Synopsis

When the kingdom’s most wanted — and most charming — bandit* Flynn Rider (voice of Zachary Levi) hides out in a mysterious* tower, he’s taken hostage by Rapunzel (voice of Mandy Moore), a beautiful and lively tower-bound teen with 21 meters of magical, golden hair.

Rider’s curious captor*, who’s looking for her ticket out of the tower where she’s been locked away for years, strikes a deal with the handsome thief and the unlikely duo sets off on an action-packed escapade*, complete with a super-cop horse, an over-protective chameleon* and a gang of pub thugs*.

    “Tangled” is a clever and shiny and deliriously funny take on the classic princess genre, with rousing songs from Alan Menken, a splendid voice cast and a love story that proves an irresistible* combination. “Tangled” tweaks* the classic Rapunzel story by dropping all but the basics, creating a road movie crammed with adventure, coming-of-age lessons and, of course, a romance. Even packaged with the familiar messages of learning to stand up for yourself and realizing your true potential*, “Tangled” is clever and original.

    Former pop star-turned-actress Moore brings both the bubblegum* and the steel in her voice to Rapunzel, born a princess of the kingdom but captured by the selfish Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) for her magical hair, which heals wounds and provides eternal* youth to those who sing to it.

    Rapunzel’s relationship with her mother, who dominates not through intimidation* but passive-aggression and something almost like love, is familiar to anyone who’s been a teenage girl, and Rapunzel’s dreams of escaping her lonely tower are nicely complicated* by her feelings about her mother. A chance encounter with Rider finally gives Rapunzel her chance at escape just before her 18th birthday, and when the two set out as mismatched road trip adventurers, it’s not the story of a poor abused* girl escaping her captor, but an ordinary young woman finally determining her own fate.

    A raft of compelling side characters, including a horse animated in a way straight out of Looney Tunes and the showstopping Mother Gothel herself, keep the story feeling fresh.

    Without ever striving too hard to feel hip and current, and avoiding pop culture references to everyone’s benefit, “Tangled” possesses a frank modernity, from its weapon-wielding heroine to its embrace of silly yet gut-busting gags*.

    (SD-Agencies)