Pascal and Maximus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pascal and Maximus |
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| Tangled characters | |
Pascal and Maximus as they appear in Disney's short film Tangled Ever After.
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| First appearance | Tangled (2010) |
| Created by | Nathan Greno Byron Howard |
| Voiced by |
Pascal:
Frank Welker/Dee Bradley Baker (Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, Tangled: Before Ever After)
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| Information | |
| Species | |
| Gender | Males |
| Owner(s) | Rapunzel and Flynn Rider |
Pascal and Maximus are a pair of non-talking animals who first appear in Walt Disney Pictures' 50th animated feature film Tangled (2010) as supporting characters, and subsequently star in its short Tangled Ever After (2012), television film Tangled: Before Ever After and television series Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure. Created by directors Nathan Greno and Byron Howard, both characters are voiced by American actor Frank Welker in Tangled; in Tangled Ever After, Welker reprises his role as Pascal while Greno replaces the actor as Maximus. A comedic chameleon and horse duo, Pascal and Maximus serve as sidekicks to main characters Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, respectively.
In Tangled, Pascal resides alongside Rapunzel in Mother Gothel's tower, while Maximus is a police horse originally trained to arrest Flynn Rider before he befriends him at Rapunzel's insistence. In Tangled Ever After, Pascal and Maximus appear as ring bearers at Rapunzel and Flynn's wedding. When they lose the couple's wedding rings, the duo frantically attempts to retrieve them. Greno and Howard created Pascal in order to provide the lonely, isolated Rapunzel with a friend to talk to. Feeling that a reptile would complement Rapunzel's quirky personality, the directors ultimately decided to make the character a chameleon as opposed to a traditional woodland creature. Meanwhile, Maximus was originally conceived as a very serious horse based on actor Tommy Lee Jones until the animators decided to make him a funnier and more likeable character. The unusual decision to make Pascal and Maximus non-speaking characters with Welker providing them with realistic sound effects was inspired by the performances of silent film actors Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton.
Both individually and as a comedic duo, Pascal and Maximus have garnered universal acclaim from film critics, who referred to the characters as scene stealers – British magazine SFX dubbed Maximus the film's breakout star while The Age hailed the character as the funniest horse in film history – in addition to praising the fact that both characters are refreshingly funny, expressive and charismatic without the use of dialogue. Additionally, several film critics preferred Pascal and Maximus to the film's couple.
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Appearances
Tangled
Pascal and Maximus first appear in Tangled (2010). Introduced as the pet and best friend of Rapunzel, Pascal is a chameleon who lives with Rapunzel in Mother Gothel's secluded tower. Although Rapunzel pretends to be happy living in isolation under Gothel's strict, controlling parenting, Pascal refuses to hide his discontent. Meanwhile, Maximus and thief Flynn Rider share a bitter animosity; as a police horse, Maximus is determined to arrest Flynn Rider for stealing a crown. Seeking refuge from Maximus, Flynn hides in Gothel's tower where he is quickly incapacitated by Rapunzel, and he and Pascal immediately adopt a love-hate relationship. Determined to see the mysterious "floating lights" in time for her eighteenth birthday, Rapunzel agrees to return Flynn's crown to him only after he escorts her to safely to the kingdom. Meanwhile, Maximus, who continues his search for Flynn, inadvertently tips off Gothel that Rapunzel, on whose magical hair she relies to stay alive, has left the tower accompanied by Flynn. With her life in danger, she desperately pursues them.
When Maximus eventually catches up with Rapunzel, Flynn and Pascal, the horse attempts to apprehend Flynn only to be charmed by Rapunzel, who convinces him to leave Flynn alone until they have arrived at their destination while Pascal ensures that the two maintain a healthy relationship. In the kingdom, Flynn, Rapunzel and Pascal embark on a canoe ride to see the floating lights, revealed to be lanterns, up-close, while Maximus is forced to wait ashore as there is not enough room for him. In a friendly gesture, Flynn gives him a bag of apples. Realizing that he is falling in love with Rapunzel, Flynn attempts to hand off the crown he was promised to the Stabbington brothers, two colleagues of his, only to be kidnapped and handed over to the police. Mistaking this for abandonment, Rapunzel is taken back to the tower by Gothel, who has caught up with them.
Maximus manages to help an imprisoned Flynn about to be hanged for his crimes and escape from the dungeon then gets him to Gothel's tower, where he is stabbed. However, Rapunzel eventually heals Flynn after he slices off her hair, which in turn destroys Gothel, and they live happily every after Pascal and Maximus move to Corona with them; Maximus is eventually knighted, becoming Captain of the Guards and eliminates crime in the kingdom.
Tangled Ever After
Tangled Ever After takes place sometime after the events of the original movie. In the short, Pascal and Maximus are ring bearers at Rapunzel and Flynn Rider's wedding. When Maximus suffers a reaction from one of the flower petals Pascal is sprinkling along the aisle, Maximus sneezes and the rings are propelled off the pillow on which he is carrying the rings; the fly through a window in the chapel and into the city streets. Pascal and Maximus discreetly sneak out of the chapel to retrieve them in time for Rapunzel and Flynn to exchange them. Pascal and Maximus encounter several obstacles and hindrances in their attempt, eventually crashing into a tar factor upon retrieving the rings from a flock of flying doves. Completely soiled, Pascal and Maximus finally return to the chapel and return the rings, only to cause the wedding cake to roll out the door.
Tangled: Before Ever After
Pascal is now living in the Castle of Corona with his longtime best friend and her boyfriend, Eugene. He later creates an illusion of Rapunzel to keep Eugene from finding out that she had gone out the walls of Corona.
Maximus is ridden by Eugene in a race against Rapunzel, riding Fidela, and the Guards. At night he accompanies Cassandra and Rapunzel on their sneaking out, and tries to cross the shattering stone bridge. He runs back to release Rapunzel's newly regrown blonde hair from the broken bridge.
Rapunzel's Tangled Adventures
Pascal continues to live with Rapunzel at the castle of Corona. Although he seems to like helping Rapunzel adjust to her new royal life, he eventually starts to feel he doesn't belong with her and runs away, to Rapunzel's isolated tower in the deepest parts of the forest. In Episode 11, it is revealed that, as a baby, his mother had sent him to safety on a lily-pad to escape a ravenous snake that was pursuing them. As his mother was eaten by the snake, he had floated down a waterfall, where he heard young Rapunzel singing. He climbed her tower but was still being followed by the snake which infected him with its lethal venom. It was then that the young Rapunzel used the light-based, healing magic of her blond hair to return him to life. She welcomed the infant chameleon as her best friend, that way they would never have to be alone again. Upon returning to the ivy-covered tower, he is again attacked by the white snake that had killed his mother. Fortunately, his time with Rapunzel had made him brave, and he fends off the snake until Rapunzel arrives.
Maximus continues to be the guard's greatest steed in arresting criminals in all of Corona. He seems to have feelings for a female horse named Fidella.
Miscellaneous
Both Pascal and Maximus appear in the Nintendo DS version of Tangled: The Video Game (2010). While playing mostly as Rapunzel, players are allowed to "interact with Flynn, Pascal, and Maximus", according to Nintendo.com. The video game includes a minigame inspired by Pascal entitled "Pascal's Colors/Melody Match".
Images for kids
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Both Pascal and Maximus were inspired by the performances of actor and comedian Charlie Chaplin in silent films.
