5 Reasons Tangled Is Better Than Frozen
Last week, Disney released the new trailer for Frozen II, and it’s been shared all over social media. Many are excited, a few dread it (I mean, we just got Let It Go out of our heads), but overall the response is positive. Frozen II goes along with Disney’s revamping of classics, and strong sequels like The Incredibles 2, and we couldn’t be happier about that, but what about Tangled? Frozen gets the sequel while Tangled gets a measly short? Why isn’t Tangled living in the spotlight instead of the not so great shadows of Frozen? Tangled is one of the best Disney movies, and here are five reasons why it’s better than Frozen.
1. Better Songs
I’m sure everyone knows or has heard of Let It Go and Do You Want To Build A Snowman unless you live under a rock. They are good songs, if a bit overplayed. They are catchy, meaningful, and impactful. But that’s only two songs out of the entire movie that actually mean something to the story and its characters. Whereas, Tangled doesn’t have that problem.
Each song in Tangled furthers the story and character development. Songs like Mother Knows Best and I’ve Got a Dream are fun, but explain to the audience a bit more about the characters. Songs like Fixer Upper and In Summer in Frozen are funny and catchy, but don’t really add to the story as a whole. I like the songs in Frozen, but each song in Tangled is placed so carefully, they don’t seem to detract or leave people wondering why it was there in the first place.
2. Better Plot
Tangled has one of, if not the best, Disney Princess story lines. A young and naive woman finds courage to leave her tower (or cage) to find more about the world, falls in love in the journey, and eventually breaks away from a toxic relationship. What is more relatable than that?
The story line gives just enough information for the audience to understand each character and where they come from. We understand who Gothel is and are given enough back story to understand Flynn Ryder. That is one of the major flaws of Frozen. The information given about characters like Kristoff were few and left the audience confused about where he came from. Instead of a strong male lead, he seemed random, where as Flynn Ryder seems as if he’s always supposed to be there.
The story is written so well, there are few plot holes. Frozen however, has many. Just do a google search and you’ll see how much. Which brings me to my point: simple is usually better. Tangled has a simpler story line than Frozen, and it shows. What makes Tangled great is it’s clear, simple, but still magical approach that leaves the audience with a sense of satisfaction.
3. Better Villain
Gothel is a fantastic villain. Not just a face for the evil in the story, she is manipulative, self-serving, and, well, complicated. In order to stay young, she kidnaps a child and raises her. Have you ever thought about how well Rapunzel turned out? Yes, she’s used, emotionally and mentally abused, starved from worldly interactions, but there’s a part of Gothel that cares for her. There was affection, which is why she’s such an interesting villain. It’s not just black and white. She is relatable. How many Disney villains can we say that about?
4. Better Lesson
Would you rather have young girls watch a courageous young woman fall in love on her way to discovering who she is, or a young woman so desperate for a man, she falls in love with the first man who gives her attention and almost destroys her kingdom in the process? I’ll take the first example.
People these days are talking about how Disney princesses are such a bad example to young girls, they fill the girls’ young minds with false expectations and the idea that a man must save them. I don’t necessarily agree with their opinion, but I do understand their point. Tangled has none of that. Our heroine takes advantage of an opportunity and frees herself. She saves him. Tangled was a feminist Disney movie before that became a thing.
Rapunzel is a strong female character, but Flynn Ryder is a strong male lead, which is important when writing a love story. Flynn has a troubled past, but realizes he needs to change his behavior. She inspired him to do better. What a great message to send to young boys as well. That it’s okay to change for the better because someone else inspired you to do so.
5. Better Characters
All around, Tangled has the better set of characters. Even Rapunzel’s parents who don’t say anything for the entire movie make an impact. The characters in this movie are so lovable, even the characters that don’t speak are memorable. I tear up every time at the scene right before they are reunited with Rapunzel.
The dynamic and chemistry between characters is superior to Frozen as well. Does anyone else cringe when Anna and Elsa speak to each other for the first time at the ball in the beginning of the movie? It’s awkward, and not just because the characters don’t usually speak to each other. The chemistry between the two sisters was just not there. I wasn’t feeling it. And the chemistry between Anna and Kristoff? There is none.
The characters in Tangled didn’t have a problem with this. The dialogue between characters flowed so easily and naturally, the characters were written so well, the chemistry was there from the beginning. Even between Gothel and Rapunzel, I could feel the shared history between the two, even if their relationship was wrong.
So, Disney, do us all a favor and get going on a sequel to Tangled. If you can make a sequel to The Incredibles 15 years after it was premiered, I’m sure you can continue Tangled.