Tangled (2010)

Since it's resurgence in the early 90's Disney Feature Animation has been suffering a bit of an identity crisis. Seemingly overtaken by the young upstart Pixar, the studio has been slowly figuring out how it fits into this new digital world, whilst attempting to maintain those Disney traits that made so many of the studio's films enduring classics. After a recent foray back into the world of traditional animation with the Princess and the Frog, they are back on the CG bandwagon with Tangled, an updated telling of the Rapunzel tale, a fairytale I was honestly surprised that Disney had not tackled before.
.
Despite being a variant on the Rapunzel tale a lot of the familiar elements remain; taken as a child the titular characters is locked in a tall tower by a witch, in this case due to the healing properties of her hair with which she was imbued as a child. The prince has been replaced by Flynn, a thief and a rogue in the traditional sense who seeks Rapunzel's tower as a refuge whilst on the run from the law. By being flexible with the familiar elements of the tale writer Dan Fogelman managed to craft something that both feels modern and fresh, without falling into glibness or sly knowingness. There is a earnestness and sweetness to the film that feels refreshing in the wake of many overly zany and self-aware animated films of recent years, this is certainly no Shrek like parody and it's all the better for that. As well as a clever and engaging story the film is further bolstered by some wonderful performances, both Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi impress in the two main roles and help sell the characters burgeoning relationship through it's various stages. The narrative is familiar, couple who don't like each other forced together on a journey, but it feels fresh and real enough for this to never be a problem. The film does a good job of fleshing out the world with a varied and interesting cast of characters, stand out amongst them is Donna Murphy's Mother Gothel, she is a pitch perfect villain, manipulative yet sympathetic and the film is smart enough to shade in what could be stock character types. Special mention must also go to Maximus the royal palace Horse who single handedly attempts to track down Flynn, frequently the funniest thing on screen he seems destined to fit in alongside the classic Disney supporting characters.

It would be remiss to get any further into this review without taking a moment to mentioned the gorgeous animation on show. Fluid, colourful and effortless it is some of the best I have ever seen and an obvious labour of love and care. The character and world designs are classic Disney and this is the first of their films that can truly claim to have reached Pixar levels of not only fidelity, but emotion and character. Some of the most impressive elements are found in the films quieter moments, a claustrophobic scene in a cave springs to mind. It is here that the 3D impresses as well, for the most part it is subtle but effective, drawing you into the world, but for one scene in particular it comes into it's own. This feels like the centrepiece of the film and it is a truly wondrous sight, a perfect blend of visuals and music that is almost worth the price of entry alone.

Speaking of the music a credit must be given to Disney regular Alan Menken for again augmenting the film with a pitch perfect soundtrack, in a bold move the film is also a musical, though only with a handful of songs, and whilst they may not have the immediate impact of Disney films past they are mostly catchy, clever and wonderfully staged providing a neat link between the studio's past and it's digital future.

As if you couldn't already tell, I really enjoyed Tangled, to a degree that surprised me. I have always enjoyed Disney but would not have called myself a huge fan, especially lately, so it is refreshing to come out of a film with a big grin on my face, and that feeling of watching a film that feels like a perfect throw back to my childhood and that sense of childhood wonder, and sometimes that's exactly what the cinema is for.