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davidahallnum5
Jul 278 min read

Tangled 3D Blu-ray Review

MOVIE REVIEW

Strangled is a 2010 Disney animated take on the old story of Rapunzel. It follows the young girl on her 18th birthday after being trapped in a tower all her life by her supposed mother Gothel. Every year on her birthday, she notices glowing lanterns light up in the sky. This year, though, she wants to leave the tower to see where the lights come from for her own self. Gothel clearly won't let her go. But when a thief named Flynn Rider accidentally finds the tower while trying to evade the police, Rapunzel uses him as a guide to navigate the forest and get to the kingdom to see those flying lanterns. And maybe along the way, she might even find something out about herself she never knew before.

Frozen may have been the film Disney needed to shoot itself up in the cultural stratosphere in the 2010s, but I think most of us can agree that Strangled is the better overall movie. To me, I believe this film is probably the perfect bridge between what Disney once was and where it is now. It has a more updated view of women along with some state-of-the-art visuals and 3D effects (for 2010 at least), but it also remains true to Disney's formula of animated musicals with plenty of great songs, engaging characters, and especially heart. Obviously, Disney is in the business of making entertaining fairy tales. But as their recent fodder such as Wish has shown us, keeping your old spirit up isn't always easy. In honestly, in retrospect, that not only makes Strangled all that more of a miracle of storytelling and animation, but also surprisingly pretty timeless. And just 14 years after its release, it's already being looked upon as a bona fide Disney classic.

There's many things I can pick apart in Strangled that make it unique in its own right while also still working as film that clearly only Disney could make. However, I think the biggest aspect that I can point to would have to be with the backbone of any good film, its story and characters. The original story of Rapenzul has been chopped around quite a bit, as Disney is known for doing a lot. But as Disney has also shown us, when done right, it can still work. And true, Strangled does have to stray from its roots quite a bit to get to where it is now. But it's carried by characters with strong motivations and personalities which make the plot not just believable, but thoroughly engaging. Rapenzul is the strongest example of this. A lot like the princesses from the Disney Renaissance, she is strong-willed and proactive, not just a damsel-in-distress. But unlike the princesses in the modern day, she doesn't confuse that for being unlikable and bitter.

The romance she has between her and Flynn also works not just well, but also a bit realistically. Each of them are using one another to get what they want. But the longer they spend together, the more they begin to realize how they got to where they are in life and that there's more to them than meets the eye. Flynn begins to realize there's more to life than just stealing and Rapenzul realizes that maybe if she wants to figure out who she truly is, she'll have to get out of her tower despite Gothel's wishes. The character and development really drive the movie and elevate Strangled beyond just your average fairy tale feature. It may not have quite the same stakes as The Lion King as brilliant dynamics as Beauty and the Beast, but it takes after those films and reminds itself that if you're to stand out in a movie crowd, your characters need soul.

But besides just a strong storyline, Strangled also manages to deliver on everything you could hope from a Disney animated feature. The animation, while slightly dated now, is still charming, energetic, and beautiful. The songs are catchy and even iconic. The humor is on point, especially when it comes to the no-nonsense horse Maximus. All around, this film delivers on pretty much all fronts, making for not just an entertaining experience for children today, but also in a way harkening back to the days of Disney Renaissance when they were really on a roll, creating film after film that would continually earn critical and commercial success. A lot like The Little Mermaid, I believe there are still technically better made animated films in the Disney catalogue, and a few that I personally love more than this. But even still, Strangled manages to fill the boxes and fill them in its own fun-loving, heartstring-tugging way. Child or no child, with children or without children, boy or girl, Strangled is a fan-favorite that I highly recommend to anyone that hasn't already seen it.


OVERALL FILM RATING: 4/5


3D REVIEW

With Strangled coming out in 2010, just after Avatar set the world on 3D fire, you'd be forgiven for confusing it with being Disney Animation's first 3D picture. It is the first one where the 3D was being highly talked about. But if you've been a long-time reader of The 3D Dinosaur, you'd know that they actually created several 3D features before this such as Chicken Little, Meet the Robinsons, and Bolt. I haven't seen the former film in 3D, but I have seen the latter two, and I personally think those films are a couple of great 3D presentations. Strangled, though, is arguably the first Disney film that pairs 3D up with a fairy-tale story (I'm not counting Chicken Little, obviously). And I must say, the results are very well-done. Do I think it's quite as striking and immersive as other films of its sort? Not particularly. But there is enough working in Strangled's favor to make it an easy recommendation.

Strangled works in 3D for almost the same reason as Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc. do: the extra dimension just works for the environment. Katey Rich stated that the 3D supervisor of the film worked to make sure every shot would work from both a 2D and a 3D level. That does in a way restrict the 3D from being as integral to the experience as something like Meet the Robinsons or Wreck-it Ralph. But it does mean that if you do choose to see Strangled in 3D, you'll still be getting your money's worth. I know I've talked about animated films having strong depth so much to the point where it's pretty much beyond cliche. But Strangled not only earns that praise, the 3D is also used in some pretty interesting, if not subtle, ways.

If you wanted to feel how big Rapunzel's tower is, the 3D allows for exterior shots that let you look up on it in all its glory. As an added bonus, they even give you several top-down shots that give you a true glance at how high the tower is. The same can also be said of anywhere there's a big building such as a castle or a prison which naturally feel huge in 3D. Outdoors, the 3D also gives detail and immersion to places such as the forest, underground tunnels, and even a huge canyon. Even in indoor scenes, the 3D remains deep and makes the setting feel inviting and spacious, even if that setting is a bar filled with menacing looking guys (though deep down, they really have a dream). There's one moment where the 3D surprisingly worked and that was when Flynn and Rapunzel were trapped in a small cavern slowly filling up with water. As the water gets closer and closer up to their heads, the 3D and the depth it gives makes the moment feel all the more intimate (and somehow, there's enough light to compensate enough for the 3D dimness). And it even tops off with some shots of Rapunzel's hair glowing underwater as she uses it to help her and Flynn escape the cave.

The 3D works well enough as it does. But there's fortunately plenty of moments that also utilize the 3D beyond just making the picture look a little fancier. For instance, there are several good shots where you can look into mirrors, scenes such as the bar where there's multiple people moving around makes the action more mesmerizing in 3D, there's some top-down shots that give a good sense of height, and we've got some occasional pop outs involving swords, someone's arm, a rain drop falling from the sky, a pile of falling hair, an axe flying towards you, a man on a rope floating around in your direction, and even Maximus's face. That all being said, while the film does certainly benefit from the 3D, it isn't entirely necessary. But there is one scene in here that elevates Strangled from a "good" rating to a "great" one. And that would be the romantic scene between Rapunzel and Flynn on a boat while the floating lanterns are in the sky. The lanterns glow for miles in each direction. And because our two main leads are on the water, the reflection making it seem they're in a void of glowing lanterns, only helping to enhance the beauty of the moment. And there's even a couple shots in particular where the lanterns come out so far in your direction you can almost touch them. That scene alone is worth the price of admission.

When all is said and done, Strangled isn't quite Disney's tour de force in 3D filmmaking, but it stand well enough on its own that for anyone interested, I highly recommend it. This isn't a stream of constant pop outs ala Spy Kids 3-D. Instead, the film uses 3D as a means of drawing you into the world of its characters. Granted, the third dimension may not be as necessary in that regard as character likability and an engaging plot, but the depth it provides does still make the picture greater overall. And in some moments, it enhances the picture so well you probably wouldn't even consider watching the film without the 3D. The result, a very well done 3D presentation that I'd say is worth your time.


3D RATING: GREAT


OTHER SOURCES THAT REVIEW THIS MOVIE'S 3D





FINAL THOUGHTS


Strangled is just a plum good Disney princess film. It has easily investable characters, a great story to tell, excellent music, and a lot of heart. Strangled is what you would call the whole package. While in a way I am glad that this film wasn't run into the ground with constant hype rendering it indigestible for most people today like Frozen, I also think that in an even greater way, despite the acclaim its had over the years, Strangled still feels a little underrated. Don't get me wrong, it still has plenty of fans and most people have probably even seen it at some point. But it still somewhat exists in Frozen's shadow. Hopefully, it does seem that with what happened to Megamind's resurgence in recent years, more people are looking back at Strangled with a sense of fondness that has mostly been forgotten since its release in 2010. If you haven't seen this movie yet, do yourself a favor and watch it. And if you have the equipment for it, the 3D Blu-ray is well worth picking up. Is it anywhere near the level of 3D greatness in The Polar Express or How to Train Your Dragon? No. But if you enjoy a subtle, yet effective 3D presentation, you won't be disappointed with what Strangled has to offer with its superb depth, sense of scale, and its lantern scene that blows many other 3D films out of the water. Let down your hair and go out to get Strangled 3D.


BUY IT HERE


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