For two months, I’ve been anxiously waiting to tell you about Disney’s modern-day take on Rapunzel. After several years in the making, Tangled premiered in theaters nationwide earlier this week. Disney’s 50th animated feature, presented in Disney Digital 3D, follows the adventurous tale of a girl taken hostage as a baby for her magical hair.
Two months ago, I attended a press junket for the movie at Walt Disney Animation Studios and was fascinated by the work that went into creating and animating Rapunzel’s hair. If you can imagine, 70 feet of hair can be difficult to work with. Being that Rapunzel’s hair is integral to her character, it was important that it always look natural, beautiful, and most importantly believable. This isn’t the first time a Disney character’s problems have been defined by their hair, according to Executive Producer and Animation Supervisor Glen Keane. If you look at Ariel or Pocahontas, their hair signified their struggle, just as Rapunzel’s hair is a constant reminder of her potential. One minute she’s hiding in it, the next she’s using it to rescue Flynn Rider. One of my favorite scenes is the moment she leaves the tower she’s been hidden away in for eighteen years.
The classic retelling of the German tale about a girl who longs for freedom is magically depicted in Disney Digital 3D with beautifully picturesque scenery and a catchy, upbeat soundtrack. Here is a brief synopsis of the film from the site:
When the kingdom’s most wanted—and most charming—bandit, Flynn Rider, hides out in a mysterious tower, he’s taken hostage by Rapunzel, a beautiful and feisty tower-bound teen with 70 feet of magical, golden hair. Flynn’s curious captor, who’s looking for her ticket out of the tower where she’s been locked away for years, strikes a deal with the handsome thief, and the unlikely duo sets off on an action-packed escapade, complete with a super-cop horse (named Maximus), an over-protective chameleon (named Pascal), and a gruff gang of pub thugs.
I’ve always wondered why a filmmaker decides to add a 3D dimension to a film. Director Byron Howard states that “seeing the film in 3D allows viewers to experience the story and action in a way they never could before.” The first time I watched the film, it was still in production. Re-watching it in 3D allowed for an immersive experience. I particularly found that Rapunzel’s hair came to life in 3D.
I find the original 17th century tale to be quite dark. While there were definitely some moments that might be frightening to small children (think scary old woman turned evil), Disney always has a way of taking a story and making it delightfully charming and inspirationally heartwarming. Rapunzel’s strength and determination is contagious. She inspires us to realize our dreams.
If you live in the LA area, be sure to check out Tangled’s limited run at the El Capitan Theater. You can see the film daily at 10 am, 1 pm, 4 pm, 7 pm and 9:30 pm, preceded by a live musical show featuring Rapunzel and Flynn Rider. Guests can also choose to have a Tea Party with Rapunzel on select days which includes hot tea and tea sandwiches and a commemorative photo with Rapunzel. For more information, visit the website or call 1-800-DISNEY6.
To support the release of Tangled, Pantene is celebrating the iconic mane of golden-haired Rapunzel to raise awareness of its Pantene Beautiful Lengths campaign. The campaign encourages people to grow, cut and donate their healthy hair to make real-hair wigs for women who have lost their hair due to cancer treatment. More than 220,000 ponytails have been collected for the program to date, and Pantene is aiming to reach its goal of two million inches of total hair collected by the end of the year. For more information about the campaign, just visit their website.
No compensation was received for this post. Screening tickets provided.
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I was blown away by the preview. Talking my daughter on the last day of school before holiday break. That’s fascinating about the man hours required for the hair. Can’t wait.