By: Henry J. Fromage (Two Beers)
Beer Two
I’m going to flip this one on its head and finish with the toast. The second beer goes to whoever put together the previews for this film. They somehow found every joke that didn’t work and threw it together into one of the least appealing trailers I’ve ever seen.
Although trailers sometimes do lie…
Tangled looked like it’d be more child-pandering idiot fare, and the beginning of the film seemed to confirm all the fears from the trailer. There was plenty of haw-haw groaner comedy and some songs that just made you wish they’d end.
Every twist was predictable by the smallest of children and the plot looked like it was a paint-by-numbers compilation of Disney stereotypes…
A Toast
…and then you kind of fall for it. Tangled gets progressively stronger each minute and really explodes when our hero and heroine meet. By the time the end credits roll you realize that Disney Animation has turned in one of its best efforts in years, ranking right up there with the classics and even looking like it could give Pixar a run sooner rather than later (it doesn’t hurt that Pixar creator John Lasseter produces).
Tangled is very funny, especially the horse, who turns ever scene he’s in to gold, and it’s “I’ve Got a Dream” song is demented, silly comedy at its best. The use of traditional music in a few scenes is excellent, and a trend started by How to Train Your Dragon I’d like to see continue.
The biggest strength of this film, though, is its ability to relate to the audience. The old Disney formula involved fairytale settings, epic villainy, and protagonists that looked like Hitler’s wet dream.
Heil!
Tangled’s characters are regular people pretty, and Rapunzel even has a bit of a bucktoothed thing going on. The villain is plenty villainous, but in a real-world sort of way, using put-downs and guilt trips to bend Rapunzel to her will. This could be uncomfortable for some, but Rapunzel’s liberation from this is a good ‘ol Disney object lesson, and we still get our fairytale ending.
Not that I like that touchy-feely stuff or anything
Verdict
Watch it. Disney is back, baby.
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