Tangled

Rating:

Walt Disney Animation Studios has regained its touch and reclaimed its glory. After a decade of churning out animated flicks that only served as a shadow to the works of Dreamworks, they have finally created something that deserves a place in my heart. Yeah, I agree how the latter part of my previous sentence was covered with cheese. But that’s how the movie made me feel – Cheesy. I developed affection for its characters, and I felt the loss in its tragedy. Also, I released a couple of blushes towards its romance. As the loveless chap that I am, I’m usually unaffected by mushy moments in movies, but not this time. “Tangled” is just too darn adorable.

Let me share with you a quick story. My childhood was blessed beyond grace, for it was nurtured by a loving, gentle woman: my mother. As amazing as she is, we abide by the truth that nobody’s perfect, and my dear mother had poor discernment when it came to animated movies. She was numb to the genre; identifying animated characters as nothing more than plastic objects. So you could tell that I was filled with delight when she informed me that she had enjoyed “Tangled”. The makers back at Disney must have done something incredibly right. I mean, even I had a special fondness for the movie, where most of it is directed at its young princess. If Rapunzel ever gets thrown into the real world, like Amy Adam’s Giselle in “Enchanted”, I’ll be the guy to catch her. And now this movie review has extra cheese.

Disney’s update on her classic story has some minor alterations and a few additions, but it faithfully retains the essential components. Her hair is as long as we imagined it and the tower is just as imprisoning as we can remember. Stolen as an infant from her royal parents, Rapunzel is a lost princess who’s unaware of her own identity. Because her stepmother slash kidnapper, Mother Gothel, has never allowed Rapunzel to leave her tower, she lives her life in endless curiosity. “Tangled” starts a few days before Rapunzel’s 18^th birthday, where she encounters Flynn Rider, a wanted bandit in search of a refuge. When the uninvited Flynn sets foot inside the tower, Rapunzel knocks him out with a frying pan. Their relationship can only get better from that point on.

This is the most I’ve fallen in love with a Disney princess, probably because Rapunzel so greatly reminds me of the girl I secretly like. At the very instant where Rapunzel steps down from her prison, she reveals an enthusiastic sense of wonder that has become so uncommon in today’s people. Her perception is undamaged by the cynicism of this world; she sees things with fresh and eager eyes. And talk about her eyes. Yes, her blonde, magical hair is both an instrument of healing and an emblem of beauty, but it’s her green, puffy eyes that got to me. I would very much like to shake the hands of her inspired animators. Did you know that my mother fell for the boyish charms of Flynn Rider?

I think the appeal of the characters has something to do with the mesmerizing artistry committed to the movie’s look. The animation is flamboyant and flawless. The strokes of sunlight and artificial light, when in contact with the broad usage and mixture of colors, add a bright dimension that 3-D cannot match. Along with the alluring appearance of “Tangled” is a narrative of surprising dramatic depth. These two strengths reached its highest point in a wonderfully illuminating sequence involving paper lanterns that symbolizes both hope and heartbreak. During this sequence, my heart melted when I saw her green, puffy eyes gleam with awe and happiness, but enough of my cheese.

I’m disappointed at myself for having neglected this magical movie for an unhealthy stretch of time. Sure, I can make a legitimate excuse by stating the fact that I am physically incapable of watching every movie ever released, but excuses won’t get me far. I must try harder. I have a few friends who keep bugging me to watch movies like “The Shining”, “Almost Famous”, “Spirited Away”, etc. They promised me that these are all excellent movies. I’m sure they’re right, and I better get started.