So I might be a little behind but I just saw the new Disney princess movie, Tangled. It is the story of Rapunzel, who is kidnapped by an old woman from her royal parents. Mother Gothel found a flower that contains a drop of the sun, and brings health and youth to whoever sings to it. While pregnant with Rapunzel, the queen becomes ill and the entire kingdom seeks out the flower to cure her. The flower's powers are transferred to the baby Rapunzel and her hair. So Mother Gothel kidnaps the child and keeps her locked away in a tower. We then see Rapunzel just before her eighteenth birthday, longing to leave the tower.
Then comes Flynn Ryder, our animated, G-rated Han Solo as he is called around the internet. We first see him on top of the palace, dreaming that he will have one of his own one day (hint hint). He is a thief who has stolen the lost princess's crown, betrayed his partners, and is on the run from a horse with a nose like blood hound, Maximus. He scales the tower after eluding a troop of guards and the fiercely determined Maximus, only to be brought down by Rapunzel with a pan to the face. She has him restrained with her strong hair and nimble manipulation of it.
Together they strike a bargain: he takes her to the city to see the lanterns that appear always on her birthday, and she will give him the crown. They have adventures, make friends, and sing, all the while developing as characters and falling in love. To be perfectly honest, I really liked this movie. I didn't love it, the way I do some animated movies like The Little Mermaid (because of childhood memories) or Up (because it's simply astounding). It had likeable characters that actually grew as the movie went on, the songs were typically catchy, and the story itself was well done.
As far as princesses go, Rapunzel was just as wide-eyed and innocent as any but she is determined and strong. She grows up and finds out how capable she is out there in the “big scary world.” Flynn, or Eugene as he is revealed later, serves as more of a catalyst than a savior. He helps her on her journey, but she is also a part of his own self discovery.
We can't forget the hair, since this is Rapunzel. It's long, golden blonde, and stunning. It not only has healing powers but she uses it like an extra limb. Hair is a symbol of strong female sexuality here, one that people like her kidnapper and Flynn's old companions are trying to get control of. The blondeness and untouched nature of it screams innocence and virginity, and its begging to be taken. As she matures on her journey, that naivete does not fit her anymore. Flynn dramatically cuts her hair off to prevent her from sacrificing herself for him, and she is instantly a brunette with a bob style cut, looking altogether mature and downright womanly.
Not that she loses her magic. She heals Flynn with a tear and they go back to the palace. Its said that she is as wonderful a ruler as her parents were before her, and as a side note, she eventually marries Flynn. It's nice to see a princess whose main achievement isn't landing a man but being a great leader.
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