"Tangled" – Movie Review

11/27/2010 Posted by Admin

"Tangled"

Movie Review

By our guest blogger, Matthew Schimkowitz


For Disney’s 50th animated film, the Mouse House went back to the drawing board and crafted one more classic princess story. Stressing plot, character and humor over pop-culture gags, "Tangled" takes cues from Pixar and thrills the viewer with action and romance. Its lush, 3D environments and likable story make "Tangled" a triumph that should sit next to Disney’s best with ease.

"Tangled" retells the story of Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), who was kidnapped as a child by the evil Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) for her hair’s regenerative powers. Gothel keeps Rapunzel locked in a tower, where her hair and desire to escape grows with each passing day.

Rapunzel does not remember her former life as a princess, but her parents sure do. Still hopeful of her return, the King and Queen release a thousand lanterns into the sky to guide her home, and on her 18th birthday, Rapunzel wishes to follow them. So, with the help of the charming thief Flynn (Zackary Levi), Rapunzel leaves her tower for the first time, with her evil step-mother hot on her heels.

Flynn and Rapunzel meet some real danger on their journey, leading to moments of sincere threat and excitement. Things get hairy, so to speak, for these two, but it’s never without an accompanying song or joke to defuse the terror.

Each element of the story acts as constructively as the other, with characters building humor and intelligence through their strengths and weaknesses. Directors Nathan Greno and Byron Howard successfully realize their cast in three dimensions to match their beautifully rendered images.

"Tangled" boasts some of the best 3D of the year. The characters jump from their vivid backgrounds add great depth to their placement on screen. When Rapunzel stands in the foreground, the lush forest greenery behind her seems to roll on for miles and their rich colors burst from the screen in visceral splendor.

This is a testament to the power of 3D when mastered--and not rushed.

In the end, Disney’s latest is a marvel. It benefits from the studio’s hold of the genre to create some fine characters, thrilling moments and beautiful images. "Shrek" it is not. "Tangled" is animation at its best and this season’s biggest surprise--it treats its audience with intelligence while giving them a jolt of fun.

Grade: A-

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1 comments:

  1. Ben said...

    Nice reviews. Definitely one to take the kids to.