Critical response Pascal and Maximus have garnered universal acclaim from film critics, who greeted both characters with nearly equal praise but generally reviewed Maximus more enthusiastically. Citing both characters as "right on the money," Jonathan Crocker of
Total Film described Maximus as "A horse ... who thinks he's
John McClane." Kerry Lengel of
The Arizona Republic enthused, "In true Disney fashion, two of the most memorable characters are animals: Pascal ... and Maximus, a
barrel-chested horse with the tracking skills of a bloodhound and a sense of duty straight out of
Gilbert and Sullivan." The
Chicago Tribunes Michael Phillips wrote that both characters are "Very funny, very noble" and "lovely supporting character[s]."
Peter Travers of
Rolling Stone admitted to having "fell hard" for Maximus and Pascal. Similarly, Lindsey Ward of
Canoe.ca predicted
Tangled Ever After, writing, "Kids and adults alike will also fall for Rapunzel's trusty chameleon sidekick Pascal and palace horse Maximus -- whose hilarious role as Flynn's foe-turned-BFF might just earn him his own spin-off."
The Globe and Mails Jennie Punter hailed them as "characters that only Disney animators could so memorably portray." Writing for the
Miami Herald, Rene Rodriguez described both characters as "terrific," while Alison Gang of
U-T San Diego called them "hilarious."
David Edelstein of
Vulture.com admitted that he "can't help liking a movie with chameleon
reaction shots." Joe Neumaier of the
Daily News appreciated the fact that although "There are laughs involving ... Rapunzel's silent chameleon sidekick ... directors Nathan Greno and Byron Howard keep the tale grounded." Observing the way in which animal sidekicks have become "Disney animation staples," Doris Toumarkine of
Film Journal International wrote that
Pascal is "cute-as-can-be," likening the character to
Jiminy Cricket from Disney's
Pinocchio (1940). Matt Brunson of
Creative Loafing wrote that Pascal "is likely to charm the adults, further designating
Tangled as silky-smooth entertainment."
Norman Wilner of
Now wrote that "the best performance is a silent one delivered by ... Maximus, a guardsman's horse clearly modelled on Tommy Lee Jones in
The Fugitive – but funnier." Describing the character as "marvelously bothered," Michelle Orange of
Movieline wrote that Maximus is "given a nuanced fidelity and expressive agility so precise that it seems more human than human." Cynthia Fuchs of
PopMatters called Maximus "magnificent."
Empires Helen O'Hara wrote that Maximus is a "comic scene-stealer and
police horse extraordinaire." While Ian Berriman of
SFX dubbed Maximus the film's "
breakout star,"
The Ages Jim Schembri hailed the character as "the funniest horse in film history."
Sandra Hall of
The Sydney Morning Herald labelled Maximus "The
de facto star of ...
Tangled" who "possesses the strength of Hercules, the nose of an airport sniffer dog and the crankiness of Harrison Ford." According to Greno and Howard, the decision to make Pascal and Maximus non-speaking characters has been appreciated by both critics and audiences alike, explaining, "We've gotten so many compliments about him and Pascal ... and so many people saying: 'Thank you for not making them talk.'" Similarly,
The Wall Street Journals Joe Morgenstern wrote, "No one voices Maximus ... but he steals every scene he's in", while calling Pascal "endearing". The
Quad-City Times Linda Cook reviewed, "it's fun to watch the animal sidekicks express themselves, not through words, but facial expressions and body movements. The critters provide much of the comedy", while Steve Persall of the
Tampa Bay Times penned, "No talking animals here, although when they're as amusing as a loyal chameleon and a horse who's partly bloodhound and cop-flick
action hero, they don't need to speak", joking that the Brothers Grimm "probably wouldn't object."
ABC Online "like[d] the way the animals were used", explaining, "They don't talk ... it really is funny", accrediting this to executive producer
John Lasseter's influence on the film. Criticizing the script's "abundant chatter,"
Justin Chang of
Variety commended the filmmaker's "shrewd decision to have the animal sidekicks ... express themselves without the benefit of speech." Similarly,
Richard Corliss of
Time wrote that both characters "radiate plenty of personality without speaking." Critics who were generally less positive in their opinions of
Tangled and its main characters Rapunzel and Flynn Rider were otherwise impressed by Pascal and Maximus' performances. The
Liverpool Echos
Catherine Jones felt that "Pascal and Maximus shamelessly scene-steal from the human characters". The
Illinois Times' Chuck Koplinski wrote, "Throw in two animal sidekicks – wily horse Maximus and protective chameleon Pascal – and you have a film that, while not as moving as the Pixar movies, is a satisfying
lark."
TV Guide opined that although "There's nothing particularly innovative about Dan Fogelman's screenplay", the author wrote that "a cute animal sidekick ... extend[s] to the visual aspects of the film". Similarly,
Simon Reynolds of
Digital Spy wrote, "This ride's a familiar one, but with sidekicks such as horse-who-thinks-he's-a-dog Maximus and chameleon Pascal, it's thoroughly enjoyable." Although Dave White of
Movies.com strongly panned
Tangled, he dubbed Pascal and Maximus the film's "Most Memorable
Cliché", writing that the characters "are better than the movie deserves." White continued, "they both steal scene after scene from the
Cream of Wheat-like main characters", concluding, "I kept wishing I was watching a movie about just them."
The Independents Anthony Quinn, who was ambivalent towards the film, admitted that Pascal and Maximus "provide some chuckles." Similarly, Tom Huddleston of
Time Out wrote, "With two such bland heroes, it's good that plenty of attention is paid to the supporting characters, notably ... a bad tempered but loveable horse", while Todd Hertz of
Christianity Today called Maximus "a more complex, multi-dimensional character than some movies' leads". Despite calling the film "bland", the
Houston Chronicles Amy Biancolli called Maximus a "stone cool" character. Tyler Hanley
Palo Alto Weekly, however, praised the entire ensemble as a whole, calling Rapunzel, Flynn, Pascal and Maximus "a thoroughly enjoyable quartet." In a lone lukewarm review,
James Berardinelli of
ReelViews called Pascal "among the least recognizable animal sidekicks (although he possesses amusing mannerisms)." In 2013,
M Magazine ranked Maximus the sixth best Disney sidekick, while Pascal was ranked eighth. In 2014,
BuzzFeed organized a list of the "Definitive Ranking of Disney Sidekicks", ranking Pascal and Maximus fourth and fourteenth, respectively. Author Jemima Skelley described Pascal as "The most badass chameleon there ever was" while hailing Maximus as "The fiercest horse you've probably ever seen." Unranked,
Glamour slightly preferred Pascal to Maximus in the magazine's article "Our Favorite Disney Animals of All Time".
Merchandise Tom Huddleston of
Total Film predicted that the popularity of Pascal and Maximus, combined with the success of
Tangled, would ultimately provide Disney with promising merchandising opportunities, describing the characters as "
tie-in toys you just pre-ordered in your head," Pascal's likeness has since been adapted into a wide variety of items, including toys, decorations and ornaments, costumes, clothing, jewellery and cosmetics, as demonstrated by the
Disney Store's website. In much of the film's merchandise, Pascal is included alongside Rapunzel, namely play sets; The Rapunzel Tangled Figure Play Set features miniature figurines of both Pascal and Maximus in addition to Rapunzel, Flynn Rider and Mother Gothel. However, merchandise inspired by Maximus remains less common. The character's likeness has, however, been adapted into a plush toy. == References ==