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The Eastern Echo Monday, July 28, 2025 | Print Archive
The Eastern Echo

KN-TANGLEDREVIEW-MCT

'Tangled' adds modern twist to Rapunzel

Disney always seems to set the standard for animation. It started dominating in the fairy tale realm with Snow White. It raised the bar again when the company teamed up with Pixar and computer animation became the name of the game. But, for the first time, they combined their prowess at molding the classic fairy tale to Disney standards and the animation style behind their modern day classics to create “Tangled,” the tale of Rapunzel.

This classic story reimagined doesn’t stray too far from some tellings of Rapunzel. Disney tones down the darker side of the story (and adds in that she’s a princess for some extra pizzazz), but the concept remains the same. A beautiful girl with long hair is put into a tower by Dame Gothel. There’s some magical plant involved and the fair-haired teenager has some kind of magical ability (both aspects vary from version to version). Add a dash of modernization, mix in some music, a sprinkling of added conflict (romantic and otherwise) and you have a tale fit for the Disney screen.

It makes the transition well. The story is easy to follow and familiar, but different enough to make you wonder what will happen next. The characters are loveable and believable (no talking animals here) but with an added sense of whimsy and wonder. The music brings back memories of sitting in front of the TV as a kid and watching “The Little Mermaid” until the tape wore itself out. The one area I was a little worried about for the sake of my inner child nostalgia was the fact that it’s computer animated, not hand drawn. But, the animation style was different then Pixar’s previous works like “Toy Story” and “Wall-E.” There’s something about it that is reminiscent of yester-year, when the environments were elegant and hand drawn, like out of a storybook.

The animation isn’t the only new spin on the fairy tale. The classic Disney princess rarely seems to be able to do things on her own. She for some reason beyond anyone’s comprehension, she decides to poke a spindle (Sleeping Beauty), take food from strangers (Snow White) or just clean up after her lazy family (Cinderella). Even the more “feminist” princesses like Jasmine, Belle or Ariel end up getting rescued by the love of their lives and live happily ever after. Not the most encouraging message to be sending the girls of the world. Rapunzel is a refreshing change. She’s smart, she’s witty and is often saving the guy from trouble, not the other way around.

She’s not the only character with an interesting twist. The villain isn’t what you would normally expect, coming from Disney. Yes, she’s evil.

Yes, she’s conniving. But, the viewer can empathize. She does seem to actually care about Rapunzel. She’s not the clear-cut evildoer you might expect and it adds an extra layer to the film. She doesn’t have magic and she’s not out to destroy the kingdom or even the heroine. She just wants to keep on living in the way she likes and that, unfortunately, means doing some less then reputable things on her end.

“Tangled” is the perfect way to travel back to your animated movie laced childhood this holiday season. The songs are catchy, the plot is exciting and the characters offer something for everyone, young and old alike. Disney’s style of filmmaking has changed through the decades but the outcome of excellence in both entertainment and style remains the same. In that sense, “Tangled” is classic Disney in every way.