Disney movies in my opinion. it is right up there with all their other classics! My whole family adored it. It leaves you with this happy magical feeling only Disney can provide. The story was flawless and original. The music was great and Alan Menken's musical score was breathtaking! The voice work was awesome and the characters were well developed! I cannot wait for this to be released on Blu-Ray!

I hope it wins the Oscar for Best Animated picture! As it truly deserves it!

I don't see movie trailers on TV, since I time shift everything and fast forward through commercials. So I knew nothing at all about this other than it was a Disney movie. Nothing online, hadn't heard anyone talk about it, I mean it was an absolute null to me. But I generally really like Disney and Pixar movies, so when I came across it, I had to see it with my 7 year old.

To say I was blown away would be putting it mildly. I didn't know Mandy Moore did the voice, but as soon as the first song started, I recognized it straight off. Same with Zachary Levi. Now Mandy I could see, since I've loved her voice ever since I saw A Walk to Remember. Zachary was a surprise, having known him only from the series Chuck, I never thought of him as a voice actor.

And after seeing the movie a few times, I can't picture any other choices doing as good of a job. They both do an outstanding job of emoting. Both in the songs and in the dialog, the inflections are just absolutely perfect. Her squeak when she first hits him. His "Surrounded by enormous piles of money" in the "I've Got a Dream" song... The way her voice shifted so well in her bipolar scene... It was the little touches like that which put this movie right to the top for me.

Songs? I had to buy the soundtrack and it's all my son wants to listen to now, whether on the TV (I use a media center PC for my TV so it's all available), on the computer, or on the ipod in the car. We're singing tangled songs all over the place. I found these songs to be my all time favorites now from any of the animated musicals. I never thought they'd get anyone to shine better in their musical animations than Jodi Benson (hope I spelled that right) from the Little Mermaid, but Mandy Moore nailed it. Songs are incredibly rich and have a lot of depth musically, and as always, are hilarious and very, very enjoyable. Even the score for the rest of the movie was great, and I crank the music from the dancing scene when I'm driving around too, great stuff.

The animation was wonderful, and the job they did with her hair, as well as the horse's expressions (as someone else mentioned in a review, the horse is a riot), and Pascal, the Chameleon... Was everything that Disney is known for when they're doing their jobs well.

Another review also mentioned the poor marketing job and such, which I guess I can attest to at a different level, as I had not noticed anything at ALL about it until March 2011 here, a few weeks ago. But despite that, this has shot right to my number one animated movie... And I never thought I'd see ANYTHING supplant that spot for my 7 year old, above Cars and Wall-E... But this one did for both of us.

Great movie for all ages, and hopefully a sign that Disney is solidly back on track.

(I gave this movie 4 stars because nothing is perfect, so therefore, no 5 stars.)
When I go see an animated movie, I am not looking for serious plot, serious music, or serious anything, come to think of it.
I am looking for entertainment.
Period.
"Tangled" gave me that.
BOY, did it ever give me that!
I saw it first with my sis-in-law...we are both in our late 60's. Then, when my granddaughter (she's 5) said she'd seen it, loved it, wanted to see it again...I was happy to oblige, and off we went.
It was even better the second time around because I didn't have to think much about the plot, I could focus on the outstanding animation and the humor--the over-the-top, truly funny humor.
(Most of the 'funny' films these days have a humor rating that equals a junior-high locker room, either gender.)
That horse steals the show!
I'm from the generation that was the first to see "Snow White". The animation in that film defies description when you remember that it was done literally stroke by stroke.
I don't want to know how they did "Tangled", it would spoil the magic.
To debate plot line, etc. in this film is a waste of time.
Just sit back and ENJOY it.

I will admit that I am a Disney sap, but Tangled is perhaps the best movie of 2010, or even this millenium. The characters are great, well developed, and fun. The art is beautiful. The story is a twist on the classic that everyone knows so well.

And then it happens. Mid movie. You'll know it when you see it. That piece of Disney Magic that you know no other creators could make. That scene that was written just to touch your heart. Your eyes light up, you might get a little teary even though it isn't sad... It's just magic.

Tangled is fantastic. I preordered it. I saw it in theatres 8 times. I bought the soundtrack.

I don't do that with movies that aren't amazing. In fact... I've never done that before in my life.

Buy this movie. It doesn't matter if you're one or 100, you'll love it.