Film Review: Tangled (PG)

THE Disney people let their hair down in the 50th feature animation from the company. By mixing the old and the new – handdrawn sensibilities and computer animation – they’ve made one of the best movies from the House of Mouse for some time.

It takes me back to Beauty And The Beast and The Little Mermaid, in which a fairy tale is given a makeover, making it modern, but not too extreme, and tricked out with showtunes. The story of Rapunzel is a simple one – girl imprisoned in tower by her “mother” escapes with a handsome chap and sees the world.

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Princess Rapunzel (voiced by Mandy Moore) is taken from the castle by Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) who wants to use the magical qualities of the girl’s long hair as her fountain of youth. The snag is that Rapunzel mustn’t cut her shimmering locks. If she does, the hair will lose its power and turn brown, shattering news for a blonde having more fun.

So the poor girl is forbidden to leave her high rise fortress for fear of falling foul of the evils of man.

Years pass, as they are wont to do in fairy tales, and Rapunzel yearns to go down to earth and explore. Her only friend is a chameleon called Pascal, who’s cute, but not a great conversationalist.

Imagine her surprise when on her 18th birthday, outlaw Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi) – clearly modelled on a swashbuckling Errol Flynn – finds the tower, climbs into her bedroom and gives her a birthday present she wasn’t expecting.

Ignoring her protector’s warning never to speak to strange men, Rapunzel is persuaded to leave the tower and travel to the castle to watch the annual display of fire lanterns – in 3D. And so the chase is on as Gothel pursues the pair, while a sniffer horse from the palace called Maximus is on Flynn’s trail.

Alan Menken and Glenn Slater’s soundtrack is fun, while the characters have a spark that’s been missing from some Disney offerings of late. Directors Nathan Greno and Byron Howard serve up a treat for all ages.