Who's the Hero Again??

This weekend, Anna started watching a movie that's new to us (thank God) - "Tangled," the story of Rapunzel.  We all loved it.

This was Anna's first Disney princess movie, so it was interesting to observe her reactions to it.  The first thing she said was that the old lady was scary, which she was. Then she said with a big smile, "I like the horse.....and (grin deepening) I like the guy too."

Of course you do, I thought. Man I'm going to have trouble when she's a teenager.....

Photo from beyondhollywood.com

Anyway, I liked this main character more than some of the other Disney princesses. For starters, check out the photo above. That's right, folks, she packs an iron frying pan and is not afraid to use it.

Rapunzel has been hidden in a tower her entire life by her evil "mother," who isn't really her mother at all, so that nobody will try to use Rapunzel for her magical long hair. Which is exactly what the old lady is doing.  To justify the imprisonment, er, "protection," she explains to Rapunzel that the outside world is a scary, dangerous place.

Given this, you'd think Rapunzel might have anxiety issues. Not so much, it turns out. Not only does she hold her own when the handsome hero guy, Rider, winds up inside her tower, but, after subduing him by whacking him a few times with the frying pan, she imprisons him, first in her closet and then in a chair, where he is bound by her ridiculously long hair. Rapunzel makes it clear that she means business.

Photo from collider.com

Our heroine steals Rider's satchel (containing valuable stolen goods) and refuses to give it back until he escorts her on her quest.  After forcing him to do this, she breaks out of the tower in a major act of rebellion and they set off on an adventure together.

Pretty cool stuff.

There's one scene in which Rapunzel saves Rider.  It prompted me to say to Anna, "Now here's one thing you should remember. Sometimes it's not the guy rescuing the girl. Sometimes the girl gets to save the guy."  She liked that. I did too.

Although in the end, Rider and Rapunzel kind of save each other, I thought Rapunzel was one of the stronger Disney princesses and the movie was a good opportunity to show Anna that girls can do the tough, exciting stuff and be the heroes too.

Even if they "like the guy." LOL.