A Study in Princesses: Rapunzel and Beyond

Today we come to the last of Disney’s Princesses, at least those who exist so far. With “Tangled” our lead is yet again a princess, but as in the previous movie it’s ancillary. Like many other Disney heroines before her Rapunzel just wants to experience new things in the world, though she has the greatest justification for her desires. Her goal develops along the way; once she learns the truth of her past she wants to reunite with her parents, and not because they’re royalty. Rapunzel wasn’t a little girl who grew up hating her circumstances and wishing that secretly, … Continue reading

Tangled: Hand Drawn vs. Computer Animation

It appears I’ve lied to you. Not directly, but I made false implications. When I wrote about Disney’s forthcoming animated take on the Rapunzel fairy tale, “Tangled,” I made it sound like Disney hand animated the movie. But that’s not the case. No, it turns out that “Tangled” is actually a computer animated film. For some strange reason, I find that disappointing. I have nothing against computer animated films. I’ve made it clear how much I love just about everything Pixar offers, and I’ve also very much enjoyed films like “Kung Fu Panda” and “How To Train Your Dragon.” Computer … Continue reading

Tangled Up in Blue and Pink

Recently Disney had a problem, and her name was Rapunzel. After spending years locked away in the Disney animation studio, Rapunzel was finally scheduled to come down from her tower around Thanksgiving 2010. But “Princess and the Frog” didn’t do well at the box office, and Disney execs discovered it was due, in part, from boys not wanting to see a movie about a princess. The House of Mouse didn’t want to fail again, so it decided to disguise Rapunzel a little, trick boys about her true nature. Specifically, it changed her name. Disney’s latest animated feature, releasing on November … Continue reading