40) TANGLED

Director: Nathan Greno & Byron Howard

Stars: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ron Perlman, M.C. Gainey, Jeffrey Tambor, Brad Garrett

Year: 2010

Rating: PG

Wasn't sure about this one, after seeing a trailer that made the film look a bit too silly and slapstick - but having seen the film, my first reaction is "Welcome Back, Disney!" and Tangled is now one of my favorite films of the year. First off, the film just looks amazing; though CGI/computer-generated, more than any recent Disney film, this one is just so reminiscent - in both color and character - of hand-drawn Disney animation in its hey-day. The film just looks brilliant.

Which only adds to the well-written script, vivid characters, and terrific performances from a cast led by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi as the two leads.

Rapunzel (voiced by Moore), a beautiful blond princess born to a proud king and queen, was healed from illness as a baby with the powers of a magic flower; powers desired by the evil Mother Gothel, a crone who soon after kidnaps the princess, holding her forever prisoner in a tower, pretending she is her mother as she spends years teaching the girl to be afraid of the outside world.

Flash forward about sixteen years, and Rapunzel is a beautiful teenager with long (as in 70-feet long), beautiful hair who still dotes on the woman she thinks is her mother ... but also wonders and dreams of the outside world, and in particular about the spectacular display of floating lanterns she can see far off in the distance, every year on her birthday.

Though highly discouraged by her mother to ever leave the tower (Rapunzel's hair, so long as it is never cut, has retained the power to keep Mother Gothel young forever) , one day when her mother is out Rapunzel's tower is invaded by a handsome runaway thief and scoundrel named Flynn (Levi). Proving she is able to take care of herself, Rapunzel takes the intruder hostage, then eventually makes a deal with him so that he will take her out of the tower to show her the outside world - and in particular the lantern display, and what it means - in exchange for protecting her.

As expected, the two have a hate-hate relationship that carries them into one problem after another - the two meeting up with the usual assortment of Disney sidekicks and villains along the way. Add to that Mother Gothel's return to the tower, where she finds Rapunzel gone and sets out to find her, and you have the makings for a lot of drama and action - spiced up, as usual, with touches of comedy (and yeah, there is slapstick and goofiness - wonderfully so!) and, as the story goes on, touching moments of drama ... all as Rapunzel gets closer and closer to learning her true identity, and Mother Gothel gets more and more determined to stop her.

Even the musical numbers and romantic storyline only add to what is already a brilliant film, lovingly made and truly entertaining ... and one of Disney's best animated efforts in years. Plenty of goofiness for the kids, but also with a real heartbeat and emotional content (even a bit of pathos) for the adults. Truly awesome. **** - Reel Must-See