An on-its-head take on the classic Grimm Brothers “Rapunzel”, Disney’s 50th animated feature is the second most expensive movie ever made at a whopping 260 million dollars.
Why you ask? Because perfection takes two things, time and effort; and in the film world both equal cash.
The first thing that strikes the viewer is the nuances of the animation process. Characters move in a subtle humanistic fashion that few movies capture, while still adhering to the stylistic approach common to Disney. Design, colours and camerawork all are a match to this and creates something that is not so much dramatic, but rather absorbing.
With so much effort on the look it might be fair to assume a lack of character or story, but here Tangled delivers too. Perhaps with the exception of the evil Gothel the characters show a depth uncommon in animated work. Unusually the hero’s motivations are completely natural and the attraction he and Rapunzel shares develops without feeling forced.
So whereas Tangled may not reach the lofty heights of Wall-E it is easily one of the best animated movies to come out of the west, and something the entire family can, and probably will, enjoy.