Has Disney "Seen the Light" Once Again?

Since the Disney Renaissance period ended in 1998, Disney's had some trouble bringing in the new millennium in terms of popularity and box office grosses. They have, however, managed to remain in the competitive zone with several other film companies by releasing non-fairy tale oriented, 3D animated films, with the help of Pixar Animation Studios. Disney did, however, release its first independently animated CGI film in 2008 entitled Bolt, which grossed almost $310 million worldwide, the first to reach over $300 million since Tarzan in 1998.

Tangled is Disney's second independently released CGI film, featuring the voice talents of Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi and Donna Murphy. It is loosely based on the classic children's fairy tale, Rapunzel, and marks Disney's 50th animated feature film, Disney's second independent CGI film, and Disney's second fairy tale in 20 years.

Tangled managed to perform exceptionally well in theaters, grossing almost $600 million dollars around the world, becoming the 14th highest-grossing animated film ever, as well as the second highest-grossing Disney animated film, only behind The Lion King with about $780 million.

Tangled follows the lives of two characters; Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), a long-haired princess torn away from her parents at infancy by a vain lady named Gothel (Donna Murphy), and Flynn (Zachary Levi), a suave burglar who only dreams of becoming rich. Together, the unlikely pair sets out on a journey to the Kingdom of Corona to see the floating lanterns, while Gothel desperately searches for Rapunzel to use her for her personal gain.

I must say, Tangled is one of the best films I've seen in a long time, animated or live-action. Although it may not be as memorable as some of Disney's previous works (The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast), it is a near-perfect blend of adventure, romantic-comedy, and thrill. The characters quickly appeal to the audience and their stories are simple but detailed enough to provide viewers with a back story for each character, whether it be Rapunzel, Flynn, Gothel, or even the adorable comic reliefs, Pascal and Maximus.

Ratings

• Story: 8/10 - Good, but felt a tad rushed.
• Characters: 10/10 - Perfect variety of colors, personalities, and equal screening time.
• Acting: 10/10 - Excellent voice skills, especially Moore's fore her beautiful singing voice.
• Music: 8/10 - Liked the energetic, "folk rock" feel, and extra points for I See the Light. A tad too "show-tooney."
• Score: 90%

In my opinion, Tangled gets scores a solid 90%, which is very good. The characters and acting were excellent. The story was good, but I think it could have been embellished on a bit more, and the music was good, though I didn't think it captured the full essence of the film itself. A few more ballads might have been an asset. Overall, a terrific film.

I personally believe that Tangled will put Disney back on the map for it's lovable characters, touching plots, and catchy musical tunes.