Tangled

Release Date: Nov 24, 2010 

Runtime: 1 hr. 32 min. 

Director: Byron Howard, Nathan Greno 

Cast: Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Ron Perlman, Brad Garrett, Jeffrey Tambor.

In what is said to be the last ‘princess’ movie from Disney, comes “Tangled.” A re-imagined story of the classic, Rapunzel, about a girl trapped in an ivory tower with enchanted long hair. Similar to past fairy tales, Disney returns to what it knows best, depicting a strong-willed heroine who falls in love, fights an evil witch and lives happily ever after. But despite sounding formulaic and following a lackluster trailer, “Tangled” manages to surpass expectations and become an instant classic with a contemporary twist. The storytelling, while being whimsical and enchanting, avoids cultural innuendos that usually plague animated features. This, in turn, gives precedence to the memorable characters and beautiful illustrations that make the film so lively. With catchy musical numbers by Mandy Moore and, surprisingly, Zachary Levi, the film brings a reminiscent quality of the early years of Disney, which now seem like a distant memory. If it weren’t for “Toy Story 3” or “How to Train Your Dragon,” this would easily be the best-animated film of the year.

Rating: 4½ stars