Tangled

Disney's revisionist animated take on a classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale begins with a good king and his ailing, pregnant queen, whose life is saved by a magical golden flower. The plant's restorative powers are transferred to their infant daughter, Rapunzel (later voiced by Mandy Moore), who is kidnapped by evil Gothel (Donna Murphy) for the girl's uncut golden tresses that keep Gothel eternally young. Raised as Gothel's own child while being locked in a high tower hidden in the forest, adventurous Rapunzel yearns to explore the outside world as her 18th birthday approaches—she's particularly drawn to the mysterious lights in the night sky that annually appear on her birthday (unbeknownst to her, these are floating lit lanterns sent up from the castle in commemoration of her disappearance). So one day, when a handsome thief named Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi) climbs into her dwelling seeking refuge, she takes him hostage and negotiates a road-trip deal: Flynn will serve as her guide through the perils beyond her prison walls. But Flynn soon discovers that spunky Rapunzel, hauling around her 70-foot locks and armed with an iron frying pan, can take care of herself, outwitting assorted thugs along the way. Two scene-stealing sidekicks—Pascal (a feisty, protective chameleon) and Maximus (a hilariously determined horse)—add to the fun of filmmakers Nathan Greno and Byron Howard's excellent CGI-animated family film. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include the original storybook openings (8 min.) and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are deleted scenes (13 min.), a “making-of” featurette (13 min.), “Tangled Teasers” promotional clips (9 min.), two extended songs (8 min.), a “50th Animated Feature Countdown” montage (2 min.), and a bonus DVD copy of the film. Bottom line: a fine extras package—on Blu-ray—for a winning Disney film.] (S. Granger)