“This is the story of how I died. Don’t worry, this is actually a very fun story. And the truth is, it isn’t even mine. This is the story of a girl named Rapunzel,” according to Flynn Rider from Disney’s film “Tangled”.
Does anyone remember this film, the story of a young lost princess forced to live in isolation by her evil condensing mother and the only reason why being that she just so happened to possess magical healing hair that had the ability to keep her young forever? If Disney fans forgot about this timeless classic, they are in good hands, as “Tangled” is one of my favorite Disney princess movies.
I have been a major fan of this movie since it first came out. In fact, I even went to see it in theaters with my family at age 5. I had a copy of the movie, the soundtrack, a doll of Rapunzel, and to top it all off, even went as her for Halloween in 2011!
Walt Disney’s “Tangled” was released in theaters on Nov. 24, 2010. The musical fantasy rom-com stars Mandy Moore as Rapunzel, Zachery Levi as Flynn Ryder, and Donna Murphy as the villainous Mother Gothel. The film is rated PG for mild violence.
One of my favorite scenes from the movie is when Rapunzel and Eugene finally make it into the Kingdom of Corona. The joy on Rapunzel’s face when she walked through the crowded streets of the kingdom village for the first time was simply priceless. I also love the part when the three red-haired girls volunteer to braid Rapunzel’s long 70 feet of hair so she could walk. Watching them play hopscotch while braiding it was so entertaining and cute.
I also love the instrumental that plays throughout this scene as well. I love how in the beginning the music starts off very soft, as Rapunzel has only just entered this new and unfamiliar village and is uncertain of what to expect.
However, as soon as she starts dancing after hearing of the lost princess, the beat of the music changes and becomes more upbeat and fun sounding to represent her good heart and how she wants to give the villagers hope.
It has a lot of funny, heartwarming, and relatable elements. One example of a humorous scene is when Rapunzel has only just set herself free from her isolating tower and starts to question all of her life choices leading up to this point in time. The mood swings she experiences and how she goes from happy to sad and anxious and back to happy is the funniest most relatable thing ever! I loved how Disney stayed true to how an actual teenage girl would react in that type of situation.
Another amazing thing I love about “Tangled” are the characters. I think Mother Gothel makes for the perfect Disney villain because she seems like she could fit right in with some of the real villains of today’s society; for example, she shows a lot of the signs of a real life narcissist throughout the entirety of the film.
In all the times that viewers see her with Rapunzel, she always seems to find a way to either lower her daughter’s self-esteem and make her feel as if she is worthless, or make her feel as if she will not be able to survive in the outside world: all part of her selfish plan to keep her or rather her magic hair, forever locked up in that tower.
Although I love “Tangled” very much and it is one of my favorite Disney movies, I do have one critique regarding one scene from the film, so if you haven’t seen it yet, major spoilers ahead. Towards the end of the movie, after she relives her true colors, she loses her balance and accidentally falls 70 feet out the window to her death. Viewers see her quite literally turn to ash almost as soon as she hits the ground.
As I previously mentioned, I was 5 years of age when I saw this and my family and I were definitely not expecting that to happen. Talk about a dark ending for a kid’s movie! I will say, though over the years, I’ve become less spooked out by that scene, but at the time it did freak me out a little, but in a disturbing way.
The entire sequence from when Flynn Ryder rushes to the tower to save Rapunzel, gets injured by Mother Gothel, and is left to die is utterly dark, disturbing, and sad. However, if viewers are afraid that scene will traumatize their small children, it won’t, simply because it’s a Disney movie and “Tangled” has one of the most heartwarming happy endings that is bound to make you cry/ And for that, I would recommend this movie!
