Movie Review: Tangled in 3D perfect family holiday film

I've been a long-time fan of Disney's fairy tales, and especially fond of their happy endings. Every girl in our family grew up with a Disney Princess as her idol; Ariel, Belle and Cinderella were like family to us when my daughter and nieces were growing up.  Watching Disney's “Tangled”  in 3D last night after the studio's announcement that this would be their final fairy tale for a while, brought on all these memories with an extra dose of melancholy.

“Tangled” is the story of Rapunzel (voiced by Mandy Moore), the long-locked princes who is kidnapped as a baby and grows up isolated in a tower living with the vane old woman who kidnapper her at birth. Mother Gothel (diva Donna Murphy) shelters her from the real world so she can be the only one to draw eternal youth from the royal child's miles of magical hair. One day, her rescuer shows up in the form of a bandit, a smoldering Flynn Ryder (Zachary Live “Chuck”), and Rapunzel discovers the world isn't as bad as her “mother” said it would be.

This story is ages old and most are familiar with the traditional tale. Disney's version is contemporary in pace and tone; action packed, sassy lines with a few very scary scenes thrown in with the typical Walt Disney concept that one must go through trials and tribulations to achieve success. (One scene with a particularly strong exchange between Rapunzel and the old woman got the best of one of the younger viewers in the audience who felt compelled to yell out “she's mean!” at the witch)

There's something for everyone in this tender film if you warm up to it, and even young boys will find something they'll like. The songs are original Alan Menken tunes and are pretty good. The animation of the characters is quite charming and very pretty — huge eyes and perfect noses are eye-pleasing.  The bad guys are a  funny lot seemingly molded like action figures. There are two animal friends who add that endearing emotion that  comes with owing a pet;  Maximums is a feisty blood-hound type horse and the scene-stealer as is the cute chameleon, Pascal.

The costumes, on the other hand,  were not as elaborate as they could have been and left me wanting more of that Disney elegance.  I was also disappointed to see that the film did not take more advantage of 3D technology to enhance these details, except for the moment when thousands of lanterns fill the screen and the theater!

Overall, I loved this movie. It was a chance to relive the age of innocence with my own teenage daughter  sitting next to me, and reminded me of when she played dress up and pretended to rule the world,  and her princess world was beautiful and full of optimism… just like a Disney fairy tale.

I'd pay $15 for the 3D version!

Rated PG for some bloody fight scenes and a kiss.