Tangled

I will start by saying that I am a 62 year old grandfather of three (9, 8, and 5) who has no connection to Disney in any way. I took the grandkids today to see this movie and they loved it, as did I. The 3D is worth going to. There is enough silliness, adventure, and romance to allow boys and girls of almost all ages to love this show. There were some funny lines in the show that kids would not understand, but adults would enjoy. I heard a gentleman laughing throughout the whole show. I am not around teenagers, so I am not sure how a teenager would respond to this show. The storyline was different but predictable. That should not discourage anyone from going to this show. I would rate it as one of the best, if not the best animation show I have ever seen. This show is a winner as a family show.

I was apprehensive, to say the least, when I went to see Tangled, after the disappointment that was Princess and the Frog. First, Disney's back with CGI animation, which hasn't really worked that great except, maybe to some extent, Bolt. Second, the trailers made it look really slapstick -- I'm rather wary of today's animation features that try too hard to be hip and fast-paced and silly.

I was pleasantly surprised. Sure, there were slapstick and broad humor sure to make little kiddos laugh. But I was surprised by the sophistication as well. The screwball comedy between the hero and heroine is very well done; adults can appreciate that. The sidekicks, in particular the Max and Pascal, are hilarious. The hero and heroine are very likable and not flat. And there's a sense of sadness/wistfulness throughout the whole show that the adults will understand.

But what really is great is the animation. This is Pixar-worthy great. In fact, after a while I forgot it was CGI (which tends to be a bit stiff and crude when it comes to character animation). The human characters have that hand-drawn quality even though they're CG. In fact, they're more expressive than the hand-drawn characters in Princess and the Frog. The backgrounds are gorgeous (I can count every blade of grass). And there's an iconic scene where the kingdom rouses from darkness to light with thousands of floating lanterns -- it really is magical. It reminds me of classics such as Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty.

Best of all, the movie is not just all laughs and slapstick. It has heart too. Even the minor characters such as the King and Queen -- you can feel the emotions. And the romance is believable and not cheesy.

Like I said, I was very pleasantly surprised. It's something that is worthy of Pixar, and I'm glad to see Disney back on their game. While Princess and the Frog was a missed opportunity, Tangled is almost perfect.

Honestly, when is the last time you saw a decent Disney Animated feature? No no, PIXAR does not count. I'm talking about just a regular ol' straight laced Disney flick. If your like me, I'm sure your answer falls somewhere in the mid 90's. But isn't that a shame? What happened to the totally awesome Disney movies? If your excuse is because of technology, i assure you that your wrong. You can make a great animated movie without resorting to actual hand drawn art. But where is that old feeling we all use to share? Well i can tell you this much....i already knew that Disney had something special here, mainly because the VP of PIXAR jumped ship and decided to fund this project. The first time anyone from PIXAR has ever done so, let alone the freakin VP. So needless to say, Disney finally had enough, and pulled out all the stops for this one.

I kid you not when i say this...."Tangled" is easily the best Disney Animated feature i have seen since "Aladdin".....yes, it is that good. They finally let go of trying to find something new and different and settled with what was working for them almost 20 years ago. It's a princess tale that easily falls into the same category with the classics. So wait, does that mean i'm comparing it to the likes of "Snow White" "Cinderella" and "Sleeping Beauty"? You damn right i am! Sure the storyline is cliché' and relative to other Disney classics, but it felt so good to see and feel something that helped recall your childhood. But other than those minor speed bumps, the movie is spot on. The animation is spectacular, and you would be a fool not to see it in 3D. The musical sequences didn't seem forced and were never boring. And i can almost guarantee you that it will snag the best song award at the Oscars. I'm just glad that they didn't work the story around the music, which is what a lot of animated features tend to slip up on. But this one did an amazing job of hybriding them together.

Bottom Line, ladies and gentleman, this is the Disney picture you have been waiting for. It will definitely win your heart and please audiences both young and old.

This movie hits the mark on all levels. It is beautifully illustrated and the story is simple, yet works and keeps your interest. I'm not a big song guy..... but the songs in this movie are very good. Either very funny or, when the love songs begin, nicely done with some good lyrics and music. It's a '10' all the way across the board. In keeping with the Disney animators reputation for hiding phallic symbols, this has maybe the most blatant one of all. When the mother is standing near the window, her shadow is unmistakably harder than Chinese arithmetic. Keep an eye out for it..... But, this movie really is well done. The song and visuals in the tavern with all the thug characters is pretty funny. Definitely see this one!!

A wonderful movie! I had forgotten all about Tangled, and am so glad I got to see it on the big screen. A great story with fun characters and beautiful animation that still looks new.