Tangled [2010]

My sister's birthday just happened recently, and since this is her absolute favorite movie, I think now's a good time to review it. :)
Tangled is a very sweet movie, and it might actually be my favorite Disney movie, but the jury is still out on that one. It has a solid, fast paced plot, great characters, gorgeous music, and eyepopping animation. I mean really, this movie is a treat to look at. Rapunzel's 70 foot-long hair especially is where the animator's work really shows. It looks so life-like!
I think that the visual highlight of the film is the I See the Light scene, it's amazing.
Anyhoo, despite the fact that this movie ends in a slight Deus ex Machina, I think that the plot is actually well written. It's fast paced, and evenly balances action with character development, which is hard to do.
The characters are one of the movie's major strong points. I know that Frozen is supposed to be the feminist Disney movie, but I think that Rapunzel is actually a fairly independent heroine. Rapunzel just wanted to see the flying lanterns and escape from the confines of the tower. Meeting a guy didn't factor into her plans at all until she actually met someone (who she originally just needed to show her the way) and they grew to love each other. Rapunzel's goal as stated in her solo is to go and see the lights. She just wants to live her life, and in the end that's what she gets. Eugene was the bonus prize. Not to belittle Eugene, because he's a good character! I don't want to spoil the ending, but his development is real nice and I like what they did with him.
And Mother Gothel... probably one of the freakiest and interesting villains I've seen. The reason I find Mother Gothel so creepy is that she's so good at emotional manipulation that she's got Rapunzel under her thumb- not with scare tactics, but with maternal 'love'.
Oh, and the music in Tangled is definitely something to write home about. I mean, it's not the absolute best soundtrack I've ever heard, but the music is really pretty. First off, the sung songs. When Will My Life Begin is a lovely little song, Mother Knows Best is a terrific villain song, and I See the Light is very sweet. And the orchestral score! I could ramble about it all night, but I'll just say that it's wonderful. Campfire, Kingdom Dance, Waiting for the Lights, and The Tear Heals are highlights. I love how prominent acoustic guitar is in the soundtrack, it lends it a certain tone that I really enjoyed.

The Verdict: A-
So! I should mention that there are a few instances of sloppy writing, but it's not that bad. Some people might be really bugged by the Deus ex Machina at the ending (Though if you read the original Fairy Tale, there is a similar incident in the finale), but aside from that, this is a pretty good movie! It's got heart and depth, but it's also very funny. All in all, a perfect movie for family viewing. :)