If one has watched TV or gone to the movies lately, then the news of the soon-to-be-released latest Disney film “Tangled,” a twist on the classic “Rapunzel,” isn’t anything new. But it does bring up the question, why isn’t the film called “Rapunzel?”

An issue over its title isn’t the only problem the film has gone through; even the type of animation the movie should be has been an issue.

The reasons for these problems? The need to try and attract as many viewers as possible, even if it means forsaking some traditional values. 

Had this been any other class fairy tale Disney film, anyone could probably guess, without even seeing the preview, what the movie would be like. It would be traditionally hand drawn and obviously be named after its title character and original fairy tale name, “Rapunzel.” However, in this case, those assumptions would be wrong. 

“Tangled,” based off the original story by the Brothers Grimm, stars the voice talents of Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi and, is set to be released Nov. 24.

 It was originally meant to be a hand drawn animation like any other Disney classic but was later turned into a CGI production due to the fact that such animation brought in big financial success. Disney animator Bil Keane, who formed the main proposal for the then-called “Rapunzel Unbraided,” expressed his idea over the change at a Siggraph conference, “They’d ask me to make it a computer animated film . . . I hadn’t expected that, after all, I was the guy who kept saying ‘I’ll kill any person that tries to take a pencil out of my hand.’ Now I have to eat those words.”

The next speed bump in the road came due to the title. After the release of “The Princess and the Frog,” Disney was unhappy in its overall financial success despite the achievements it did garner. They credited this over the fact that the title and overall Princess feel of the movie seemed to aim too much at the female population and alienated the male.

Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull told the LA Times, “Based upon the response from fans and critics, we believe (The Princess and the Frog’s box office) would have been higher if it wasn’t prejudged by its title.”

He then also commented in regards to changing the name “Rapunzel,” “We did not want to be put in a box. Some people might assume it’s a fairy tale for girls when it’s not. We make movies to be appreciated and loved by everybody.”

And so “Tangled” was born. Some view the change as a smart business move that helps respond to the need to attract a larger audience. If in today’s society boys are prone to not see a movie they believe to be girlish, then why shouldn’t Disney try and fix that? Even in trailers one can’t help but notice the greater emphasis on the character Zachary Levi voices, the bandit Flynn Rider, more than Rapunzel herself. It’s smart move but is it a right one?

Floyd Norman, a retired Disney and Pixar animator, told the LA Times, “The idea of changing the title of a classic like ‘Rapunzel’ to ‘Tangled’ is beyond stupid. I’m still hoping that Disney will eventually regain their sanity and return the title of their movie to what it should be…I’m convinced they’ll gain nothing from this except the public seeing Disney as desperately trying to find an audience.”

Despite being a smart business move, did Disney forsake its traditional values just to gain some more cash flow?

 It doesn’t seem like that big of a deal presently but think about past classics and changing such iconic names like “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,” “Cinderella,” and “Sleeping Beauty.”

All kept to their original roots and pushed the importance of their leading ladies, making them iconic films that are still popular in the present. The times are changing, no one can deny it, but even if they are, should Disney change with them?