Tangled

Rating: 8/10 (6 February 2011)

When I read that Disney were going to make a new film about Rapunzel, I assumed it was going be hand-drawn animation, but it turned out to be computer animated, but I was still going to see it. Basically a magic raindrop falls to the ground and creates a new magical flower that can heal injuries, cure the sick and prolong youth, the elderly Gothel (Spider-Man 2's Donna Murphy) wants this flower herself to give her everlasting youth and beauty. But the flower is taken by the kingdom palace guards looking for a cure for the sick and dying pregnant queen, and after being cured by the flower's magic, she gives birth to the baby girl, Rapunzel, who absorbs the flower's abilities in her golden hair. Finding this out, Gothel kidnaps the baby in order to use the powers of her hair for herself, and she takes her to a hidden tall tower that is well hidden and no-one will ever find to raise her as her own daughter. Eighteen years later, Rapunzel (A Walk to Remember's Mandy Moore) has grown her hair to a humongous length, and she still believes the horrible Gothel is her mother, and with the insistence of her mother stays trapped in the tower to spend her time singing, painting, reading, and looking out the window wondering what is outside. She finally plucks up the courage to ask her "mother" about the lights she sees rising in the sky every year on her birthday, she doesn't know they are floating lanterns released from her real home at the palace, hoping she will one day return home. Of course Gothel strictly forbids Rapunzel from leaving tower being greedy for the power of the hair, but soon enough when she is alone, dashing thief Flynn Rider (Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel's Zachary Levi) climbs the tower to hide. Desperate to see the rising lights up close, and with her "mother" gone for three days, she makes a deal with Flynn that if he takes her to where the lights come from, she will give back the priceless crown he has stolen. So begins a treacherous journey to the kingdom, Rapunzel has mixed feelings about disobeying her "mother" and leaving the tower, but she knows she has dreamt of leaving for years, and Flynn is very wary for his sake as well, being a wanted man. When she returns to the tower, and gets back up via the secret entrance, Gothel sees that Rapunzel has been taken away, she at first believes she has been kidnapped, but then she spots her "daughter" singing about her relief to be out. After so many chases towards the kingdom, the two thieves that were originally with Flynn join Gothel to capture both him and Rapunzel, they do manage to get to a boat and see the floating lanterns, and they are getting very close as well. Rapunzel is fooled however into thinking that Flynn does indeed still want to crown, he is tied up and captured ready for execution (by hanging), and she is taken back to the hidden tower believing her "mother" was right all along. But Flynn manages to escape, and rides back on once rival now friend horse Maximus, while Rapunzel finally realises that she is princess to the king and queen, and of course that Gothel kidnapped her for her hair's abilities. In the end, when Flynn is near death he cuts Rapunzel's hair, turning it brown and taking away its power, Gothel falls from the tower to her death, Rapunzel saves Flynn from death with the flower abilities in her tears, and she returns to her true home to marry Flynn. Also starring Ron Perlman as Stabbington Brother, Jeffrey Tambor as Big Nose Thug, M.C. Gainey as Captain of the Guard, Brad Garrett as Hook Hand Thug, Paul F. Tompkins as Short Thug and Richard Kiel as Vladimir. The voice talent are all great, including of course singing their own songs, Gothel is a particularly nasty villain who enjoys it, and the animation is fantastic, especially if you see it in 3D. The most spellbinding sequence is all the floating lanterns surrounding the couple falling in love with the beautiful Oscar and Golden Globe nominated song "I See the Light", it is a family film that shows fairy tales are still possible to make, an enchanting animated comedy adventure. It was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Animated Film. Very good!