And for the fun of it, I can share a link to Fairy tales go flying back onto the big screen by Maria Puente, USA TODAY:
There's nothing post-modern about Disney's Tangled, voiced by Mandy Moore as Rapunzel and Zachary Levi as her love interest, Flynn Ryder. The film is unmistakably from the house that Walt built, with the studio's signature high-octane colors, high-quality animation and pleasant music, plus snappy comedic dialogue and adorable critters. Adults might gulp at elements of the story — baby kidnapped by an evil witch, a young girl locked in a tower, her long hair as a kind of burqa — but the kiddies aren't likely to notice. Anyway, there are a thousand ways to interpret the Rapunzel story, folklorists say, because there are a thousand versions of the story, first published by the Brothers Grimm in 1812 but originating in the ancient cultural soup of Europe.
"Most of what the story is about is protecting girls, parents not ready for them to grow up, locking them away to keep them safe, with the final message being that it's impossible to prevent," says folklorist Heidi Anne Heiner, proprietor of the website, SurLaLuneFairyTales.com, and author of several books of collections of fairy tales, including Rapunzel and Other Maiden in the Tower Tales From Around the World. "These tales have been around for centuries, and kids all around the world will be seeing it and it will be familiar to all of them. It reminds us of a common bond."
Close enough! I spent an hour talking to Maria a few weeks ago and I don't remember what all I said although I tried to be lucid. :) I'd edit myself differently but the gist is fine.
And, yes, the plan is to see the movie this weekend so I can join into the conversation with true knowledge. The hype is big but as I've said over and over, I'm thrilled for just about anything that brings fairy tales to the forefront.
