Susan Granger’s review of “Tangled” (Walt Disney Studios)
Disney has a brand new princess. No damsel in distress, she’s adventurous and in 3-D!
In this revisionist take on the Grimms’ folkloric “Rapunzel,” the narrator tells of a good King and his ailing, pregnant Queen, whose life is saved by a magical flower. The plant’s restorative powers are transferred to the Queen’s infant daughter, Rapunzel, who is kidnapped by evil Mother Gothel (voiced by Donna Murphy, who seems to be channeling Cher). Determined to use the Princess’s powers to remain eternally young, manipulative Mother Gothel raises Rapunzel (voiced by Mandy Moore) as her own daughter, never cutting the girl’s long, golden hair and keeping her locked in a high tower in a hidden corner of the forest, often sarcastically reminding her that “Mother Knows Best.” As her 18th birthday approaches, Rapunzel yearns to explore the outside world, particularly the mysterious ‘lights’ she sees in the night sky that coincide with her birthday. (They’re lanterns floating up from the Kingdom’s annual commemoration of her disappearance.)
So one day, when a handsome, overly-confident thief, Flynn Rider (voiced by Zachary Levi), seeks refuge climbing up into her tower, she takes him hostage, negotiating a ‘road trip’ deal – with Flynn serving as her guide through the perilous outside world. But he soon discovers that savvy, strong, spunky Rapunzel, hauling around her 70-feet of hair and armed only with an iron frying pan, can totally take care of herself, outwitting thick-necked thugs and a band of hooligans.
Story honcho Mark Kennedy and screenwriter Dan Fogelman (“Cars,” “Bolt”) not only reinvent the story as fresh, witty and new but also add two, scene-stealing animal side-kicks: Pascal (a feisty, protective chameleon) and Maximus (a hilariously determined Palace horse). Directors Nathan Greno and Byron Howard utilize 3-D CGI to achieve spectacular visual effects, enhanced by new songs from Alan Menken and Glenn Slater. Like “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin” and “The Lion King,” it’s geared for urbane, contemporary audiences.
On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Tangled” is a total 10 – like awesome!
