... does the story turn on emotional abuse, and/or does it present emotionaslly abusive actions as valid and/or justified? I'd love to see a story that pointed out that emotional abuse is wrong but would hate to see a "Family supercedes everything no matter what they do to you" kind of plot. So.

(Feel free to screen my question and/or your answer.)

Mother Gothel runs some moderate verbal abuse and serious mind games on Rapunzel. It is clear to the audience while she's doing it that it's wrong, and Rapunzel finally sees through it and escapes.

It is clear that Rapunzel's biological family loves her and misses her -- in this version she is kidnapped by Gothel, rather than being traded for the herb, and her bio family spends years searching for her. Rapunzel is, in the end, re-united with her biological family and that is presented as a Good Thing.

Eee, thank you for telling me. I think I want to see this all the more; it'll make me cry, but in a good way.

I look forward to your review/vetting before I see it myself.

(Janet, thank you for your initial heads up!)

Me, too! Interesting thing for them to risk, and different.

When I read what Janet said, it sounded -not- like the "Shrek" issue. In number one, there was the daughter kept in a tower. Then there was a little trouble when her parents had to be included in the sequel, as nice people. I remember her father talking about how much he and his wife loved her, and Shrek had to make some cutting remark about how they had done what they did.

Please, let us know what you think.

Thanks for the warning. I was thinking that it looked like a nice, no-brainer kind of thing to keep my mind off stuff, but guess not.

Mother Gothel runs some moderate verbal abuse and serious mind games on Rapunzel. Rapunzel finally sees through it and escapes. She comes out as a strong young woman who learns fairly quickly that she can take care of herself even as she needs a guide because she's so ignorant (in the sense of having been kept from learning and experiencing).

I thought the only way to make it better would have been for it to be hand-drawn animation.

Dale was deeply impressed with the hair animation, cloth animation, and really excellent bare feet.

But yes, hand-drawn animation would have been stunning.

For that style, it was pretty good -- but the hand-drawn closing credits were far more compelling, even the "unfinished" and "cartoon" drawings. I did really enjoy the story, and was very very pleased that all the actors did their own singing (like Zachary Levi, whom I ADORE), and that, having cast Donna Murphy, they let her sing, a LOT.

It just LOOKED more like a Dreamworks movie than a Disney movie... alas.

Thanks for the heads up.