Tangled 3D (Blu-ray 3D)

By David Vaughn • Posted: Mar 28, 2011

Pursued by the King's troops, Flynn Rider (voice by Zachary Levi) takes refuge in a mysterious tower, but he's not alone. Before he knows it, he's tied to a chair by Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), a spirited teen with 70 feet of magical golden hair. Looking for her ticket out of the tower she's been trapped in for years, she strikes a deal with the handsome thief, and the duo set off on an adventure pursued by a determined horse, a pair of thugs, and an evil woman who doesn't want to lose her fountain of youth.

This is Disney's 50th full-length animated feature, and while I wouldn't consider it to the level of The Lion King or Beauty and the Beast, it's very entertaining. There are a lot of laughs, especially from the horse and overprotective chameleon, but the musical numbers are a mixed bag.

Video Highlights

MVC/1080p encode on a BD-50 disc
Excellent depth
Somewhat dark on occasion
Exquisite detail
Zero ghosting
Fabulous color saturation

Audio Highlights

DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack
Enveloping track
Plethora of discrete effects from the surround speakers
Crisp dynamics
Intelligible dialog

Other than a few dark scenes, this is a fabulous 3D presentation offering an immersive experience. I really like it when 3D is used to add depth without resorting to gimmicky effects. The audio track is nearly impressive with plenty of discrete effects and first-rate dynamics.

Bonus Materials

Deleted Scenes
Original Storybook Openings (2)
50th Animated Feature Countdown
Extended Songs
Untangled: The Making of a Fairy Tale
Tangled Teasers
2D Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital Copy

Disney has a rich history of delivering entertaining animated tales, and this take on a classic fairytale is great family entertainment. The Blu-ray 3D presentation is outstanding and those pining for content will be happy to add this to their 3D collection. Highly recommended.

Release Date: March 29, 2011
Studio: Disney

Movie: 8/10
3D-ness: 10/10
Picture: 9/10
Sound: 9/10

Review System

Movie: 9/10
3D Picture: 10/10
Sound: 10/10

Review System

Source
Oppo BDP-93 Blu-ray player

Display
JVC DLA-RS40 projector
Stewart FireHawk screen (76.5" wide, 16:9)

Electronics
Integra DTC-80.2 pre/pro
Anthem PVA-7 power amplifier
Belkin PVA-PF60 power conditioner

Speakers
M&K S-150s (L, C, R)
M&K SS-150s (LS, RS, SBL, SBR)
SVS PC-Ultra subwoofer

Cables
Monoprice HDMI cables (source to pre/pro)
Best Deal analog-audio cables
PureLink HDC Fiber Optic HDMI Cable System (15 meters) from pre/pro to projector

Acoustical treatments from GIK Acoustics

Comments

Submitted by Scott Wilkinson on March 28, 2011 - 11:18am.

Overall, I thought the musical numbers were far better than a mixed bag; in fact, I think "I See the Light" should have won the Oscar for Best Song.

Submitted by David Vaughn on March 28, 2011 - 1:58pm.

Of the four major songs in the movie, two were very good ("I See the Light" and "I've Got a Dream"--which is hilarious!) and two weren't inspiring at all ("When Will My Life Begin" and "Mother Knows Best"--which I didn't care for at all). My two least favorite start the movie and I couldn't wait for them to end (nor could my family). After "Mother Knows Best," the story picks up steam and gets really good as the characters start to take shape.

One thing we can agree on is "I See the Light" should have won the Oscar. Randy Newman's song sounded like everything else he's made the past 30 years!

Submitted by Scott Wilkinson on March 28, 2011 - 4:40pm.

Okay, "Mother Knows Best" isn't all that great, but I thought "When Will My Life Begin" was fine. Also, I totally agree that "I've Got a Dream" is hilarious!

To each their own, of course!

Submitted by aopu.mohsin on March 29, 2011 - 12:30am.

David,

Question. Was the 7.1 DTS-HD audio as good as Toy Story 3?

Submitted by David Vaughn on March 29, 2011 - 7:57am.

It falls just short of that. The sound design is much more aggressive in Toy Story 3 throughout the movie, where in Tangled it's only in a few scenes where the 7.1 comes to life.