Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Tangled


Rapunzel: I've been looking out of a window for eighteen years, dreaming about what I might feel like when those lights rise in the sky. What if it's not everything I dreamed it would be?
Flynn Rider: It will be.
Rapunzel: And what if it is? What do I do then?
Flynn Rider: Well,that's the good part I guess. You get to go find a new dream.
 

When you hear the words "Fairy Tale" and "Disney" in the same sentence it's something you just know is meant to be together. In fact, any person old enough to know any better, knows that there is something classic or as I like to call it  the warm and fuzzies about Disney films. But at the same time, there's the over abundance sequels and straight to dvd's that have slightly tarnished what Disney used to be. Except in their joint efforts with Pixar, just like "Disney and Fairy tale" go together, so does "Disney and Pixar."

So When I first heard about Tangled, it brought back those favourite childhood memories of magic and happily ever afters and musical numbers. When I saw my first preview for Tangled, I was excited like a little kid again. But at the same time, something felt like it was missing. I knew enough it was the first non Pixar CGI film, in what I like to call the "fairy tale/ Princess Collection" (I even include Lion King in this Collection).

I don't think I was truly excited for this film, until I read that Alan Menken was doing the movie. And I discovered what I thought was missing. It was indeed a musical, they just weren't advertising that in the trailers for it so as to get more people to see it, which by the way I totally get considering the term "musical" means people avoid it like the plague (something I'll never understand.) But back on point, finding out AM was doing the film made me leap for joy, anyone who doesn't know who he is let me fill you in. He is the musical genius behind, The Little Mermaid, Beauty & the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Little Shop of Horrors.. and so forth. And those are songs that no matter how you get, you never forget.

Now to get back on track. Tangled is that feel good family/ date/ girl's night film. It works if you're 8 or 88 and everywhere in between.
The story starts off with Rapunzel being kidnapped from the kingdom after she is born by this old lady who raises Rapunzel as her own daughter. Why? you ask, due to events at the beginning of the movie Rapunzel's hair has the ability to heal and make people younger (which is why old lady stole her) as long as the hair is never cut. Which explains why Rapunzel's hair is so long.  Although it does make you wonder how her hair grew so fast, is it because it's magical that it grows 10x faster than anyone elses? Or can hair really be that long if it isn't cut for 18 years. 
So every year on Rapunzel's birthday she see's in the night sky what she calls "floating lights", which in fact are floating lanterns the king and queen release every year for their missing daughter. Rapunzel meets Flynn Ryder who is the Hero/ thief  guy when he stumbles into her tower, and by stumbles I mean climbed up it to avoid getting captured only to be knocked out by a frying pan. Which in case your wondering work almost better than a sword as weapon. A deal is reached and Flynn takes Rapunzel on an adventure to see the floating lanterns, along with Rapunzel's trusty and adorable chameleon, Pascal. 

This is one of those movies you can't help, but love when you see it. It makes you want to believe in happily ever afters, and to believe in your dreams. 

I give it 5 Icecream Scoop's out of 5. And a cherry for excellence in CGI
Rated PG for brief mild violence