Sadly, I missed seeing Disney’s Tangled while it was still in the movie theater. But when it came out on 3D Bluray, I wasted no time in getting a copy for my family.
Production Value
For me, just having the movie playing while I’m doing chores around the house lifts my mood.
The animation of Tangled is beautiful, making it a joy to watch for adults and children, alike.
And not surprisingly, like that of so many of Disney’s major films, Tangled features some awesome music. A couple of the songs–“I See the Light,” “Healing Incantation,” and “When Will My Life Begin”–are truly beautiful. Other songs such as “I’ve Got a Dream” and “Mother Knows Best,” while not precisely beautiful, are interesting to listen to and grow organically from the thoughts and needs of other characters. Then there are what I call the transitional portions of the score–the instrumental portions that carry us along through the majority of the film. Sometimes, the transitional portions may include some lyrics, but the mini “songs” that are formed aren’t the sort you’d sit down and listen to–but they’re still kinda uplifting to have playing while you’re taking care of otherwise boring tasks around the house.
Surprising Cast Choice?
One thing about Tangled that really took by off-guard was the casting choice for Flynn, the male lead. Disney chose Zachary Levi–the same actor who plays the lead character in NBC’s prime time TV series Chuck. In this series, Zachary is an electronics-superstore-clerk-turned-FBI-agent with an extremely unique ability. In the role of Chuck, Zachary plays a nerdy computer geek who’s prone to accidents and other goofy mishaps. I had been watching Chuck since the series began in 2007, so I had the Chuck character fixed pretty firmly in my mind. For me, Flynn was a character–opposite to Chuck in many ways. Flynn is an outwardly brash, prideful young man who’s main pursuit in life is to make as much money as possible–and to live his life as an independent man. The biggest surprise to me about the casting of Zachary in the role of Flynn is that his Tangled character has to sing–and Zachary’s voice was absolutely beautiful! I listened to his part in “I See the Light” a number of times, just to be sure it was, indeed, him singing and not a vocal stand-in of some sort. There was no stand-in; Zachary Levi really did sing Flynn’s parts in the songs.
Wow! What a voice. I couldn’t help but listen to that song on the soundtrack time and again, contemplating the relationship between Zachary Levi’s speaking voice to his singing voice. They certainly weren’t dissimilar–I guess I just never pictured clumsy, humorous Chuck as having such a beautiful voice. The experience made me ponder how my first impressions of a person had steered my expectations of other aspects about them–and I made a mental note to avoid such presumptions in the future.
Primary Theme
The primary message of Disney’s Tangled is that a person can choose their own destiny, regardless of what life they are born into. A prominent example of this theme is shown through the Flynn’s character development–he starts out as one kind of person, but transforms into an entirely different sort of person by the end of the movie. His developing feelings for another character doubtless have a lot to do with his finally seeing the light….
Another theme in Tangled is that if a person has a dream, he or she should follow it. At the beginning of the movie, Rapunzel (played by Mandy Moore) has a dream to see the floating lights, and her journey to find them changes her life–and enables her character to develop–in ways she never imagined.
What Moms and Dads Will Like About Tangled
Humor–there are plenty of humorous moments in Tangled that will appeal to fans of any age
Wholesome Lead Characters–although he’s a bit of a troublemaker at the beginning, Flynn sees his mistakes and changes his behavior to show his many positive traits after he meets Repunzel. Repunzel, a goodhearted girl throughout the movie, always sees the good in others, regardless of outward appearances–a trait that earns her many friends.
A Happy Ending–for parents, a happy ending to a story about following your heart will leave kids feeling happy and hopeful about their lives
My Wholehearted Recommendation
Disney’s Tangled is a great move that I and my son enjoy watching time and time again. Getting the movie on Bluray will leave you amazed at the beautiful animation that’s gorgeous even in standard DVD format.
Other Reviews
You can read other reviews for Tangled on Amazon’s website.