Should you watch this at weekday movie ticket prices? Yes.
Should you watch this at weekend movie ticket prices? If you’re a fan of Disney.
Note: “Tangled” came out in 2010.
Score: 3.5/5
Secret ending? No.
Running time: 100 minutes (~1.75 hours)
“Tangled” is an American animated fantasy comedy adventure musical in English. It is an adaptation of the fairytale “Rapunzel”.
The film revolves around a young princess with long magical healing hair who is trapped in a tower. Unaware of her identity as a princess, she longs to see the outside world, but is confined by her adoptive mother. One day, her wish comes true. But will her mother let her go?
“Tangled” was directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard, with a screenplay by Dan Fogelman. It features the voice talents of Mandy Moore (Rapunzel), Zachary Levi (Flynn Rider), Donna Murphy (Mother Gothel), Brad Garret (Hook-Hand Thug), and Ron Perlman (Stabbington brother with sideburns).
I had a chance to watch “Tangled” because I read so much about how psychotic Mother Gothel was, and how she was probably one of Disney’s greatest villains. I was not disappointed. She is such a master of passive-aggressiveness and the art of undermining people that it’s almost as if she were a real person. I can count at least ten people who fit into the Mother Gothel mould that I’ve met. The worst villain is the one that you meet every day, and that’s who Mother Gothel is.
Highlights
Mother Gothel is a psychotic villain that hits close to home
What makes Mother Gothel so insidious is that she’s Rapunzel’s mother. You understand that she loves Rapunzel in her own twisted way, and that’s what makes her so difficult to dislike. It’s not that she means Rapunzel any harm, well, at least beyond the removal of her freedom. It’s the fact that she loves Rapunzel, yet has such evil and selfish motivations, that makes her a villain we can all understand. She’s not too far from many real-life parents, and anyone who has ever been manipulated by family can understand how difficult it is to hate Mother Gothel. But make no mistake, Mother Gothel’s emotional abuse is just as terrible, if not worse, than physical abuse.
Hair stunts
Rapunzel’s hair antics are reminiscent of this old NES game, Kabuki: Quantum Fighter, where the protagonist uses his hair in crazy but unique ways to navigate obstacles in his path. She’s particularly creative in using her hair as a weapon, a lasso, a swing, and it’s almost Batman-esque how she can do anything with her hair, as if it’s a utility belt or something. My question is – doesn’t she ever accidentally hurt herself by yanking on her hair roots?
Flynn Rider’s tongue-in-cheek attitude
Flynn Rider almost (but doesn’t quite) break the fourth wall with his comments. He seems utterly genre-savvy, and it’s such joy to see him poke fun at all the overused stereotypes and tired tropes of the genre. Unfortunately, that’s all there is to Flynn Rider – he’s pretty much just a regular protagonist under all that swagger. Still, he gets some of the best lines in the story.
Letdowns
Rapunzel is rather passive
Rapunzel really lacks the spunk and initiative that other Disney princesses usually have. Admittedly, most of it is because of Mother Gothel’s abusive upbringing, and she really struggles between fulfilling her own desires and being a good daughter to her mother. Even with those mitigating factors, Rapunzel does come across as being just a victim of circumstances, rather than actively trying to achieve her goals.
Lacks a magical, fantastical element
Except for the magical healing herb that gives Rapunzel’s hair her powers, there’s little else in this film that is mystical and wondrous. That’s a pity, because there was so much potential to include the arcane in this film. The posters, trailers, and most of the marketing for the film seemed to imply that this would be a world full of magic. It’s just Rapunzel’s hair though. Oh well.
“Tangled” has the most twisted villain of all the Disney films.
Image credit: The Disney Wiki
Marcus Goh is a Singapore television scriptwriter, having written for Police & Thief, Incredible Tales, Crimewatch, and Point of Entry. He’s also a Transformers enthusiast and avid pop culture scholar. You can find him on social media as Optimarcus and on his site.
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