Review of Tangled (2010) by Jwv — 11 Jan 2014

As the film starts, so will I start by saying that I really like the frame narrative. Everybody will be able to connect with it because of its reminiscence with bed-time stories, and it neatly ties the beginning and the ending together.

Throughout the film, there's a great momentum of action, singing and character building. The film succeeds in portraying likable, believable and funny characters that, although they may be cliché-esque types, do convince. The dialogues too may make you suffer from a certain feeling of déjà-vu, but they are witty, and the songs are enjoyable (props to Mandy Moore), with the usual accompanying trademark funny scenes. The voice-acting is top-notch, as are the sound-effects and the soundtrack, which provides just the right tune for just the right occasion. Going on about aesthetics, the animations were colourful and enchanting with jaw-dropping detail (which makes for an awful lot of beautiful screenshots for fans).

The story is no big mystery or surprise, even for those who are not familiar with the fairytale itself. The film however, does a great job of keeping it interesting with several sub-plots and an occasional plot-twist. It is the story about the confrontation between a naive teenager and the world, and also about the adolescent's growing awareness for the other sex. Tangled is a great example of the genius, albeit quite clichéd Disney formula of success on its best. We recognize the story of a sympathetic protagonist searching for freedom, and exploring the world. He or she encounters several evil characters on the journey, but in the end wins out over them, not only because of his or her intelligence and perseverance, but also by charming others with their innocence, likability and lack of prejudice.

This mix of elements forms the basis of the trademark Disney formula, with which Disney here proves they utterly ace the art of pleasing a mass audience, all age categories included.