50. Tangled (2010)

After the golden age of the Renaissance, Disney just couldn’t seem to get back to the top, no matter what they tried; despite a couple of successes, namely Lilo and Stitch, the next ten years of films just failed to live up to audience expectations. Though The Princess and the Frog did manage to recapture the feeling of the Renaissance to a degree and was a moderate financial success, it still seemed to be missing something; then came Tangled, the film which finally brought back that feeling 100% and became Disney’s biggest hit in years. After ten long years of struggling with how to update the Disney formula, how to move on from the Renaissance while still keeping what was best about it and how to make computer animation work for them, Disney succeeded at last, as well as proving that it was more than worth the time and effort.

The film returns to computer animation, but for once I don’t say that with disappointment, as with Tangled Disney finally found a way to translate the style and personality of their 2D animation into 3D, combining new and old techniques to create something entirely original; it might not be like watching Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or Fantasia for the first time, but Tangled does push the boundaries of animation more than anything we’ve seen from Disney in a long time. The film takes advantage of the unique attributes afforded by computer animation, allowing for highly realistic and detailed textures and lighting, the animation of the hair – particularly Rapunzel’s, obviously – is especially impressive; this makes Tangled so much more than just a regular Disney movie in 3D, it’s an entirely different animal with its own, unique strengths. The characters are perhaps the biggest improvement in terms of computer animation, they have great facial expressions, so much movement and energy, a lot of subtle touches to them that help strengthen their personalities; this is the kind of stuff that always sets apart a good Disney movie from a great one and sadly, it seemed to have been lost in their move to computer animation, so it’s truly satisfying to see it back. Tangled is the first computer animated movie from Disney that actually looks and feels like a real Disney movie and, as is the case with all the best Disney movies, you can really sense the effort and love put into every frame.

They just can’t get his nose right 

The story takes a lot of things we’ve come to expect from Disney, but utilises them at the highest level and combines them to create a story that still seems refreshing and new, a trend we will see in most facets of the film. Things are very well paced, opening up with a classic Disney introduction which sets up the story very quickly and then jumping into the action almost immediately and never really slowing down, except when it’s appropriate. Obviously it’s a matter of opinion, but I think the film goes by so quickly, especially considering this is one of Disney’s longer movies, not a single moment feels wasted, unnecessary, or even remotely boring, it’s non-stop fun from beginning to end. The movie combines action, adventure, comedy and romance in a perfect balance, debatably even better than Aladdin, which set the benchmark for this style of Disney film; the film isn’t lacking in any of these areas and is at the top of its game in absolutely all of them, never neglecting one aspect of the story or spending too much time on another, everything is just right. The action scenes are excellent and genuinely exciting, with some surprisingly good fight choreography for a Disney movie, the more emotional scenes are touching and the comedy is really strong – the physical humour is funny, the character interactions are funny, the dialogue is funny it’s just funny and without being cynical or sarcastic; much like Rapunzel herself, the film derives joy and humour simply from a pure and genuine desire to have fun.

If The Princess and the Frog was a return to the style of the Renaissance films, Tangled is for the Renaissance films what they themselves were for the early Disney classics – it takes what was good and, most importantly, timeless, about them and repurposes those aspects for a new time, while adding a few of its own new ideas for good measure; the result is a film that recaptures many of Disney’s most charming traditions and tropes, but still feels completely original. Tangled oozes with creativity and imagination and is never lazy or derivative with its ideas, in what other movie would you see a man sword fighting with a horse, using a frying pan? The film is able to acknowledge these quirks and eccentricities, but without being overly self-indulgent, which means that even in the most ridiculous of scenarios, the world of the film and the behaviour of its characters still feels totally real – it sucks you in right from the start and never lets you go.

The most dangerous game

Rapunzel is Disney’s best female protagonist since Belle and, even I have to admit, she may very well be an even better one. Rapunzel is brimming with personality, she’s sweet, optimistic, curious, adventurous, anxious and immensely likeable; practically every character in the movie warms to her after just a few minutes and it’s impossible to not do the same yourself. Though drawing on the “sheltered young girl who dreams of something more” character type common in the Renaissance, Rapunzel is not only given a better reason for these ambitions than most of her predecessors, but this is also only a single aspect to her personality; her dreams of exploration outside her tower serve only as the initial spark to her adventure and, despite her joy at finally realising her dream of seeing the lanterns, it quickly becomes clear that the journey is much more important than the destination. She also undergoes genuine character development, going from an overly cautious and jumpy young girl who has been browbeaten by her abusive mother into thinking that she’s worthless, to a strong and confident young woman who realises the necessity of taking charge of one’s own life. Though the circumstances of Rapunzel’s life are of course, fantastical, her having to grown up under the rule of a selfish and belittling parent is a very real problem for young people and, while the repercussions of this kind of parental abuse are not explored as fully as they could be – it is ultimately, a light-hearted film – it’s still exhilarating to see Rapunzel finally triumph over her controlling mother, in the same way that it is to see Quasimodo stand up to Frollo, a relationship that very much resembles this one. Determined, energetic and adorable, Rapunzel is one of Disney’s best protagonists.

Similarly, Flynn is one of Disney’s best love interests, so much so in fact, that it’s reductive to refer to him as such, as he exists as a great hero in his own right, with a personality and character arc entirely independent of his relationship with Rapunzel. Like Rapunzel, Flynn draws inspiration from a classic Disney character type, in this case, the “cheeky, loveable rogue”, such as Aladdin, Tramp, Baloo and even Naveen from the previous year’s The Princess and the Frog. However, like everything else in the movie, he transcends simply being a newer model of an old idea, by just how well his character is realised and how fun he is to watch. He’s daring, shallow, witty, loves to brag (though he’s always swiftly punished for doing so), but secretly has a sensitive side and suffers from insecurity issues and low self-esteem. We’ve seen this all before in some way or another, but everything about Flynn (or, Eugene Fitzherbert, which we learn to be his real name) from his animation, to his voice acting, to his exceptionally well written and funny dialogue is presented at such a high level that it hardly matters. Rapunzel and Flynn’s relationship is very possibly the best of any Disney movie, except for Belle and Beast; like those two, they start off at odds with one another, forced into a partnership that neither of them really feels comfortable with and somewhat unwilling to work together. As they get to know each other, however, they realise they have more in common than they thought and learn to bring out the best in one another, eventually falling in love. Again, this is classic stuff, but done so well that there’s nothing to complain about; I can’t even really put my finger on why it works so well, perhaps it’s simply because these two are so likeable on their own and for such similar reasons that they naturally go perfectly together, perhaps it’s because the moments the two are given together are so well written and paced and feel so down-to-earth and real, perhaps it’s some entirely independent and unidentifiable quality, I don’t know. What I do know is that, for whatever reason, it works and it works splendidly.

The happy couple

Maximus is a very strange and interesting idea for a character, a serious, determined horse that chases down Flynn with all the unstoppable tenacity of Tommy Lee Jones’ character in The Fugitive. Disney have proven time and again their natural skill at physical humour with silent characters and Maximus is no exception, his sharp and sudden movements and great facial expressions allow for a lot of great jokes and his interactions with Flynn in particular are very funny. Pascal works in the same kind of way, but is more calm and easygoing than the hot-blooded Maximus, though no less ruthless when it comes to defending Rapunzel. These two characters are fun and enjoyably cartoony in nature, but never upstage Rapunzel and Flynn, who rightfully remain the centre of attention. Mother Gothel is a fantastic villain that resembles aspects of many others, such as Frollo, the Evil Queen, Lady Tremaine and so on, but again, manages to also be a completely unique character. A narcissist who constantly throws passive aggressive swipes at her adopted (or rather, kidnapped) daughter to lower her self-esteem, obsessed with her own youth and beauty, incredibly over-dramatic, incapable of accepting responsibility or viewing herself in the wrong, she’s a great and actually realistically psychologically troubled villain, with a well constructed relationship with the hero. She has a strong and clear motivation, she’s always involved in the action, she’s fantastically animated, by the end of the movie Mother Gothel already feels like one of Disney’s classic villains. The side characters aren’t as prominent so that the film can focus on developing its core cast, but the ones that do appear, namely the thugs from the Snuggly Duckling, are at least relatively interesting and memorable.

The Princess and the Frog brought back the traditional musical format, but despite some very fun songs, they were a bit samey and the lyrics were not especially creative; Tangled brings back that delightful lyricism and while it doesn’t have as many songs, they are all very well written, distinct and memorable. “When Will my Life Begin” is a fun, poppy, song and a classic “I want” song for the protagonist in the vein of “Belle”, “Part of Your World” or “Out There”; it’s a good intro to Rapunzel’s character and the life she has led until now and quickly gets you into the upbeat mood and spirit of the film.  “Mother Knows Best” is by far the film’s best number, a classic Disney villain song and arguably one of the very best, with a catchy tune, really funny and clever lyrics and rhymes, great visuals, it’s a delight.  “I’ve Got a Dream” is a fun, upbeat and somewhat sudden and unexpected song which showcase’s the films kooky sense of humour. Again, it’s catchy, with good rhymes and serves as an appropriate introduction to the thugs of the Snuggly Duckling; effectively, this is the film’s big showstopper and while it doesn’t quite have the energy to match up to something like “Under the Sea” or “Be Our Guest”, it’s still enjoyable. “I See the Light” is the “Whole New World Number” and, without trying to sound like a broken record, it is one of Disney’s very best; unlike most “Whole New World Numbers”, it doesn’t feel out of place or inappropriate, it doesn’t kill the film’s energy or grind it to a halt and it isn’t goofy or overly sentimental. The song is touching and sweet, partially because, like “Beauty and the Beast”, we have grown to care so much for these characters and their relationship, so a song like this feels not only earned, but satisfying. While many of Disney’s love songs feel like they’re there just to fill a quota, even some of the better ones, this is one of the rare ones that is just as strong as the rest of the soundtrack; though the lyrics aren’t anything all that special, it’s a very nice song all the same.

Mother Gothel is very easygoing and down-to-earth

Fun, original, exciting and effortlessly endearing, Tangled is one of those rare treats, a Disney movie that just gets it. It gets exactly why the world fell in love with Disney in the first place and, rather than trying to soullessly replicate that success or move away from it in search of another demographic, it makes us feel like we’re experiencing that joy for the very first time; it’s a movie that manages to somehow feel both comfortably familiar and refreshingly new. The story is one of Disney’s best, the main characters and their relationship are some of Disney’s best, the villain is one of Disney’s best; add to that some great songs and a triumphant and long-awaited realisation of exactly how to represent their classic animation style with computer animation and you have a movie that is simply one of Disney’s best.


9.5/10

Next Week: Winnie the Pooh!

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