Tangled: Review

Disney's Tangled is the company's 50th full length animated feature, and while not all of the studio's output have been masterpieces, the disappointing early 80s period and, most recently the past few movies, including the last one, The Princess and the Frog, I am pleased to announce that they are definitely back to form with this delight.

An old woman finds a magic flower that keeps her young, until it is taken by the King's guards to help the King's ailing wife while she is in childbirth. The magical powers pass over to the young princess that has been born, in her blonde hair that can never be cut. The old woman steals the princess and hides her in a tower in the forest. 18 years later, the princess Rapunzel, dreams of leaving the tower to see the floating lights that appear on her birthday. Meanwhile, rogue Flynn has just stolen the princess's crown and, escaping from the guards, he climbs the tower and is knocked out by the long haired girl. She gives him an ultimatum: she will return the crown if he will escort her to see the lights. So heading off and being pursued by the old woman, guards, two brothers who were double-crossed by Flynn, and the horse of the head of the King's guards, the couple start to fall in love.

This is an animated treat from start to finish. Using CGI, the company have taken a classic tale and given it a modern spin while still keeping the spirit of what made Disney great in the beginning. Plenty of colour, terrific characters and some hummable tunes.

The voices are suitably apt: Mandy Moore makes for a cute Rapunzel, while Chuck's Zachary Levi is delightfully smooth as Flynn. The pair are upstaged by a brilliant creation in the form of Maximus, a white horse with dog-like traits.

There are plenty of laughs to be had for the adults escorting the younger viewers, who will find the cuteness and slapstick hilarious. The songs are not as memorable as other Disney songs, but still are easy on the ear and a big musical numbers involving local thieves and crooks is both inventive and very funny.

If there is a quibble, it's the pointlessness of releasing it in 3D, once again proving that the technique is only here to milk the money cow. Aside from that, this is Disney finest hour since The Lion King and you will have plenty of fun and maybe shed a little tear. If I was to compare this to anything, then Enchanted comes to mind, and I was definitely enchanted by this.