Animation
Alley Cats
Between the near-constant harsh language and frequent discussions of harm to animals, this comedy will have cat lovers clawing at their ears.
Much of Rapunzel’s life could be summarized by a couple dozen individual activities. In fact, a song at the beginning of Tangled lists them all: chores, cooking, reading, painting, guitar, knitting—and after all that, it’s barely even noon. Living your life locked up in a tower gives you plenty of time to hone in on some hobbies, but that’s about the extent of day-to-day life.
All that changed when a thief on the run, Flynn Rider, stumbled upon Rapunzel’s tower.
Fans of the 2010 film will remember what follows. The two set out in hope of seeing the annual lantern festival, Flynn (actually named Eugene) changes from his pilferous ways, and the pair defeat the villainous Mother Gothel.
Now, with her royal family back intact, Rapunzel returns to the castle and gets reunited with childhood friend Cassandra—but her adventures are far from over.
Tangled has been a continued success for the House of Mouse, grossing almost $600 million worldwide. Well over a decade after the film’s release, it still frequently pops up in the top 10 most streamed films on Disney+. With the popularity of this series, as well as a live action adaptation of the original film in the works, it’s fair to say that the spunky, frying-pan-wielding princess isn’t going anywhere.
In many ways, Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure is a continuation of what worked in the original film. The characters remain consistent, largely due to the main voice cast returning to their roles. The animation, though different from the movie, is bright and fun.
Content issues are light, too. Some jokes can be aimed at an older audience, but they will likely go over kids’ heads. Mild violence is mostly relegated to moments of slapstick humor and light peril. Magic is present but more in the classic Disney sense than anything spiritually dark.
Although this series started seven years after the movie, parents will be happy to find that the two are comparable as far as content goes.
(Editor’s Note: Plugged In is rarely able to watch every episode of a given series for review. As such, there’s always a chance that you might see a problem that we didn’t. If you notice content that you feel should be included in our review, send us an email at letters@pluggedin.com, or contact us via Facebook or Instagram, and be sure to let us know the episode number, title and season so that we can check it out.)
Rapunzel and Cassandra venture to visit the mysterious Varian, a supposed “wizard,” in hope of solving the mystery of how the princess’s magical blonde hair returned. Meanwhile, in an attempt to beat the allegations that he has a “big mouth,” Eugene must prove to his friends that he can, in fact, keep a secret. The only problem is the first secret that he is entrusted to keep could endanger many living in the kingdom of Corona.
Rapunzel kisses Eugene on the cheek. We hear references to Varian dealing in magic—although he insists that his brand is “alchemy,” a trade that he claims is significantly more scientific. Cassandra jokes about being sent to a convent if she is caught misbehaving again.
Characters hang out in a tavern, although clinking mugs is all viewers see. Cass asks Rapunzel to keep important information from Eugene. A character says that he has been a “pain in the hm hm” to his father.
Rapunzel has a frightening vision of her mother accompanied by some scary spikes protruding from the ground. Our heroes avoid traps, falling debris and an earthquake. A character bonks himself on the head and faints at the sight of a few drops of his own blood.
After learning Cassandra has some less-than-friendly ulterior motives at the end of Season 2, Rapunzel and the gang attempt to talk things out with her. Cass going rogue is hardly the most pressing concern, though, as Rapunzel quickly realizes her parents are being controlled by some villains from her past—many of whom, apparently, have banded together to take over the kingdom of Corona.
Cassandra speaks to a ghost who gives her a difficult revelation about her upbringing. Magic is mentioned, specifically a tool called “the wand of oblivium.”
Characters cross swords, dodge shooting spires and deflect projectiles with a frying pan.
In a reoccurring joke, multiple male characters comment on the “volume and sheen” of another male character’s hair.
Jonah Parker’s first interaction with Plugged In came when he was just five years old, after his parents read a review for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and deemed the content too intense for him. What started out as a contentious relationship between Jonah and a staff of reviewers who knew not of his existence would later turn into an appreciation for the site’s ability to present media content in a way that was accurate and fair. Jonah enjoys analyzing how our entertainment echoes the creativity of our Creator while finding glimpses of Biblical truths within every genre. He believes that Robert Pattinson’s Batmobile is the perfect mix of cool and practical.
Between the near-constant harsh language and frequent discussions of harm to animals, this comedy will have cat lovers clawing at their ears.
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