Tangled: Before Ever After

Tangled is what I considered to be the start of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ resurgence as one of the leaders in animated films. It still remains one of my favorite films of the the past decade. So it’s been rather unfortunate that there haven’t been any solid plans of producing a true sequel yet. Tangled: Before Ever After is a Disney Channel Original Movie that takes place between Tangled and the short Tangled Ever After. It also serves as a jumping off point for Disney’s new Tangled: The Series. While it’s a fine addition to the Tangled franchise, it’s still not quite the sequel I was hoping for.

After finally being reunited with her family, Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) struggles to adjust to a life of royalty. All she wants to do is go on an adventure of her own, but the castle guards are under strict order from her father, the king, to keep her safe from any dangers. Eugene (Zachary Levi), meanwhile, has no trouble adjusting to a life of luxury. It’s something he’s never had before, and he doesn’t intending on losing it. Then again, all he truly wants is Rapunzel and for her to be happy.

Tangled: Before Ever After is a nice introduction to the Disney Channel series, and I’m happy that they have both andy Moore and Zachary Levi returning to voice the characters. They really bring them to life, regardless of the animation style, and I can’t imagine anyone else providing their voices.

The visuals are much simpler and favor a flatter, 2D animation style that works for television. Sure, I’d love to see the movie as a full fledged Disney Animation Studios production, but the script and voice acting are good enough to give it a pass on the visuals. There are even a couple of new catchy songs to get stuck in your head.

Perhaps the biggest thing about Tangled: Before Ever After is the return of Rapunzel’s 70 feet of glorious blonde hair. As Rapunzel was still sporting her shorter brown hair in Tangled Ever After, I’m not sure whether or not they’re just going to ignore the short film or change it up by the time the series inevitably comes to the event.  I guess we’re going to have to watch it to find out!

Tangled: Before Ever After is worth watching if you’re a fan of the franchise. It’s not the true sequel I’ve been hoping for, but it and the series will definitely keep me occupied until Disney comes up with a suitable script worthy of the big screen.