Latest Disney romp puts lively spin on ‘Rapunzel'

Disney lets down its hair with its latest animated princess adventure, “Tangled,” a lively and lovely contemporary take on the Brothers Grimm story “Rapunzel.”

Like 1992's “Aladdin,” “Tangled” successfully braids sweet romance with uproarious comedy, Broadway-style musical numbers with swashbuckling action sequences and a spunky princess with a roguish hero.

In a fairy-tale kingdom, the selfish Mother Gothel (Donna Murphy) hoards a magical flower with healing powers that keep her young. When the pregnant queen falls deathly ill, searchers find the famed blossom and use it to save the royal and her baby, Rapunzel.

The flower's powers are transferred to the princess' golden locks, so Mother Gothel kidnaps the infant and hides her in a secluded tower. She poses as the girl's overprotective mother so she can have easy access to Rapunzel's enchanted hair.

Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) grows up longing to be free to explore the world, especially the mysterious lights that take flight every year on her birthday.

She seizes her chance when charming thief Flynn Rider (Zachary Levi) busts into her tower to hide from pursuing palace guards. After clocking him with a frying pan, Rapunzel strikes a bargain with Flynn: She'll return the bejeweled crown he stole if he takes her to see the floating lights.

Their trek features a tenacious, Looney Tunes-esque palace horse, a musical band of thugs and a gorgeously rendered boat ride amid a sky filled with glowing lanterns.

Composer Alan Menken (“The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin”) and lyricist Glenn Slater crafted five new songs for “Tangled,” including Murphy's memorable “Mother Knows Best.”

The 3-D computer-animated movie doesn't quite measure up to the Mouse House's best princess stories, but the earnest, enthralling fairy tale proves Disney still can make magic.

— Brandy McDonnell