Spare Change:Tangled on Blu-ray: more than a *hair* better than DVD

Disney scraps the wash, rinse, repeat princess film with Tangled, and its highlights shine on blu ray! Tangled is a departure from the traditional Disney princess film. When Disney puts out a blu-ray, it gives you your money’s worth, and Tangled is no exception.

Visuals: Disney films have always impressed me with their blu-ray presentation. As the Rapunzel story, the plot focuses around the hair. The hair on blu-ray is almost uncanny, unbelievably realistic. Each strand takes on a life of its own. The work the animators did to give it dimension pays off. This concept of realistic hair will make a difference in future animated films. The blu-ray allows for enhanced colors, which are warm and bright; it doesn’t feel flat like some animated films. The lanterns scene was breath-taking. I actually pushed pause to enjoy the full effect. The visuals alone are worth buying the blu-ray.

Audio: The blu-ray supports 7.1 surround sound, although I experienced it with 5.1, and it was sharp and clear. The background world and music were perfect. The sound effects pop and shout at you from all around, the water flooding out of the dam makes you dive for a raft. You are surrounded, and the sound helps you to feel that you are part of the film. There are numerous small effects that enhance the experience.

Special Features: Included are a few deleted and uncompleted scenes. It was fascinating to see the scenes in their incomplete state; it gives you appreciation for the work that goes into it. Also included is a montage of all fifty Disney animated films. I enjoyed it; it brought up childhood memories and was well done. There is also a behind-the-scenes look with the leading roles, which contains trivial tidbits throughout and is lively.

If you didn’t see it in the theater, it is definitely worth seeing in blu-ray. Spend your spare change; this blu-ray is worth it!

Current retail price is $19.99