An instant Disney classic with wonderful storytelling and music!

Rating: 10/10 (17 November 2010)

I had the pleasure of seeing an advanced screening of the movie back in October, and I was not at all disappointed in any way! Don't let the trailers and marketing fool you; this movie is anything but a Shrek rip-off like the trailers would lead you to believe. The movie is a straight-up classic animated musical along the league of The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast. Not only does the film stick close to the original Rapunzel fairy tale, it also improves upon it by adding the Disney magic we all know and love, and that's gorgeous art, music and heart (and perhaps some twists in order to make the movie family-appropriate, as we wouldn't want an out-of-wedlock pregnant Disney heroine).
The villain in the movie (Mother Gothel) is a very devious and selfish being, and perhaps the most complex Disney villain next to Frollo. In all, I love her and I think she is very unique! The protagonist, Rapunzel, is a very welcoming addition to the Disney princesses we all know and love. Her best friend, the chameleon Pascal, is hilarious and adorable! Flynn Rider is a smug guy, but charming nonetheless. The horse Maximus steals the show in most of the scenes he's in. In all, the characters in this movie are all extremely lovable! Not to mention the amazing story, visuals, and plot. If anything, this movie would be the one that starts off the new Disney Renaissance, and I'm saying that as someone who watched and loved both Bolt and The Princess and the Frog. I'm a teenager who grew up on classic Disney movies and this film definitely deserves to be one of the five best animated Disney movies ever made!