Term Paper Outline: Tangled and The Laws of Physics

Laws of Physics Outline: Tangled

Introduction

A.     Computer Animated feature film: Tangled

B.     Thesis: In the animated film, Tangled, characters can break the laws of physics by imitating the physics of other existing objects.

Body Paragraphs

A. Rapunzel can break the laws of physics with hair because her strong hair can imitate the physics of a rope.

1. Rapunzel’s hair was used as a rope for climbing a tall tower.

2.     Repunzel used her hair as a pulley rope for elevating herself from the ground to paint a wall.

3. Rapunzel used her hair as a rope for tying Flynn to a chair.

4. In reality humans would get hurt, lose hair, and lose balance by trying to lift heavy objects with their hair.

5. In reality rope can be strong enough to lift heavy weight.

            B. The horse broke the laws of physics by emulating the mannerisms and physics of a tiny dog.

1.Since a small dog may be light enough to walk on a tree branch, the animated horse could walk on a tree branch.

a. The horse’s weight was too heavy for the branch and in reality the branch would have broken instantly.

b. Dogs and horses cannot balance or walk on a branch.

                                    2. The horse could playfully sit like a dog, but in reality a horse’s weight, mass, and anatomy made this impossible.

C.     Funny characters can break the laws of physics and instantly recover from injuries by imitating the physics of rubber.

1. A bar thug was hit in the head with a frying pan unharmed because he emulated the movement of rubber.

2. Flynn was unnaturally stretched during a tug of war fight and was left uninjured. His body emulated the physics of rubber.

            a. Contradiction: Flynn’s body may have been left unharmed because his boots and clothing were being pulled and not his anatomy. The physics of rubber still made this tug of war scene and stretching recovery believable.

Conclusion

                        A. When an animated character clearly emulates the physics of another existing object to do non-realistic behavior, the animated character has broken the laws of physics.

B. Animators must know and apply the laws of physics at all times unless the laws of physics were clearly broken for a reason.

C. Breaking the laws of physics in a convincing manner made Tangled an entertaining film because it developed the film’s story and made the likable characters relatable to the audience.