Walt Disney’s 50th animated feature Tangled is now available on Blu-Ray and DVD, and if you haven’t seen this wonderful movie, then I urge you to buy or rent it NOW. Seriously. This very instant.
My interest in Disney films really originated with The Little Mermaid, often heralded as the beginning of a new Golden Age in Disney animation. It brought to life exciting characters, memorable sidekicks, and songs that made you want to hum at the most inopportune moments. I dare you to say you never sing along with Hakuna Matata or Under the Sea!
Tangled is quite possibly the beginning of another exciting epoch in Disney’s long history. Though it uses computer technology instead of traditional hand-drawn animation, the film is not lacking in heart or story. The technology enhances the story and allows it to be told the way it needs to be, rather than turning it into a glossy effects extravaganza with dull characters and clichés.
Both the Blu-Ray and DVD versions contain bonus features. Among these are some deleted scenes and alternate storybook openings. The deleted scenes are little more than rough animated sketches with voices (that aren’t Mandy Moore or Zachary Levi) and some music added to offer a glimpse into what the finished product may have looked like. When I viewed these, I found myself extremely grateful that they were not included in the film.
One takes place in the Jaunty Moose pub (which became the Snuggly Duckling in the finished product), and the inspiration for the scene came from poetry readings in biker bars. The scene reminds me a little of Dot’s Poetry Corner in Animaniacs. It’s cute for a half hour cartoon, but it would have slowed the pacing of the film and seemed a bit out of place. Not to mention the karate-style moves that Rapunzel performed with her hair simply looked ridiculous.
Another scene shows the fair heroine and her adventurous companion Flynn Rider hitching a ride into town with a gypsy and her fortune-telling monkey. Yes, you read that right. Fortune-telling monkey. I think this scene was meant to hint at Rapunzel being more than what she seems, but this was mostly revealed through the prologue. So, the scene is superfluous.
There’s also a scene where Rapunzel and Flynn chat for a few moments in the carriage¸ and this conversation is supposed to further the relationship between the two. However, it also was excluded from the film for obvious reasons (it just seems awkward). They spend several minutes talking about Flynn’s injury (received at the Snuggly Duckling) and how Rapunzel had her own cute little name for boo-boos as a child: yowa! (“It’s a noun as well as an exclamation,” Flynn says). I think Rapunzel is supposed to endearing to Flynn at this particular moment (and he does seem intrigued), but the directors realized that their relationship could be better reflected in other scenes.
Their chemistry was developed in the scenes in the tunnel, following Flynn’s duel with Maximus, and at the campfire, where Rapunzel reveals the secret of her hair and Flynn shares a bit of his childhood. The latter is one of the most touching scenes I’ve ever seen in an animated film. The characters show their vulnerability but also their willingness to finally get to know each other.
The alternate storybook openings aren’t dramatically different from what appears in the film, and they are also roughly animated. Still, it’s interesting to see how things evolved as production continued.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE2c9GcDbrM
The end result is one wonderful movie.
Wait . . . why are you still reading this? Didn’t I tell you to go see the movie?
Go, follow your dream.