Disney lets their hair down.

Rating: 9/10 (1 February 2011)

'I don't do back story' claims an arrogant Flynn Rider - the outlawed central male character of Disney's 'Tangled' - when his history is probed by Rapunzel, his equally headstrong female counterpart. Incidentally, 'Tangled' doesn't do back story either, or even side plots for that matter; viewers are brought up to speed in a narrated introduction that gives us the who, what, why, where and when in an account given by the aforementioned criminal, revealing information in a biased light and missing an opportunity to explore the motivations of characters seen in the opening scene. This would be a detriment to many a film in which the tactic would be seen as lazy, however, 'Tangled' is solely focused on the growth of its dynamic duo and every other plot device and supporting character serves only as a catalyst for Flynn and Rapunzel's development. Interaction between other characters, such as the King and Queen who lost their daughter, is limited, but these omissions aren't vital as the emotional investment of the film is purely concentrated on its main characters. In a film about a girl who hasn't set foot outside for eighteen years, Disney appropriately isolate Rapunzel even more in her own story as she ventures beyond her tower for the first time.
Immediately noteworthy is the overall style of the screenplay, which resembles the witty tone and slapstick of a Dreamworks Animation product, particularly that of Shrek. It's refreshing to see Disney dabble in humour like this as Pixar and Dreamworks are both so black and white in their methods that I have never before witnessed a blend of their approaches as I have in 'Tangled', where heavy character work and physical sidekick antics compliment each other consistently, giving the film a real family-friendly consistency. While Disney may have come under fire for marketing the film towards both male and female demographics, dismissing a focus on the princess, the studio proves an unevenly skewed fairy tale can resonate with all audiences. Kidnapped from the palace as a child by an ageing hag, Rapunzel is hidden away so her captor can utilise the magic in the princess' golden locks to restore her youthful beauty whenever need be. As her prisoner grows older and more inquisitive, it becomes increasingly more difficult to suppress her thoughts of leaving; until the day that Flynn Rider, looking for a place to hide from the law, stumbles upon the tower. Joining Flynn on the run from the respective forces of authority ruling over them, Rapunzel is faced with realising her past and understanding the true nature of the world beyond her window. Aided by her pet chameleon, the hilariously silent Pascal, and a grumpy, defected police horse named Maximus, the pair become intertwined in the complexity of each other's situations. Twisting the archetype of the evil stepmother, Disney have shaped an unforgettably manipulative enemy in Rapunzel's keeper, and viewers will hang on every cunning, contradicting word she speaks throughout; the land equivalent of Ursula ('The Little Mermaid'), Disney merchandise in her image won't exactly be flying off the shelves in a hurry.
Five years in development and amassing what is currently believed to be the second highest budget for a feature film ever, the tech of 'Tangled' is justifiably breathtaking. Animating human forms is no longer the issue it once was, with close-ups of Rapunzel and Flynn proudly included now that their faces can express emotions so clearly (fifteen years ago 'Toy Story' routinely depicted characters from the waist down). Their world is picturesque, where each blade of glass falls with weight and water flows according to the laws of physics. Arguably a character in its own right, Rapunzel's hair is lush and textured, and its length is managed in genius and humorous manners. These visuals strengthen many sequences which will no doubt become iconic, particularly a scene set at night where hundreds of glowing fire lanterns illuminate the sky and water. Scored by Alan Menken, who follows a genre-specific approach like the jazz and gospel laden 'The Princess and the Frog', the soundtrack is typically touching, though time will tell if the musical numbers of 'Tangled' will be memorable in years to come; they don't convey the great sense of scale the characters are facing so well as, for example, 'Part of That World' (The Little Mermaid') or 'A Whole New World' ('Aladdin'), where the lyrics encapsulate the concept of the entire movie in a more grandiose way. Described as a combination of medieval music and folk rock, the music is suitably theatrical and at times pantomime, striking a chord with the persevering lightheartedness of the film, while Menken's scoring is rousing and accentuates each character well.
Introducing a lovable family of characters and maintaining a return to form that began with 'The Princess and the Frog' , 'Tangled' is a successful fairy tale adaptation that lets its hair down for the sake of having a good time, proving that the tradition of the classic fairy tale is one that should be fiddled with, rather than forgotten.
9/10