Fun

Rating: 10/10 (2 June 2013)

Children's movies tend to have character's that are not very dimensional -- like UP (absenting the first scene which shows how a lifetime of unexpected events often limits our dreams).
The best of children's films subtly presents more interesting characters that have more that just 1 set of characteristics. Such a film was Tangled.
Rapunzel is astonishing feminine when she cajoles Maximus (the horse) into accepting Flynn Rider as her protector/guide as she makes her way to the festival of the lanterns. She really turns "it" on. No guy could resist her combination of innocence and womanliness.
My wife made mention of Flynn Rider before anything else. "Now there is a man," was her brief summary of what she liked about the film. He only appeared as superficially very charming to me. Then I saw her point. He does bear a resemblance to Errol Flynn, who was not only charming, but courageous. He treated everything, good and bad, with a basic delight in life.
It is the horse that is perhaps the most fun in this film. He had absolutely no dialogue whatever, but he understood everything that was said to him. He had a face that was plastic in origin and conveyed all of his responses with facial expressions. Children's films are masters of speechless communication. The Little Mermaid is almost a perfect example of this genre. So towards the end of her negotiations with him, Maximus lowers his head, flattens his ears and closes his eyes. He knows that his honour as a protector of the realm has been challenged. He knows that she is playing the damsel in distress routine and doing it very well. He knows that she is making a request he cannot refuse. He gives in, but it is certainly against his better judgement. So he shakes hands/hooves with Flynn. He has given his word and he will be obedient to that oath. But he doesn't have to like it.
To emphasize the point, he and Flynn exchange shoves and punches on the bridge. They act like a couple of seven year olds. One has to be delighted by such an exchange.
The last of the good guys is Pascal, the mood ring with a tail. He is, I think, a chameleon. He too is wordless, but he is not nearly as well developed as Maximus.
The men at the inn look like they should be bad guys, but they are not. True, they are capable of drawing swords and maybe using them, but they all have a dream and again it is Rapunzel's innocence that they respond to. Each of them reveals in song what they dream of doing should they be free of their image. They like Rapunzel, but they are not sure of Flynn.
The one really "bad" guy is Mother Gruthel -- wonderfully voiced by Donna Murphy. She also has the one song that is memorable (Mother Knows Best). She is all oil and false charm and an imitation of motherly love on the outside and all ooze and darkness on the inside. She is a frightening creation.
So there's your cast. It's a delightful movie. You don't have to go see this with a kid as your excuse. Just go see it. It's fun for everyone.