FILM: D23 Expo - Tangled Ever After Poster (News)

Disney's D23 Expo is going on in Anaheim, CA this weekend and as a convention for fans of everything Disney a lot of news is coming out from the Expo. One exciting tidbit is that the TANGLED universe will be coming together one more time in the form of an animated short much like the TOY STORY one that was in front of CARS 2 earlier this summer and the other TOY STORY short scheduled to be in front of THE MUPPETS movie this fall.

Directed by the feature film team of Nathan Greno (TANGLED) and Byron Howard (TANGLED), the short, named TANGLED EVER AFTER is scheduled to premiere on the Disney Channel sometime during Spring 2012. The poster unveiling the return of most if not all of the characters from the feature film, including the Stabbington Brothers, has been released online.

FILMonBLU-RAY: Tangled (Review)

Tangled
2010 - Walt Disney Pictures
Released on Blu-Ray & DVD on March 29, 2011

# of Discs: 2 (Blu-Ray, DVD)
Runtime: 100 Minutes

For it's fiftieth full-length animated feature film, Disney presents a new twist on one of the oldest fairytales ever told. Tangled focuses on Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), a girl with long magical hair that is forced by her mother to live her life trapped in an isolated tower.

Her only wish is to see in person the floating lights in the sky that only appear on her birthday. Enter thief Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi), who needs a place to hide after stealing the tiara of the lost princess and double crossing his accomplices. He finds Rapunzel's tower and Rapunzel realizes he is the chance to leave the tower she was waiting for.

The best moments happen during Rapunzel and Flynn's journey that takes them away from the hidden tower. Their first stop is a rowdy pub called the Snuggly Duckling. There they meet a cast of characters that are both unique and properly rounded out despite their labeled appearances. The interaction leads to a fantastic musical number, "I've Got a Dream" between Rapunzel, Flynn and the pub-goers. There is also a fantastic dance scene once they arrive at the kingdom that Rapunzel starts with all of the villagers in the street. The special features mention that the scene is the biggest crowd scene in a Disney animated film with over three thousand CG characters. The previous largest crowd scene had been in 1995's The Hunchback of Notre Dame. But the most breathtaking moment in the movie may just have to be when Flynn and Rapunzel go out into the water to witness the floating lights and sing "I See the Light".

The extras that come with the movie include three deleted scenes, which is a rarity in animated films due to the cost producing animation usually anything produced makes it into the final film. The unfinished scenes presented here include different versions of the film's beginning using a storybook introduction for Tangled that the directors were experimenting with to give the movie a classic Disney feel to it. There are also two songs extended, Rapunzel's "When Will My Life Begin" which starts off Tangled and Mother Gothel's "Mother Knows Best", a wickedly delicious song from the film's villain.

But the highlight of the special features might be the making of featurette "The Making of a Fairy Tale" hosted by the film's stars, Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi. With Mandy's adorableness and Zachary's charm, they entertain viewers with Disney trivia and facts while sharing behind the scenes segments on Tangled with the directors, animators and voice actors.

Very few movies can replicate the theater experience but watching Tangled on Blu-Ray was just as wondrous as seeing it in 3D theaters. It is easily the most beautiful looking animated movie I have seen, animation and Disney fans alike should flock to stores and pick up a copy of Tangled on Blu-Ray. It is well worth the purchase and I expect it to quickly become one of the most watched films in my collection.

Look to buy Tangled Blu-Ray over at Amazon for only $17.99.

FILM: Living the Dream - Tangled (Review)

Two decades ago, Disney Animation entered a golden age of feature film releases with the likes of Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. One decade later, the sun began to set on Disney's animated hits leading to an eventual philosophical change in 2006 when Pixar was bought and the minds in charge of that studio were brought in to run Walt Disney Animation Studios.

And now, after putting finishing touches and improving the quality of Disney Animation feature films like Meet the Robinsons, Bolt, Princess and the Frog, the product has been taken to a new level with their latest release, "Tangled", which also happens to be the fiftieth Disney animated feature produced.

Directed by Nathan Greno ("Meet the Robinsons" screenplay writer) and Byron Howard ("Bolt"), "Tangled", like Princess and the Frog, is a return to Disney's wheelhouse - a princess fairytale. "Tangled" is based off of the German tale "Rapunzel", about a girl who is forced to live in a tower by an enchantress that took her from her parents and she has incredibly long hair and meets a prince.

With Disney's version, Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) is a lost princess living in a hidden tower with who she believes is her mother. Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) actually kidnapped Rapunzel from her parents, the king and queen, because of the magical abilities contained in her hair. Along comes the thief, Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi), who has just stolen the tiara of the missing princess and needs a place to hide from the kingdom guards and the accomplices he double crossed. Rapunzel has a wish to see the floating lights that always appear only on her birthday and sees Rider as an opportunity to do just that and that is where the fun begins.

In the classic style of Disney, "Tangled" is an animated musical and as such the main characters were cast brilliantly. Musician and actress Mandy Moore plays Rapunzel perfectly with the cheery attitude and peppiness for the girl's innocence along with her melodious voice for the catchy songs. The film ends up being a breakout performance for actor Zachary Levi ("Chuck"), who as Flynn Rider plays the devilishly handsome hero role well and displays a talent for singing that was never before heard from him. And to bring veteran stage actress Donna Murphy into the film to play Mother Gothel might be the film's smartest move. Her voice captures the wickedness needed for a Disney villain and her singing takes the film to the next level.

The most magical part of the film may have to be the look and feel of it. It is by far one of the most beautiful animated movies I have ever seen, and very smartly they seemed to mold the design of the main characters to reflect the actors that voice them. Along with Pascal, the cute chameleon who at the beginning is Rapunzel's only friend, and Maximus, the kingdom guard horse that eventually becomes an ally to Flynn Rider thanks to Rapunzel, the film is filled with fabulously designed characters to fill out the supporting cast of "Tangled".

Any animation or Disney fan should immediately go out and see "Tangled" because you will not be disappointed. It is unfortunate that the film came out in a year where Toy Story 3 and How to Train Your Dragon had already wowed audiences and will probably be considered underrated as a result but in every respect this film matches their level of quality and entertainment. In my eyes it is an instant Disney classic that I will repeatedly rewatch in the future endlessly. It is worth a look without a doubt.