Tangled - Plot

Plot

A drop of sunlight falls to the ground and grows into a magical flower with healing powers. A woman named Gothel uses it to keep herself young by singing to it. Centuries later, a queen becomes ill while pregnant, and the king orders a search for the legendary flower. His knights find the flower and cut it to bring to the king. The queen is healed after being fed the flower, and gives birth to a daughter, Rapunzel, whose golden hair has absorbed the abilities of the flower. The flower no longer has magical powers since it has been cut, so Gothel tries to steal a lock of Rapunzel's hair. However once cut, the hair turns brown and loses its power. So, she kidnaps Rapunzel to raise as her own child in a high tower, telling her it is for her own safety.

Every year, on Rapunzel's birthday, her parents and their subjects release thousands of sky lanterns, in the hope that the lost princess will return. For her 18th birthday, Rapunzel asks Gothel for permission to go outside the tower to see the source of the annual floating lights, but Gothel refuses. Meanwhile, Flynn Rider and the Stabbington brothers steal the tiara of the lost princess. During the ensuing chase, Maximus, horse of the Captain of the Guards, is separated from his rider but continues on his own. Flynn outwits his accomplices, takes the tiara, and stumbles upon Rapunzel's tower. He climbs up into the tower, but is knocked unconscious with a frying pan by Rapunzel who puts him in a wardrobe. When Gothel returns, Rapunzel tries to show her the captive Flynn to prove she is capable of handling the outside world, but Gothel cuts her off by saying she is never leaving the tower. So Rapunzel instead asks Gothel for a special paint, the ingredients for which require three days' of round-trip travel. Gothel leaves, and Rapunzel rushes to get Flynn from the wardrobe. She ties him up in her hair and then tells him that she will give him the tiara back if he takes her to see the lights. After much arguing, Flynn agrees. While en route, he takes her to the Snuggly Duckling Inn, which is full of Gaul thugs, in hopes of scaring her into giving up her quest. The thugs, however, are charmed by Rapunzel, who encourages them to follow their dreams.

Mother Gothel returns early to the tower to find Rapunzel gone but finds the tiara. She then teams up with the Stabbington brothers so she can get Rapunzel back and the brothers can get revenge on Flynn. Meanwhile, the guards invade the tavern, and chase Rapunzel and Flynn to a dam which collapses. Flynn and Rapunzel become trapped in a flooding cave. Believing he is about to die, Flynn admits his true name: Eugene Fitzherbert. Rapunzel admits her hair glows when she sings, then realizes they can use the light from her hair to find a way out. Rapunzel later uses her hair to heal Flynn's injured hand. Flynn tells Rapunzel that he was an orphan who dreamed of being like the storybook hero that inspired his alias, but Rapunzel tells him she likes Eugene better than Flynn. When Flynn goes to gather firewood, Gothel meets Rapunzel insisting that Flynn does not care for her and gives Rapunzel the tiara, suggesting that she test Flynn by giving it to him. The next morning, Maximus confronts Flynn but Rapunzel befriends the horse and convinces him to help them instead. Arriving at the kingdom, Flynn takes Rapunzel round the city and later in the day takes her to see the lanterns. There, Rapunzel gives Flynn back the tiara. Flynn spies his old accomplices and leaves Rapunzel to give them the tiara, realizing that he cares more for Rapunzel. However, the brothers knock him out, tie him up on a boat, and sail him across the lake. They claim Flynn betrayed Rapunzel as they attempt to kidnap her for her hair's power, but Gothel rescues her and takes her back to the tower. Later, reflecting on what she had seen during her adventure in the kingdom, Rapunzel realizes she is the lost princess and attempts to flee the tower.

Meanwhile, Flynn is arrested and sentenced to death, but he is rescued by Maximus and the Gaul thugs from the inn. Flynn races and climbs up back to the tower to find Rapunzel tied up. Gothel then stabs him from behind and prepares to take a struggling Rapunzel to a new hiding place. Rapunzel tells Gothel that she will stop resisting if she can heal Flynn. Gothel agrees, but before Rapunzel can heal him, Flynn cuts her hair which subsequently turns brown and loses its power causing Gothel to age rapidly, fall out of the tower, and turn into dust. With his last breath, Flynn declares his love for Rapunzel who cries, and the healing power of her tear revives him. Returning to the kingdom, Rapunzel is reunited with the King and Queen. Flynn then closes the film, telling the audience that he readopted his original name, and he and Rapunzel eventually get engaged and married.