TANGLED
Release date: March 29, 2011
Blu-ray version (some materials may not appear on the DVD version)

I fell in love with “Tangled” since the first time I saw it, and knew it was destined to become a classic. I think Rapunzel perfectly joins the ranks of the great Disney princesses such as Snow White, Cinderella, Ariel and Belle.

Obviously, I could not wait to get this film on Blu-ray, and although I’ve seen it in theaters several times, this is one film I just don’t tire of.

As with almost every Blu-ray I receive, I’m always anxious to delve in to the BONUS FEATURES, and there’s a nice assortment with this film.

Surprisingly, there was no music video nor commentary, two bonus features that I thought had become obligatory.

There’s no real “making of” and any footage of voice recordings is limited to just a few seconds. It would be great to see five or ten unedited minutes of just the actors recording their lines, or the gorgeous musical score being recorded. More insight from master animator Glen Keane would be welcome. Composer Alan Menken is nowhere to be found

Now here’s what you WILL find on here:

There are a total of three DELETED SCENES (12:36) each in various stages of production. One scene takes place where the thugs had their showstopping number “I Have a Dream.” You can see what was planned before there was a song, and for that matter, you can see the tavern before it was the Snuggly Duckling. Another scene finds Rapunzel and Flynn in a coach ride to town, while the last involves a fortune telling monkey! While the scenes were all deleted, the monkey did make it to one of the images in the end credits of the final film.

There are two ORIGINAL STORYBOOK OPENINGS, each around four minutes, which show, via story sketches, how the film might have begun with a more traditional film opening featuring a storybook setting up the storyline.

The 50TH ANIMATED FEATURE COUNTDOWN (2:01) simply offers a few seconds of every Disney animated feature. Oddly, it does not tell the title of each film, and I suspect many may not be familiar with films like “Make Mine Music,” “Melody Time” or “Fun and Fancy Free.”

There are two EXTENDED SONGS that are found in the film.

WHEN WILL MY LIFE BEGIN has an unheard introduction to the song, sung by Rapunzel, along with visuals. This then goes into the song as it is heard in its final version, but rather than just showing the final animation, it is set to storyboard drawings and various stages of the animation for an added treat.

MOTHER KNOWS BEST is also showcased with early animation art, but the extended portion of this song is found in the middle and it’s an entire verse!

UNTANGLED: THE MAKING OF A FAIRY TALE (12:28) is hosted by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, the voices of Rapunzel and Flynn Rider. The duo have a wonderful onscreen chemistry and make for a very fun bonus feature. Together they discuss various trivia, both about the film and other Disney animation, and they sometimes give you the chance to play along with a few little guessing games. Mixed in is just a little footage and comments by directors Nathan Greco and Byron Howard, master animator Glen Keane, and Donna Murphy, the voice of Mother Gothel. Although not a “making of” featurette, this is a lot of fun to watch, and there are a handful of behind-the-scenes materials such as a various concept attempts at Mother Gothel and some bloopers that resulted in the creation of Rapunzel’s hair.

Lastly, there are some TANGLED TEASERS (9:12). These clever commercials mostly utilize footage from the films, but in creative parodies such as a perfume commercial, an infomercial, a news broadcast and more. Additionally, there are three mini-episodes of “Flynn’s Tangled Tales,” stylized animation stories.

So that’s what you’ll find on the “Tangled” Blu-ray, and I hope you appreciate that I didn’t use any hair puns at all as you combed through my comments!

Be sure to see my interviews with Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi and Alan Menken!