I do think that Disney has to keep in mind the era the film takes place in.
For example, Tangled takes place in around 1800? When the plans of this film were made, I expected it to be a film with characters from around 1800 in behaviour, reactions, looks, speech, etc. They did this very well in Sleeping Beauty. It is very unrealistic that Rapunzel in that time would be as feminist as she is, and lift her eyebrow at a comment from Flynn, or smack him with a pan or have very 2000+ language, such as "It's like 7.15".
But it's ot only the female characters. A character like Flynn would never have said the things he does in that time.
I get that people like this very modern approach, because it's what they recognize. But you have to be careful that it stays true to the story. I feel that in the modern films they go way too far overboard. Imagine the prince of Cinderella or Snowwhite saying to them: "Here comes the smolder" or "whoa! Sorry, Blondie. I don't do backstory" or "I totally have a thing for brunettes".
Also, there were some so called "funny" modern jokes in Princess and the Frog, which already feel very 2000 to me. So if they at least kept it true to the time the actual story of the film took place in , it would have felt truthful.
Edit: I am surprised that Rapunzel did not have a mobile phone, I bet the filmmakers would have thought it was funny. It seems they are too scared to stay truthful to an era. It is just as bad in the musical versions of animated films, in The Little Mermaid, Flounder sings: she treats me like sashimi, leftover from last week?
It seems that they are too scared to not throw every moment away with a silly joke.
) and you make a pretty valid point; Cinderella does redeems her own fate by revealing her other slipper and somewhat defeating the villain.
