Tangled

Story

In this Disney animated version of the Rapunzel story, Gothel (voice of Donna Murphy) steals the baby Princess Rapunzel so she can use the magical powers of Rapunzel’s hair. Gothel brings up Rapunzel (voice of Mandy Moore) as her own daughter, but keeps her locked up in an inaccessible tower. When Rapunzel reaches her teenage years, she yearns to go outside but Gothel makes sure Rapunzel is terrified of what’s out there in the world.

When Flynn Rider (voice of Zachary Levi), a handsome and charming thief, climbs into her tower to escape pursuing soldiers, Rapunzel doesn’t immediately see him as her Prince Charming. Instead, she attacks him and locks him up in a cupboard. She eventually makes a deal with Flynn to take her out of the tower in exchange for the crown he has stolen from the palace. Together they have a rollicking and sometimes scary adventure. They have to escape Gothel, soldiers, thugs, bandits and floods, as well as a fierce horse called Maximus. Along the way, they also fall in love.

Themes

Separation from parents; imprisonment

Violence

This movie contains some violence. For example:

Flynn falls onto a pursuing soldier and knocks him off his horse.
Maximus stamps on the tree where Flynn is hiding and the branch snaps off. Flynn and Maximus both fall a long way to the ground but are unhurt.
Rapunzel repeatedly hits Flynn over the head with a heavy frying pan. When Flynn regains consciousness, she knocks him out again and stuffs him into a cupboard.
Flynn falls out of the cupboard, and Rapunzel ties him in a chair with her very long hair.
Thugs in an inn grab hold of Flynn and threaten him with knives. Rapunzel starts hitting them with a frying pan.
A large thug comes after Rapunzel with an axe.
Flynn has a fight with the soldiers and Maximus.
Gothel stabs Flynn in the back, and it looks like he’s about to die.

Sexual references

This movie contains some sexual references. For example, Gothel uses her beauty to charm and seduce the bandits.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

This movie contains some use of substances. For example, one of the thugs appears to be drunk.

Nudity and sexual activity

None of concern

Product placement

None

Coarse language

None of concern

Ideas to discuss with your children

Tangled is an animated adventure comedy for children, based on a fairytale classic. The new Rapunzel isn’t the classic damsel-in-distress, but her beauty is still important in the storyline. The movie is at times very sentimental, but is likely to appeal to school-age children.

The main messages in this movie are about following your dreams. It also tries to show us that things and people are not always as they appear to be. Finally, it highlights the idea that girls don’t need to be rescued and can stand up for themselves.

Values in this movie that you could reinforce with your children include love, loyalty and friendship, trust, selflessness, and the ability to see good in others.

This movie could also give you the chance to talk with your children about real-life issues such as selfishness and manipulative and controlling behaviours. You could also talk about how the story seems to reward Flynn, even though he’s a thief.