 Critics harshly criticized the film 's controversial change in title from Rapunzel to Tangled . Holding Flynn 's role and characterization partially responsible for it , they accused the character of being a marketing tool manipulated by Disney to attract larger male audiences via the film 's trailers . Writing for the Los Angeles Times , Dawn C. Chmielewski observed that Tangled 's marketing campaign involved " amp [ ing ] up the role of the dashing Errol Flynn @-@ styled male lead to share the spotlight with the golden @-@ haired namesake of the classic Brothers Grimm story . " Tom Charity of CNN received Flynn as " an attempt to lure boys and men into the theater . " One of the film 's trailers features Flynn " trying to win over ... Rapunzel by giving her ' the smolder ' " while " emphasiz [ ing Flynn 's ] ... action components ... over the more girl @-@ oriented fairy tale stuff , " according to Christian Blauvelt of Slant Magazine . Jennie Punter of The Globe and Mail felt that Flynn was " obviously designed to keep the young male audience from spurning yet another princess movie . " Richard Corliss of Time mocked the film 's marketing and the idea that " The trailers suggest that the movie is an action comedy about a roguish guy ... whose mission is to storm the tower and free the girl inside . " Referring to the film 's title as " idiotic , " Matt Neal of the Standard @-@ Examiner wrote , " Disney claims it changed the film 's title from Rapunzel to Tangled to emphasise Flynn Rider 's role in the film ... but that title @-@ change excuse doesn 't fly . " The Daily Mail 's Chris Tookey felt that Flynn 's narration " feels wrong , " describing it " as a commercially calculated move to reassure males in the audience that the film won 't be too ' girly ' . " Similarly , A. O. Scott of The New York Times received Flynn as a " hijacking of a princess 's tale , " panning the character as " a crude commercial calculation , a sign to the anxious boys in the audience that things aren 't going to be too girly , or to Disneyphobes that the studio can bring some DreamWorks @-@ style attitude . " Claire Martin of The Denver Post felt that Flynn 's sole purpose in the film was for potential merchandising opportunities , specifically to " take Ken 's role as [ Barbie 's ] male arm candy . " 
