Cartoon Corner- Tangled

Originally posted at the DL December 2015

Something about the opening needs comment but I can't figure out what I want to say.  Having Flynn narrate it doesn't quite work for me, I think because they go in a slightly different direction with him in the movie itself where the melodrama feels a bit off I think.  Still, making the sun a prominent motif throughout the movie was a good move and helps keep things fairly cohesive in its way.



When Will My Life Begin- Mm.  It's competent.  Optimistic and upbeat but utterly consumed with mundanity, gives us a pretty good first view of Rapunzel.  It's kinda hard to get excited about it mind, but hey, there's nothing wrong with it.

Mother Knows Best- I was trying to form thoughts but then the bit where Rapunzel is hiding in her hair all curled up like it's a mole hole popped up and distracted all of them.  Such a lovely little image.  um.  I dunno.  It has a feel more like... like a Hammerstein musical, y'know?  Which isn't too far removed from some of the work of the Sherman brothers which is very very Disney so it works for a milestone work like this actually, but I don't think any of the ones I've covered had a song in this style to it.

When Will My Life Begin (Reprise)- Oh Rapunzel you're such a dork~

I've Got a Dream- Mmm.  Y'know, cute of them to have the obligatory reality bending song actually matter to the plot.  "Oh hey Flynn's a scheming dickhead but it's gotten him in over his head!  However will we get out?!  Let's use the power of trust to sway the crowd into a dance number!  And then they just let us go."  Very nice.  It's a somewhat stock idea for a fairytale story nowadays but the execution, especially compared against Disney itself, is pretty alright.

Mother Knows Best (Reprise)- Damn.  This is some wicked witch shit and it's amazing.  I think I have underestimated Gothel as a villain.  She's pretty meh for most of the movie but she sells the hell outta this song and it's too perfect.

Mmm.  So this exchange happens before the last song.
"What if it's not everything I dreamed it would be?"
"It will be."
"and... what if it is?"
"That's the best part.  You get to go find a new dream"
I think we should just kinda file this away as Disney.txt.

I See the Light- Man, forgot this was a song over rather than singing in characters.  Of course it's from the voices of the leads so same difference mostly.  And really I could have been hitting harder on how many Renaissance notes this hits, since this one is probably the most direct transfer of that formula, but really I don't think I'd be considering it in that light except I'm doing these writeups, so I hate to bring it up too much.  Otherwise, it's effect at what it needs to be.  But like a few other song it doesn't wow me either.

Rating- 7/10.  There's not quite so many highs in this movie as its contemporaries, but it's extremely even and complete as a film, which I think is why it succeeded where Princess and the Frog in particular did not.  It's not a huge favorite even then, but there's certainly a lot to be said for that.