Review of Tangled (2010) by Jenn T — 09 Aug 2013

A good enough Disney Fairy Tale, but defecated upon by John Lasseter and Ed Catmull who had the odd notion that nobody would watch a princess movie unless it was packed with killer action and slapstick.

"Tangled" has a long and twisted journey, almost as long and twisted as the protagonist's hair, and I have followed its journey religiously since the Eisner Era when the film was called "Rapunzel Unbraided.

" Under the careful supervision of master animator Glen Keane, the legendary story of the girl with long, golden locks was supposed to be something astonishingly beautiful, deeply romantic, and Classic Disney with a capital C and D; it was also supposed to be animated with a hyped-up technique mimicking rococo-style brushwork.

But this was not to be. Enter John and Ed, the big boys from Pixar. Seizing control of production, they degraded Glen Keane from director to art supervisor, pulled Rapunzel from the title of her own movie, slapped on the Shrek-inspired Tangled label with the hopes of attracting more boys, and added a swashbuckling traitor named Flynn Ryder instead of the classic Prince.

Flynn, to be quite honest, was the only thing that worked in these series of changes, as his character was well-developed, and I loved his dashing smirks, which are halfway Orlando Bloom and halfway Errol Flynn.

However, I did not appreciate the jarring, Emperor's New Groove-esque narrated opening which killed all grandeur and awe, and his initial crown-robbing antics reminded me too much of Tulio from Dreamworks' underrated "Road to El Dorado.

" One of the funniest and well-crafted moments that sticks in my memory is the tower sequence where Flynn first meets the mysterious girl. Whamming Flynn over the head with a frying pan and then hiding him in the closet was unforgettable, and the sequence contains the distinct flavor of humor that makes Disney Disney: (ie, both parents and children laugh at the same time at the same joke.

) The character animation is fluid like classic 2D Disney characters. Rapunzel herself is a sight to behold as much of Glen Keane's original wide-eyed joy and expression is captured; Mandy Moore's vocals are impressive.

(Glen Keane, for those who do not know, was supervising animator to some of the most memorable Disney characters of the Mouse House's Renaissance period: Ariel, Aladdin, the Beast, Pocahontas, and others.

) The decision to make Rapunzel's hair magic and moving was smart, and the non-photoreal rendering of 70 feet of golden locks made her all the more impressive and memorable. The squash and stretch of Rapunzel and Flynn, the minimal usage of detail and light/dark, and the care and attention to body expression/posing is the best I've seen in a computer animated film, outdoing both Dreamworks' "Kung Fu Panda" and "Madagascar.

While I did enjoy the character animation and the 2D aesthetic quality of many backgrounds, (including far-away views of Rapunzel's Fantasyland-looking tower,) painterly and picturesque the animation is not.

In this historical moment in time (the year 2010,) the studio proves it had a long way to go before delivering CG that truly mimics hand-drawn animation. The closest "Tangled" gets to achieving Keane's initial vision is during the brief, but beautiful, lantern sequence in which Flynn and Rapunzel share an unforgettable duet "I See the Light.

" Apart from bursting in color, the song may very well be the most memorable Disney tune since Tarzan's "You'll Be In My Heart" waaaaaay back in 1999. This sequence is gorgeous, romantic, heartfelt, and I wish the entire movie could have bled off of this one scene.

In some instances it does, but in most cases, unfortunately, it does not. The only other memorable song in this Alan Menkin soundtrack is "Mother Knows Best" in which the evil Mother Gothel persuades Rapunzel to stay at home in seclusion.

Like the best Disney films, the song is reprised towards the end in a semi-disturbing mockery tone. The pivotal "death" scene towards the end involving cut hair and tears of sadness, is brilliant and restored my confidence in Disney Animation Studios.

Overall, I am a bit disappointed in "Tangled" because of its long, long history and John Lasseter's changes, which seemed to detract from the sincerity of the classic European fairy tale; however, this is still a laudable and praiseworthy step in the right direction for the studio who could not produce a single critically-acclaimed animated hit since 2002's Lilo & Stitch.

(And yes, it had been that long.).