Toon Talk: Tangled Blu-ray
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by Kirby C. Holt
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TANGLED
Disney Blu-Ray |
Let Down Your Hair
Sometimes a story needs to be heard more than once in order to be fully appreciated. Such is the case for me with Tangled, the recent box office hit making its Disney DVD and Blu-ray debuts this week.
As told in my original Toon Talk review of Tangled upon its theatrical release last November, I admitted to being disappointed with the film. And while Tangled�s faults -- such as its formulaic plot, non-distinctive songs and overall sense of �safeness� -- are still present, my second viewing was a more rewarding one. Perhaps it was because my expectations were lowered following my first viewing, or maybe Tangled�s charms just need to grow on me, but I found it more clever and romantic, not to mention funnier, the second time around.
And the extra details more visible in high definition don�t hurt either. From Rapunzel�s whimsical wall paintings to the realistic flow of her lavender dress, every nuance of design is captured in crisp detail. I also appreciated more the designs of the human characters, so soft and alive as compared to the often-stiff humanoids on view in most computer animation. On the other hand, I did notice some drawbacks in the film as seen in high def, specifically Rapunzel�s voluminous hair; in some wide shots, it more resembled stretched taffy than human hair. Her chameleon sidekick Pascal also sticks out like a sore (green) thumb in some sequences.
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TANGLED : The Awards
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The actual story of the making of Tangled -- including the film�s original director, legendary animator Glen Keane, having to step down due to health issues -- is as, well, tangled as our heroine�s tresses. But you won�t hear anything about that in the Blu-ray bonus feature �Untangled: The Making of a Fairy Tale�. Hosted by the film�s young stars Mandy Moore (the voice of Rapunzel) and Zachary Levi (Flynn Rider), this is 12 minutes of pure Disney Channel fluff. Nevertheless, you do get glimpses of such behind-the-scenes goodies as concept art on the various hunky Flynns and spooky Mother Gothels that were considered during the conception phase, plus some amusing �hair bloopers�. Also included is a lot of Tangled trivia, such as how many lanterns are in the �I See the Light� scene and what sequence set a Disney record.