The Reel Rejects - DISNEY'S TANGLED - Movie Review!

Episode Date: July 12, 2022

Gimme a head with hair - long beautiful hai-yahhh! Thanks to StoryBlocks for sponsoring this video! Visit http://www.storyblocks.com/REJECTS to get started! Greg & John finally catch up with Disney's take on Rapunzel - featuring Mandy Moore in the lead with Zachary Levi as Flynn Rider! Songs include "When Will My Life Begin?," "I See the Light," "I've Got a Dream," Donna Murphy's rendition of "Mother Knows Best," "The Healing Song," AND MORE! REACTION HIGHLIGHTS on our YouTube Channel & FULL LENGTH (Sync-Up) WATCH ALONGS at Patreon.com/TheReelRejects!! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-reel-rejects/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance, fiscally responsible, financial geniuses, monetary magicians. These are things people say about drivers who switch their car insurance to Progressive and save hundreds. Visit Progressive.com to see if you could save. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates. Potential savings will vary, not available in all states or situations. What's going on there? of The Real Rejects. We are about to watch Tangled. Yay. If you guys want to watch our reaction to it, you can catch it over on YouTube.com slash the real rejects. But if you just want to hear

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Sounds so affordable. This is quite affordable. They have multiple subscription levels to suit your exact needs, whether you're an independent indie solo creator or a whole team. So if you want to learn more, head on down to our list. link in the description box and get started that's at storyblocks.com slash rejects now back to the video all right john this is actually my fifth time watching this oh no knew it beat by beat um what did you think that was lovely i've heard often this movie held up as one of the best of the you know recent revival of disney animated musicals and whatnot and uh i

got swept up and was quite delighted. I mean, these are, it always, like, catches me, and it takes me a second to Orient because, like, they, they tend to, like, get off on the story in a way where I'm like, oh, we're already doing this. But, yeah, like, as it unfolds and as it goes,

I thought it was quite charming, and I don't know the Rapunzel story, like, the back of my hand. I know, like, the very basics. So, yeah, it was cool to sort of be in this place where I'm like, okay, I can kind of see, I think, where they're kind of embellishing and turning this into more of a Disney fairy tale.

But yeah, I thought it was really charming and delightful. I like the voice cast, you know. Yeah, Mandy Moore and Hugh Jackman. That's right, man. You nailed it. If everyone listening to the podcast, John Gess, it was Hugh Jackman. I thought it was an American accent to

Jackman. His American accent throws me. It's your microphone. Put it in my mouth. Put it inside your mouth. scraping against your beard. There we go. Yeah, Hugh Jackman's American accent throws me sometimes.

But Zachary Levi, props to him. I wouldn't have guessed. I wouldn't have guessed for a movie like this. But yeah, it was quite charming. There's a lot of really lovely little visual flourishes. And I guess one thing I kept noticing was it's fascinating to me how far the animation has come, because

there are absolutely aspects of this movie that are beautiful. And gorgeous to behold, even for the time, because there are certain things that have certainly gotten better. I feel like rock textures now are insane by comparison, but they still have such a grip on color and light, especially with all those lanterns and all that, like, foliage with the shadows and sun, bright sun shining through, illuminating all this greenery, like... Illumination. Elimination! Yeah, I thought, from an animation, perspective, it was quite lovely to behold, and it's, it's, uh, I, the mom, you're, is,

it's an interesting experience because I'm like, you're supposed, she's supposed to get on your nerves. And she is in many ways the villain. And, uh, I thought it was interesting the way that they orchestrated that. Uh, because she actually did get on my nerves, but not in a way that annoyed me in spite of the movie. What do you mean? I just want to strangle her the whole time. I don't know. Even when she's being sweet, I'm like, oh, you're frustrating.

Oh, really? I enjoyed her so much. No, I really liked the performance. I really liked the mannerisms they animated her with and the actresses' performance in there. But also, I was like, uh, like, I'm not, and I, like, it's weird. I'm not holding it against the movie because I don't think it's asking you to be like, no, she's good, you know?

No, I set her up as the villain right from the beginning. But yeah, but, you know, like seeing through Rapunzel's perspective early on before she knows, like I feel like you could play that character in a way where she is deceptively sweet in a way that in the moment you could see how Rapunzel could endear to her where, you know, I don't,

don't think they did that so much here uh well i do think that they i would i would vehemently disagree oh okay strongly almost aggressively disagree oh good i want to strangle you instead of her i mean she was raised from birth though yeah it's not like no i came into her oh my god fine can't get a word in this fucking review sorry kids. Children. Game here. Sorry, guys.

I'll get you all some juice boxes. Mommy and Daddy fighting at the dinner table here. I'm sorry. What were you saying? No, it all made sense. Like, yeah, because Rapunzel's been raised by her. So, of course, she's not going to have any reason to suspect. The mannerisms being indicators of the fact that she's not actually a benevolent

caring moment. They just read as quirks to her, because of course, that's all she knows. Then why are you questioning it? It was just an interesting flavor I wasn't expected. What were you expecting? Something really dark and heavy? No, something where, like, the mom is, like, really cloying and, like, overly, like, lovely until we get the, you know, aside moments where she's on her own. And then it's like, ha-ha, I'm my evil motivations, blah, blah, blah.

Where, I don't know, they kind of struck an interesting nuance that I just wasn't Well, they can't make her likable. I know. This is not a complaint. It would be very difficult to make it. I don't want them to make her like them. If the kids were watching this in the theaters and they were like, oh, I like her, though.

She's a sweet mommy and she's been sweet up until the last 10 minutes of this movie. Oh, my God. That would be so harsh. Yeah, I'm not asking for that. They got to make her unlikable throughout. Sure. John, please. Stop fighting

Yes, yes of course Sorry I'll let this go This is embarrassing She's so defensive Over nothing That's right I'll loosen up

Please In all cases Oh yeah She was my She was my hero And the mom I was like I could learn a lot from her

Because if you can control your kids Like that We have a less What's annoying shit going on movie theaters you know what i mean that's right to sit there and be like damn why'd you bring your kid to this movie won't shut up they're not interested in being you get guilt your kid yes guilt them into being obedient submissive guilt them or scare them yeah uh yeah i was

surprised by it's because it's a 2010 movie and i forget how much movies have changed yeah you're reminded me of the period of when this came out because this movie is mainly like a very I guess that's the thing what surprised me the most is how remarkably straightforward it is

yeah it's it's unbelievably straightforward in its execution and uh yeah it there's it's almost like like so it's so simple in the way they go about it yeah and it's just about enjoying

the experience, I think what helps elevate it is the personalities of the characters. That's the most refreshing aspect to it. Because in terms of like how this movie goes down, it is so straightforward. And there's like no fat around anything.

No, no, no, not at all. Yeah, it's very lean. And, um, was this before Frozen? I want to say it was. I imagine it is. Because I feel like this ushered in the revamp of the big Disney musical experience. Like it didn't disappear, but I feel like this was definitely like the harbinger of a new sort of renaissance that would then get way to frozen. Because my experience has been kind of all over the place.

I'm with the Disney animated stuff. You know, if this is the first. So, yeah, it's a very straightforward film. And that's not a bad thing. and it's it's just like oh i you know this movie is so praised and so loved that i was expecting something a little bit more perhaps nuance throughout or something but i was like oh it is really just a enjoyable film yeah it's like it's really economical and compact and i was thinking about this during the movie because there are there are disney movies in this vein that do strike

me that way where i'm like okay this this had to be be kind of like probably the most compact version of the events and script possible, partly because I'm sure there's a lot more and different coordination dealing with the animation and music and whatnot. But even the, like, it has a few songs. That's the other thing, too, is I was taken aback by how straightforward, because like, once you're 20 or so minutes in, you're like, oh, no, like, we're well into the actual plot, not just, like, setting up things. But also, you know, like there are a few songs that are placed. For some reason, it felt like there were maybe less songs than like your, the Disney

musical you would expect. And at times it feels like the songs are not even like the complete track. Yeah, yeah, it's interesting. It's a musical, but in a way that felt a little bit slightly different. And I've often heard people say when talking about the various Disney musicals of late that this is one of their favorites in terms of memorable songs. I really love the mother song about Mother Knows Best. I think that's really strong.

Yeah, it was very catchy. And, you know, of course, got Mandy Moore on there. So I imagine that was really her scene. Has to be. A crime that would be to rob. We're going to get somebody. We just got her to do the acting, but not the scene. I was like, is exactly revising?

But the personalities of the characters I thought were just so charming and so likable. and I was really endeared to the main duo of Eugene and Rapunzel. I found them really endearing. And it got really sweet and touching, like, very, very heartfelt in the last few moments as well. And I am a little bit more used to the storytelling of today of things that are like, they go for like the deeper messages or something more nuanced to tell the kids. and here it didn't really do like what's the message this cut your hair oh good question don't don't listen to your overbearing mother if she's evil if it turns out she's evil maybe

don't listen to her find find your own path in life don't don't let people keep you in a cage don't steal and uh don't steal look for love find love find love like It's really like just a kind of a classic Disney story, but with a modern day, with a complete modern day overhaul, is what it ultimately felt like. I guess there's that aspect of when the hair is cut and she's like, oh, no, you know, I don't have any, I'm not special anymore. But then the special was within her all along. I think that's probably the message is it's not, you don't need your special hair to be a unique and beautiful. beautiful soul. Yeah, it's okay to cry.

It's okay to cry. It heals wounds, like all the Pokemon. At the end of Pokemon, the movie. That's right, man. Save Ash. Save Ash. Tears that bring people back to life. All it took was one.

I like the way they did that. That struck me. I haven't noticed something like that that at least comes to mind in an animated movie lately where it's like that whole death scene has this really washed out color that contrasts the, you know, from the rest of the entire movie, which I thought was a

cool choice. Yeah. And, yeah, completely black and white. Oh, almost. It's like as desaturated as you can be with while still having color. And then the mom just, you know, whizzening in front of your very eyes. I guess I found myself the flavor of like the last 10 minutes is kind of what I was hoping was sprinkled in a little bit more throughout.

I did find myself craving a little bit of that. Because yeah, this is before the time that they seem to go out of their, like, I remember the there's like Frozen, then Frozen 2. Yeah, like Frozen 2 has this sort of interestingly shaped plot that isn't

very straightforward, and Frozen 1 had the buzz of being really subversive in terms of their formula. And so I feel like here you're pre that. So this is like, yeah, this is like them doing the classic, but in the most modern at the time, you know, means possible. Yeah, yeah.

Yeah. And I appreciate that. But yeah, it was that sort of thing where at first, because, because, yeah, everybody holds it up as like, no, man, that one's great. I'm like, okay, there's got to be something like wildly unique about it. It's the reputation walking into it. Yeah. That set kind of this precedent in our mind of here's, I'm expecting. It's like that level of emotional impact.

Yeah, yeah. But in a lot of ways, like, you know, I don't want to be insulting to anyone. Well, because it's not... Because I know how much this movie means to people, so that's why I'm semi-minsing my words here. It's because of the fact that I know this movie is so near to people. And it's not really a fear of being honest. It's a fear of offending without wanting to. Yeah, so I'm just intentionally.

Don't get a twisted. I'm not disappointed and I didn't dislike it. I'm just, you know, when people hail something, I feel like it creates, I don't know, any expectation of greatness is always going to kind of inspire a different thing in each viewer. So, yeah, it takes a little to orient yourself too. But at the end, I wasn't like, I don't know what anyone's talking about, you know. Yeah, I mean, I liked it. And I thought it was very charming and very enjoyable, entertaining.

but I can't say I love this movie. Yeah, yeah. I'm glad I saw it. I would happily watch it again. I think I'll think the most about Maximus, the horse. Yeah. Oh, he was great. I thought the love life they brought to Maximus was I mean, they have that classic Disney thing

where turn them into a dog at one point. Turn it to a dog. Make him a dog. Pretty much. That's what they do with all these Disney. Even Dreamworks any animated property, does it? Doggify. Hey, Thor's Hammer is a dog now. Dog or cat it? Yeah. It's dog or cat it. That's the way you make an animal relatable, is make it like everyone's most common domestic pets.

And they did that at one point. But when they weren't doing that, I was actually really, I was really satisfied with the way how much they made Maximus super expressive. And instead of just riding the line of him being, you know, a horse that's a little bit more expressive than your average horse, they just went full extreme with him. And he's like, he's a soldier and a general. and I really and like I love that at the end he was like training and so I think that was really funny

well and it's too an example of one of these movies that you have Pascal and you have Maximus but there aren't a whole lot of other like you know there's not the classic montage of like all the woodland creatures

are helping me spruce up the tower you know like it's seems like they are the two creatures who are given anthropomorphic abilities to the utmost degree and then pretty

much all the other animals seem normal but i would like a really dark twisted version of the story one that would ruin the wives of everyone i think that would be very enjoyable do so i've tangled call it twisted twisted twisted i like it i like it a lot mother going super dark really manipulative lock her in it should be like carry yes oh my god you could do it though that's the problem is that's actually a decent pitch i'm sure the if this mother is in the real rapunzel story make what it is like just make it a full-blown horror movie and a movie about trauma that she kills her mom because i'm like yeah you know i i feel like uh if they made this movie today i'm not saying they would go all adult but i think they might

have pushed it a bit more especially in terms of the central conflict because i thought that's what they were setting up like i do love you mom and like any day i do love you um it's it's not like Cinderella being you you know, forced into this stepdaughter situation, you know. And everyone's just terrible. Yeah, yeah. Or it's like, yes, she'll get away. And she's not going to miss.

I want to say, I feel like Cinderella had it worse. It's like like Cinderella didn't have it worse. But, but the, though her emotional response to her mom and where she lives is so much worse. Like that is like overbearing. And so that feels like, oh, this is a beautiful. yeah yeah and and they don't do that here with rapunzel and and and i and i and i so i was thinking that they might go the route towards the end when she does find out the truth of feeling more conflicted yeah about it because i'm like this is my mom this is the woman who raised me but it was like

when she realized it it was like no you're bad i got to get this fight that we just started having well that's everything now this just goes to support my my rebellion and so I thought there might have been a bit more of a layered conflict there and I thought the movie was building

I thought the movie was actually setting that up yeah yeah because there's a lot you can or even with the evil mom you know like actually learning to love her and stuff yeah like or maybe some kind of conflict yeah like I have I have

bond is i mean you know raised you for a 17ish years now and uh even though i guess you yeah you could pitch it as more of a sympathetic symbiosis where it's like yeah i need her but maybe i'm going to bargain with myself and tell myself that maybe this isn't messed up in some kind of way uh yeah i think it's because disney movies nowadays i i feel like they're not afraid to kind of explore like pain or some trauma loss, you know, right now. Right now they seem like they're obsessed with generational trauma

and I and I think that was the thing about this movie. It seemed like, that's the they wanted to make sure they stayed so far away from that. She is evil. She is the witch. And every time she finds out the truth, it's so lighthearted and when she finds

out the truth, there's no questions asked. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And anytime she's alone, she's going to remind us that she's evil. And it's like, Like the parents, her biological parents, the king and queen, they, you know, they check in with them. And I like kind of the quiet, melancholy, like the somber tone with them. Like, they don't really talk. You just see them looking sad.

And so I like the way they've recaptured. And, yeah, it seemed like they were, like, going darker. And I did expect that. Because I thought the movie was setting up. But I'm like, now I'm questioning it. It's because of how they're willing to do that. little bit more now nowadays they're willing to do that a little bit more so is that why i was expecting it to happen here now but what i've expected the same thing back then 12 years ago

yeah that's a great question i would be very curious i mean because too because that they evolved their movies now too so that because because the fact they weren't doing it back then yeah and and it makes you wonder because i you know i sit here and go okay they probably made these choices because i don't want to talk down but it feels like a more like yeah it's a kid super safe. Yeah, kids' family movie choice. We've got to make it really clear who the good guys and the bad guys are so that, I mean, it's like we would like these nuances and things, and there's a lot of interesting territory to explore there. Although, you know, for a young audience, maybe those things are a little more confusing or a little more, you know, maybe prone to flying over people's heads or something, children's heads. So I get that they, I don't know, it seems like maybe they wanted to keep those things clear and have since let go, of those Yeah You know

Because like you know Like a frozen Has that whole thing Where it's like you You got the prince And you you're The whole time being sold To think he's pretty great

And then it turns out Oh dang he's not You know And I mean I don't think that would be hard For kids to process But it is a bit of a different thing You know

It's a bit more of a nuance True But still As a movie Directly aim for children It's Solid entertainment Yeah, I can see how especially for the time it came out and of why it's stood the test of time.

Because was this too, I almost feel like this, I don't know the history of Disney, you know, completely, but I feel like they've had definitely ebbs and flows in the perceived quality and popularity of their different, especially like musicals and princess movies and flagships and stuff like that. I feel like when they start tapping into the computer and, is when they were like, We're going super leather. Is this? Yeah.

And is this one of the, because I'm trying to think of when this came out in relation to Princess and the Frog, because that was the last time they did like a hand-drawn animated musical. And I feel like that was like the mid-2000s or something. And then this almost, if I'm not mistaken, may be that sort of kickoff into. I think Meet the Robinsons was a kickoff. Oh, okay. Sure.

Meet the Robinsons. It was one of the earlier ones that people forget about that one. Is that a music? Is there music? Uh, it's not musical, but it is a, it is like, like, is that Pixar? No, it's just Disney. Yeah, it's Disney animation. Yeah.

And then you go one step further with a movie like this and you go, because this is, yeah, it's like it's, it's princess movie, it's princess musical. It's, it's like animated Disney flagship, you know, type of story. And I feel like this kicked that back off in the CG realm. Yeah. So maybe two people have that intense love because it is kind of the beginning of a, you know, a new phase or a new era age. Yeah. Some kind of precious metal age.

Toots my goats. Yeah. You know. You know. It's a delightful Disney doing their thing. Well, guys, here we are. Here we are. What did you guys think about?

Tangle? Leave your thoughts down below. Before we wrap this video up, let's do a patron of the day show. my god it's got to be lance door who else would want to get tangled up with right my goodness who's the person when you're caught at the top of a building or a tower who's going to go up there to rescue you you want to see a little lance door at the bottom land store getting that fire truck up there with that extended ladder yeah you climbing his way up there climb my hair lance door I was doing a straight-for

Firefire a bit But you're You're saying you're going to let that firefighter I don't know if you want a firefighter to climb You have to bring that Climb the ladder The axe and the tank I would offer

It's not just the man's body It's also the No you have to breathe The breathing tank You have bring a whole bunch of shit It's like a lot of extra pounds Oh yeah You got so much gear

And I regret this immediately Oh, Lance, don't. Take the ladder, like he was saying. I was saying just, I was just doing the scenario being caught up in a tower and someone's going to rescue me. Yeah, and it should be Lance. I'm with you. Me putting my hair down. Yeah.

That's fair. I was more trying to meet you part way like, oh, what if the ladder's not tall enough to get to the top of the tower? So I got to, like, bridge the rest of the gap with my... With your hair? With your hair. And he would help. and then he would pull me out of the tower under the weight of all of his gear

plus the strength as compared to me probably Gwen Stacy you by accident he would absolutely just like I'll pull you out and then he would pull me out my head would probably just come clean off and then my body would just plummet to the ground oh there's a horror movie what if it like attaches to the ladder and then he starts pulling you away and then Lance accidentally removes your scalp

oh yeah oh you know I could come back from that at least. Do you die from a scalping if you just get a... I think it's very likely you're going to die from a scalping. If you could get some disinfectant on there and just seal that wound up real quick, you know, put yourself a gauze hat. You know, would you be okay? Lance, if you have any experience with scalpses, this is really dark. If any of you kids stuck around for this lighthearted shout out.

They've all heard some swear words before. Hey, this was swear free. The shoutout is swear free. The shoutout is swear free. But if they got this far and now we've introduced them to the concept of removing a person's scalpel. It's just got some thematic elements and some references to violence. Rated PG-13. Hey, there was a little blood in this movie.

Yeah, for like a same as scalping. Thanks, Lance. Love you, buddy.