It's understandable why some mothers and fathers might not want to take their kids to see Disney's newest animated musical.
It might give them ideas.
Tangled, the latest in a long line of colorful kids movies from Disney, will not win many awards for its originality: saying that this film, the latest in a time-honored tradition of Disney animated musicals (that is, itself, based on yet another hundred year-old children's fairy tale) is derivative is sort of like saying Hugh Hefner dabbled in nude photography or that Mufi Hannemann is a little taller than average.
But like any film that relies so heavily on formula, the fun is in how Tangled remixes its tropes. The princely hero of the story, a fellow by the name of Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi) is actually a thief by trade who just wants to evade capture. Hunting him are the kingdom’s guards, led by the noble white stallion, Maximus, who acts more dog than horse.
But the real star – Rapunzel, voiced by Mandy Moore – is not only incredibly likeable but is also someone to whom all the dejected, downtrodden children of the world can relate: she is kept prisoner in the tower that holds her not through any bars or doors, but rather through the manipulative lies of her mother and kidnapper, Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy.)
Of course, Tangled is a Disney movie and there aren’t many deviations from the happy ending you would suspect from a Disney princess fairy tale. (Spoiler alert: The first five minutes of the movie pretty much tell you how it is going to end.)
But really, Tangled isn’t a film that tries to throw audiences curveballs. What it is instead is a movie about a young woman who, in the process of stepping out into the world for the first time, actually discovers that she is capable of more than her mother has led her to believe.
It’s a lesson worth teaching to any child.
Final Verdict: Disney’s Tangled is a wholesome romp of self-discovery that will amuse kids, but may be too predictable for the grown-ups. B.
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