Tangled

Without female companionship, it's hard to go see Tangled and still maintain an air of manliness and virility. So, abandoning all hope of preserving that façade, I decided to go all the way to the deep end of the lame pool and see it with my parents. And for once, the dearth of self-confidence that inspired me to long ago stop vying for success with the fairer sex paid off, because when the dust settled and the credits rolled, there was only one fact left standing, and it towered above all other thoughts and insecurities: Tangled was AWESOME! What a cast of characters! Zachary Levi, or Chuck from Chuck (for those of you who watch my favorite television show), is perfectly charming as Flynn Rider, the shallow and selfish thief whose good looks are rivaled only by Narcissus. Immediately likeable despite his negative qualities, Flynn Rider's journey toward empathy is one which is quickly obvious, and yet it is so flawlessly executed that I found his transformation transfixing at every turn. As for Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), well, I was pretty much in love with her the moment I saw her. The epitome of innocence, Rapunzel is a drop of sunshine in the darkness. Her unadulterated joy is contagious, infecting even the most jaded and cynical. It was a pleasure to see how people changed when touched by such a fair creature, whether it be a group of thugs singing about their dreams or innumerable citizens breaking out into dance in the streets. Again, Rapunzel's character arc was rather obvious: from an obedient girl afraid of the world to a real person living her life. And again, it didn't matter, because that arc was artfully crafted. Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) is an understandable villain. I mean, Rapunzel's magic hair gives her eternal youth. If that's not a good reason for keeping your daughter in a tower, I don't know what is. The two characters of a different genus deserve quite a bit of recognition themselves. Pascal the chameleon makes for an excellent sidekick to Rapunzel. He's just about the cutest thing ever (right behind How to Train Your Dragon's Toothless), and his indignant looks are a great counterpoint to Rapunzel's innocent absurdity. Even Maximus, the head guard's horse, is an amazing character with a story of his own. He tracks Flynn Rider with brutal determination, but as per usual, ends up joining the team. Honestly, this movie has the perfect setup. You see, Flynn Rider is a character you can really get behind. Sure, he doesn't care about other people, but his charm makes him unarguably, well, charming. Oh, and Rapunzel is a character you can really get behind. The opposite of Flynn, she is trusting and cares deeply for everyone, and yet she has much to learn about the world. We love both characters from the beginning, and the traits that make each of them so great directly reflect the other's flaws, so when fate brings them together, we get to watch an incredible relationship blossom. Plus, there were a couple of little lines that broke the fourth wall in an amusing way. At one point, Flynn Rider calls Pascal a frog. Rapunzel, offended, points out that it's a chameleon, to which Flynn responds "Nuance." Bringing up the cliché of a princess and a frog is especially amusing, since Disney's last animated film was titled The Princess and the Frog. Also, like I said, Mother Gothel isn't particularly villainous during the film, just a bit attached to the idea of immortality. Now, when she argues with Rapunzel, she always complains that Rapunzel is "making her the bad guy." Well, I really wanted her to be the bad guy so I could cheer when she got her comeuppance, and then finally, much to my delight, she snaps, saying "You want me to be the bad guy? Fine. Now I'm the bad guy." To her, she was harkening back to those old arguments, but to me, she was talking directly to the audience, letting us know that it was ok to root against her. If I had one complaint, and I do, it would be that the songs didn't quite live up to my expectations. They were still excellent, but they were a bit more ponderous than some Disney tunes. With the exception of "I've Got a Dream," they were slow, character-heavy numbers that, while still of a high quality, lacked the pizzazz that got the Aladdin soundtrack stuck so firmly in my head. But the songs certainly didn't detract from the experience. The dialogue was sharp, the animation was beyond beautiful, and the movie was both touching and hilarious. And as an added bonus, there was a lot of great insight into human nature. I cared for those characters, and the film was able to jerk my emotions around however it wanted. My sides hurt from laughing, my eyes ached from tears. Flynn's charm and Rapunzel's joy didn't just affect the other characters; they reached right out of that screen and touched me too, and because of that, I give Tangled: 5/5 Stars The only truly sad thing about this movie was that Rapunzel ended up becoming a brunette. Oh, the humanity! Check out thenickelscreen on wordpress for more reviews! Read more

Love this movie! Came in great condition and gets watched on the regular! One of our favorite Disney movies!! Read more

Love this movie! Read more

Since John Lasseter took over Walt Disney Animation Studios, a trend of quality has been noted in the features released since his commanding. Disney Animation Studios has a rich history and was one of the best (if not the best studio) in the animtion field. But since the 2000s, the studio became less and less succesful with awful movies that not only did not resonate with audiences but also were box office bombs. Since Lasseter took over the studio, only four films (Meet the Robinsons, Bolt, The Princess and the Frog and Tangled)had been released but each one of them are compelling and have pushed the studio up again. Following the phenomenal The Princess and the Frog (which also set the return of glourious hand-drawn animation into the studio), Tangled became Disney's 50th Animated film and I'm happy to report that is a sensational film that proudly fits that milestone. Struggling almost 8 years in production and costing over $260 million, Tangled had a very troubled production. Formerly knwon as Rapunzel, the title was changed in order to appeal to boys and to draw more money from the box office. While the title change is somewhat a debatable decision, it seems it worked because Tangled became a major box office success earning almost $600 million in receipts. Although the title was changed and the trailers showed a "contemporary" story, make no mistake: Tangled is a tradional musical fairy tale and is a really good one. I won't tell the plot here but let me tell you that the movie has a lot going for it: a compelling and likeable heroine, a brave and funny hero, adorable animal sideckicks and a memorable villain. Rapunzel is a very strong, free-spirited young woman who is easy to root for, the same can be said for Flynn Ryder the thief with a heart of gold. Pascal the chameleon and Maximus the horse are really funny and Mother Gothel is a very amusing villain. The animators and the voice actors have to be credited for doing such roundable palpable characters. The animation is simply amazing!!! It's the first time that a CGI Disney film can be up there with the Pixar catalogue. The humans are rendered marvelousy and the sceneries are breathtaking (specially the lantern sequence). But what struck me the most was how amazing Rapunzel's hair is. Is so beautiful and believable that really adds to the picture value. The score and the songs were done by legend composer Alan Menken and his new lyricist Glenn Slater. While the songs are good and serve their purpose in the film, they are far from memorable. They are not the best Menken has done and they are not at the same level as others like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast or Aladdin. Still the ones that I really like were "When will my Life Begin?", its reprise and of course the Oscar nominated "I see the Light" (which should've won the Oscar). Wrapping up, Tangled is an excellent film with outstanding animation, great characters and nice songs. An excellent Disney film. Video & Audio: Unsurprisingly by now, Tangled BD looks absolutely spectacualar. A lot of things can be said about the transfer but let me tell you that this disc is demo quality and will completely blew your mind. The same can be said for the 7.1 DTS-HD MA track which is dynamic, clear and potent. The DVD also boasts a fairly impressive transfer for SD and a good 5.1 Dolby Audio. Bonus Material: You have some deleted scenes, two storybooks openings, a 50th animated countdown (which is great), a making-of featurette, two extended songs and 9 teasers. While all the material is great, the making-of featurette feels really promotional and too short to be entirely valuable. I was hoping for a more compelling documentary that will talk about the music in the film, the anination and the production overall. Overall they are entertaining pieces but Disney could've done a lot more in the special features department. Sneek Peeks: You got some interesting Sneek peeks like: The Lion King: Diamond Edition (Coming this fall!!!) Winnie the Pooh (in theaters July 15, same day as Harry Potter) Cars 2 (in theaters June 24) Dumbo: 70th Anniversary (not release date but is definetely coming this year) The Incredibles on BD (already released) And more that for me are not worth mentioning. Also is worth noting that in an insert that came in the box, The Fox and the Hound: 30th Anniversary Edition and TFATH2 are also listed in a 2-movie collection 3-disc combo pack which will include a BD and a DVD for the original film and one DVD for the cheapquel. This set is going to be released this September. Final Thoughts: Tangled is another example that Disney is recapturing its magic again and delivering good quality animated films. With stunning video and excellent audio and a good (if lacking) assortment of bonus features, Tangled is a must-own title on BD. This set is great for the majority of us who won't buy 3D crap and doesn't care for digital copies. Tangled on BD comes highly recommended!!! Read more