The first line of “This is the story of how I died.”
Rapunzel’s gorgeous, gorgeous hair.
I’m pretty sure this was the first version of the Rapunzel story where the hair has supernatural powers, which is such a fun twist.
Mandy Moore’s performance as Rapunzel.
Especially her singing. Moore's vocal style is a lot more modern than your standard Disney Princess, which is fitting because she was a Britney Spears-esque teen pop star in the 90s. She's not a Broadway belter like Idina Menzel (Elsa from Frozen) or Jodi Benson (Ariel from The Little Mermaid), and she doesn't need to be. Rapunzel's character is very modern and fresh, so it makes sense that her singing style would reflect this. Plus, Moore's natural tone is just beautiful.
“When Will My Life Begin” is a fantastic opening number with a lot of quirky visuals.
“Guys, I want a castle.”
Pascal’s design.
Cutie. Pascal’s personality. How can a creature who doesn’t say a word be so expressive?
The first shot of Rapunzel pulling Gothel up the tower.
How Mother Gothel’s manner shifts from stern to affectionate at the drop of a hat. It’s so subtly unsettling.
How the instrumental for “Mother Knows Best” sounds very lightweight and whimsical, despite it being the film's villain song.
The way Donna Murphy delivers the line “Don’t ever ask to leave this tower again.”
“They just can’t get my nose right!”
Everything about Flynn Rider. My first fictional crush.
How Maximus seems to be more like a bloodhound than a horse.
It taught us that a frying pan can be a more intimidating weapon than any sword or knife.
The montage of Rapunzel trying and failing to shove Flynn in the closet.
The ways Mandy Moore delivers the line “I’ve got a person in my closet!”
The way the music cuts out after Gothel screams “YOU ARE NOT LEAVING THIS TOWER! EVER!”
Whenever Gothel kisses Rapunzel, it’s always on her hair because that’s all she cares about. It's one of the little things I never noticed until I saw somebody point it out on Tumblr.
“The only thing I want from your hair is to get out of it! LITERALLY!”
Pascal beating his fists.
“A horrible decision, really.”
The legendary smolder!
The fear and excitement of the “When Will My Life Begin” reprise.
The satisfaction Rapunzel feels upon putting her feet in the grass.
How Rapunzel is, as Flynn puts it, “a little at war” with herself upon getting out of the tower.
How Flynn is absolutely no help in Rapunzel’s angst breakdown.
When Rapunzel gets into the tavern and sees the thugs, her first instinct is to hold her frying pan like a gun.
“Overall, it just smells like the color brown.”
Everything about the “I’ve Got A Dream” number.
How Gothel hears singing from a pub and just decides “Yup, Rapunzel is definitely here.”
Vladimir, the biggest thug of all who collects ceramic unicorns.
Pub Thug: “Go. Live your dream.” Flynn: “I will.” Pub Thug: “Your dream stinks. I was talking to her.”
Rapunzel excitedly saying “I know!” after Flynn compliments her, then repeating “I know” more nonchalantly.
“Frankly I’m too scared to ask about the frog.”
Rapunzel: “Who’s that?” Flynn: “Let’s just assume everyone in here doesn’t like me.”
“Oh mama, I have got to get me one of these!”
The fact that Disney put a sword fight between a horse and a man with a frying pan in a movie. Flynn puts it perfectly when he says “You should know this is the strangest thing I’ve ever done!”
The way Zachary Levi delivers that aforementioned line. He really was the perfect person to voice Flynn.
The slow motion shot of Rapunzel jumping off the rock and swinging from her hair.
The shot of the dam breaking.
The emotion in both Moore and Levi’s voices when they’re trapped in the tunnel.
When Rapunzel's hair glows when they’re trapped underwater.
Flynn’s initial reaction to her hair glowing.
Rapunzel, calmly: “We made it.” Flynn, exasperated: “Her hair glows!”
Pascal’s smirk at Flynn after Rapunzel says “It doesn’t just glow.”
Just how coy and flirtatious Gothel is with the Stabbington Brothers.
The delicacy and serenity of the Healing Incantation.
Everything Pascal does during the Healing Incantation.
He's so sassy! The emotion on Rapunzel’s face when she tells Flynn about how she never left the tower.
How Flynn is immediately horrified by the abusive situation Rapunzel is in, being held captive against her will.
How, like many fictional boys I have developed crushes on (*cough cough* Prince Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender), Flynn (or rather, Eugene Fitzherbert) appears to be a bad boy but has a tragic backstory.
The bonding between Rapunzel and Eugene in the campfire scene.
How the “Mother Knows Best” reprise completely shifts tone from the lighthearted-ish original. All the chills, all the time.
Every moment when Rapunzel acts defiantly towards Mother Gothel.
How the film goes from lighthearted to serious quickly, but it doesn’t feel like whiplash.
How sweet Rapunzel is with Maximus.
The kingdom of Corona (please ignore that unfortunate name, this movie was made a decade before the virus) is gorgeous and bursting with life.
Rapunzel’s flower braid is so beautiful.
The scene where they explore the kingdom really does a great job of showing who Rapunzel is as a person. She's a literal ray of sunshine who brings joy and happiness wherever she goes. She also stands out from the other Disney Princesses because of her love of painting and making art. After Mulan, Rapunzel is easily my favorite Disney heroine.
The blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot of Rapunzel and Eugene mischievously hiding with cupcakes.
How Rapunzel and Flynn end up together in the jig number.
Goddamn everything about “I See The Light.” This is my definite favorite scene in film history.
If you don't mind, I'm gonna make this picture bigger because it's just so beautiful. The sweet little heart-to-heart Rapunzel and Eugene have before the lanterns start.
The utter sorrow on the king and queen’s faces before they release the first lantern.
The aesthetics of the lantern festival.
I just want to emphasize again that “I See The Light” makes me cry. Perfect combination of a gorgeous song and gorgeous visuals.
How Eugene and Rapunzel’s lanterns follow each other.
How you can tell Eugene is overcome with love upon seeing Rapunzel so happy.
How Flynn pushes Rapunzel’s hair out of her face because he doesn’t care about her magic hair and loves her for her. An amazing parallel to #21.
The way Moore and Levi’s voices harmonize in the final chorus, and especially the way she sings “and it’s like the sky is new.”
The shock and heartbreak on Rapunzel’s face when the Stabbington Brothers tell her Eugene betrayed her.
Rapunzel’s realization that she is the lost princess.
The delivery of “You want me to be the bad guy? Fine, I’m the bad guy.”
“Frying pans! Who knew, right?”
The random mime.
How Max comes to save Eugene.
That one little girl’s face upon seeing Maximus jump off the roof.
The heartbreak in Eugene’s voice and Pascal’s eyes upon seeing Rapunzel turn herself over to Gothel.
How Eugene doesn’t want Rapunzel to save him because he’d rather die than have her live a life of abuse.
The way Rapunzel’s haircut is framed and shot.
How absolutely monstrous Gothel becomes when she reverts to her true age.
How ultimately, Pascal commits the murder. Aw, you cute little murderous chameleon, you!
“You were my new dream.”
“And you were mine.”
Rapunzel and Eugene save each other.
The gorgeous glow when Eugene is saved.
In that scene when he is saved, it’s followed by a musical motif from “I See The Light.” Alan Menken is a genius.
When Eugene awakens, his first words are “Did I ever tell you I had a thing for brunettes?”
The final shot of Rapunzel's tower.
How, despite Rapunzel’s parents not having any dialogue, they still manage to be incredibly expressive.
Rapunzel’s reunion with her parents.
How, during the reunion, they pull Eugene into the hug. He's never had a family...until now.
The epilogue shows what happened to the thugs as well as our heroes.
“The crime disappeared overnight. As did most of the apples.”
“She was a princess worth waiting for.”
How Rapunzel proposes to Eugene instead of it being the other way around.
The final shot of the castle, complete with the Cupid thug.
Rapunzel’s development throughout the movie is incredible.
So is Eugene’s.
They’re one of my favorite fictional couples in existence because they make each other better.
I love the motif of the sun throughout the film.
It hits many of the same beats as classic Disney Princess movies, but is still distinctly modern.
This movie is the entire reason why, if I ever have a son, I am naming him Flynn.
Rapunzel is a “girly girl” who wears pink and purple dresses and likes flowers, but she is still a strong female character.
Mother Gothel is one of my personal favorite Disney villains. Her motivations are genuinely twisted and complex, and she’s a startlingly accurate portrayal of an emotional abuser. A ton of the credit for Gothel’s greatness has to go to her voice actress, two-time Tony winner Donna Murphy, who is absolutely bone-chilling in her performance.
The music was composed by Alan Menken, who also did the score for legendary Disney films like Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. The score is brilliant as a whole, and I already talked about some of the little moments I love, like how “Mother Knows Best” has such a cheery instrumental.
The animation is phenomenal. It’s the most expensive animated movie in history, and not a dollar of that budget was wasted, especially when it comes to Rapunzel’s hair. And of course, “I See The Light” is just a goddamn masterpiece of animation.
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