Fiona and I went out to see Tangled yesterday after school while the guys went to Alex's first boy scout meeting. I have to admit that it was my favorite Disney animated cartoon yet. I loved it! Okay, well, I'm sure that has to do with the whole Rapunzel association I have going on with my book Tapestry.
You know, I was a bit uncomfortable about the number of associations I made between the two, though there should be that a bit, right? Mother Gothel was more like my villain, Jessie, than any Disney character has been yet. She was manipulative and, well, mostly out to take care of #1. What she did was perfectly rational to her own mind. In fact, she wanted Rapunzel to be happy. Didn't she agree to travel on a 3-day journey just to get some silly shells to make a special paint that Rapunzel wanted? See? She didn't want to make that journey, but she only turned back because she was alarmed at signs of palace guards heading towards the tower.
You know what 'done her in' in the end? Well, she was too durn soft-hearted. She'd stabbed Rapunzel's beau, who was out to rescue Rapunzel from Mother Gothel. She wouldn't have stabbed the chap if he hadn't been, in fact, threatening her own life in trying to rescue Rapunzel (you'd have to see it to catch why she needed Rapunzel, but she did). Though Mother Gothel wanted Rapunzel to be happy, she resorted to chains because she had to. I mean, it was her own life at stake, right? But she did want Rapunzel to be happy. That's why she allowed Rapunzel to go and heal her fellow--who then destroyed Mother Gothel's lifeline and thus killed her. If she'd let him die on that tower floor, she'd have been fine!
Oh, I loved it! So, so my Jessie character (maybe with a gypsy flair and a bit softer)! And, you know, I was pretty put out that Rapunzel didn't grieve her death at all. She'd been raised and tended by Mother Gothel (lots of 'I love you', 'I love you more', 'I love you most' warmth and such). Yes, Mother Gothel had stolen her as a babe, but only because she had to to survive. Poor Mother Gothel... and yes, I like my own villain, too :).
Oh, Rapunzel's character was great, too--one of my favorite Disney 'princesses'. I loved that they finally had a character with both spunk and innocence. They went from helpless innocence (Snow White, Sleeping Beauty) to jaded spunk (think Meg in Hercules), but Disney finally got it right with Rapunzel. Hmm, maybe with Ariel, too...but Rapunzel's story was a little more fun than Ariel's crush on Prince Eric.
Fiona and I pronounce Tangled a Triumph!
P.S. Fiona and I agreed on our absolute favorite scenes:
1. Rapunzel's ambivalent wailing and screeches of joy when she finally left the tower. Absolutely hysterical! From "Yippee, Yippee!" to "I'm a terrible, awful daughter!" and throwing herself face down on the ground. I nearly had a conniption at the rapid back-and-forth. Well done and so funny!
2. Rapunzel trying to put Flynn in the closet, once she'd knocked him out with a frying pan. Actually, the whole scene from the first whack until Mother Gothel arrived. Again, hysterical. No, it wouldn't have been so funny if it had been Mother Gothel. It was this sweet, innocent girl doing so that made it hilarious.
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