Disney really hoped and banked that The Princess and the Frog would return us to the glory days with an all new hand drawn movie. But they actually considered it a big failure and vowed to no longer do anymore hand drawn movies. Next up on the plate to try and secure a classic? Tangled. Tangled is a story of Rapunzel (which you should all know by now) yet the movie is deemed “Tangled”. A marketing ploy no doubt for a new age modern name with some flavor I suppose. Well the commericals and extreme promotion all over the Disney channel and other avenues had all the girls in American wanting to see this one in theater. I must have been asked 100 times by my daughter until we actually made it to the theaters. (And that was probably in just one week’s time ;p) And I must say, with the return of Alan Menken (Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid fame) at the helm of the composing that vibe of a classic is definitely back! Tangled will be just that!
The story starts as an old witch like lady finds a magical flower that forever keeps her young. Soldiers are sent off to capture the flower at the request of a dying queen to heal her. The queen recovers and then gives birth to a daughter (Rapunzel) and the magic of the flower is passed on to the girl. Where would it be? In her hair of course! The witch kidnaps Rapunzel and locks her in a tower and uses the power of Rapunzel’s hair to stay young and raising Rapunzel as if she was her own daughter while keeping her sheltered from the world. It isnt until a theif by the name of Flynn Rider sneaks into the tower and begins a relationship between our two protagonists. Oh and what’s a disney movie without sidekicks that happen to be animals right? We have both Pascal and Maximus to thank for lots of gags and humor.
The story is really deep and allows for imagination to run wild on filling in the back story of how Rapunzel came of age in the tower locked up. Obviously the story is about the reunion between Rapunzel and her two real parents and the relationship with her so called mother who gets portrayed as the evil villian when the truth comes out. Tangled has tons of laughs and good spirited moments to be shared with the entire family. The scores of Alan Menken project this Disney movie into a whole new dimension with his craft. It’s definitely one that you should enjoy, especially if you have a family.
Tangled has released to blu-ray with a fantastic video transfer. Eye popping vibrant colors are distributed throughout with what always seems to be at ease in regards to Disney releases. Though trust in that it’s because Disney has some of the best engineers there are around. I mean seriously, can you name one Disney animated film that doesnt look great on blu-ray? Dont worry, I’ll wait. The scenes are crafted to blow your mind with the colors (lot of Easter colors haha) but when it calls for a dark scene with blacks you can count on that they are deep and rich. No complaints here in the quality department.
As for the 3D version, this film was a great choice what with Rapunzel’s flowing long hair. It may not be as immersive as Avatar but it’s definitely eye catching as many scenes will jump out at you and its great for an entertainment perspective, especially with the kiddos. The visual look of this movie an Glen Keane’s influence tie together the animated scenes to a thing of beauty in regards to 3D!
Get ready to rock it! DTS HD Master Audio on blu-ray in full Alan Menken bliss! Yes, the man who brought you timeless classics from Disney’s 2nd generation golden age of The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast etc. is back composing as noted in the movie section of this review. The dialogue clarity is top notch putting you fronts and center channel to work if you have a 5.1 or 7.1 set up. Though its the scores that kick it all up 10x putting you in an engulfing circle of Disney HD Audio magic! This man has still got it! Everything is right on que from when the music kicks in or when your sub is put to work. Fantastic audio quality from Disney once again!
Tangled comes stacked with Supplements in regards to the 4 disc edition. The regular Blu-ray, the Blu-ray 3d version, DVD version and the digital copy all housed in a nice case with a lenticular slip cover. The extras are listed below.
50th Animated Feature Countdown: A montage of scenes from Disney’s animated films.
Extended Songs: “When Will My Life Begin” & “Mother Knows Best”
Deleted Scenes: Brought to you with introductions with Directors Nathan Greno and Byron Howard are the scenes entitled “Chemistry Develops” , “The Jaunty Moose” , and “Vigor The Visionary”
Original Storybook Openings: Include two different movie openings.
Discover Blu-ray 3D with Timon & Pumbaa: Blu-ray 3D 101
Untangled – The Making of a Fairy Tale: The main actor and actress from the film Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi take you through a journey of the movie, in regards to the characters, background, and the importance of this movie.
Tangled Teasers and Tales: videos built around parts of the movie
Bottom line, short and precise. Video quality and Audio quality are top notch, the 3D is enjoyable and entertaining all bunched into one engulfing experience. The supplements and extras are a great addition to this release. If you have 3D capability then I recommend purchasing the 3D combo pack or buy it anyways for when you do have 3D capabilities. If you are reading this during the release week then check out our forums where a coupon is posted. Tangled is another great addition in the tremendous line of exceptional Disney blu-ray movies. Highly recommended.
