Directors: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
Written by: Jennifer Lee
Inspired by "The Snow Queen" by Hans Christian Anderson
Cast: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad
After the kingdom of Arendelle is cast into eternal winter by the powerful Snow Queen Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel), her sprightly sister Anna (Kristen Bell) teams up with a rough-hewn mountaineer named Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) and his trusty reindeer Sven to break the icy spell.
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First of all, I'd like to point out that I love Disney. Take me to Disneyland and leave me there, I'd probably be the happiest kid on earth. The love doesn't stop at the parks. The majority of films that I own are Disney movies. From the stories they express to the creative humor that goes into their classic tales always amaze me. So, as I walked into the movie theater to see Frozen for the first time, I knew I was about to see something good. Let me be the first to say that I was not wrong in my expectations. It was better then great. It was fantastic. Disney has created yet another masterpiece.
To begin with, the movie is based off of Hans Christian Andersen's tale, The Snow Queen. Never having read this particular story, I went to the all-knowing Wikipedia to do some research. It wasn't very useful, to be honest. There really isn't much resemblance between the two, except for a few minor details. Since Frozen was inspired by The Snow Queen, it's not crucial to compare the two.
Additionally, the movie has a fantastic cast. First of all, Josh Gad gave a thrilling performance as the voice of Olaf, the sweet & lovable snowman. In the very first scene when Olaf is introduced, its hard not to fall for this adorable, hilarious snowman. He is the comical relief. In a hilarious depiction of his desire to experience "summer" and "heat," he belts out his song titled "In Summer," which had me bouncing in my chair and smiling to the catchy tune. Whenever you see him enter a scene, you can relax knowing that side-splitting witty lines and expressions are about to take place. By the end of the movie, we're all wishing we had our own personal Olaf to give us his warm hugs. Secondly, Idina Menzel (Queen Elsa) and Kristen Bell (Anna) top the vocals for musical performance. Both women are incredible singers and have the vocal talent to go hand in hand with their characters.
From the beginning, it was obvious that the directors and animators had worked previously on Tangled (2010). Frozen had similar love interests, similar main characters and a similar style to Tangled. A spunky girl just waiting to go out and explore and overcome that obstacle in her way. Falling in love with the man she never dreamed she would in the first place. Interestingly, you can even spot Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder in the crowd going into Elsa's coronation day party.
The plot was different and twisted compared to many of Disney's stories of princesses and magic and knights in shining armor. To begin with, the older sister, Queen Elsa, has no love interest or ever shows a remote care in the matter of getting married. Younger sister Anna, however, has her own spirited ideas of love and marriage, which are expressed in the marvelous duet, "Love is An Open Door." But even for her, the motives and ideas she thinks she has locked in place certainly are not what she expects in the end. Secondly, in this particular Disney film, they did a wonderful job at the general rule of storytelling, which is to "show" and not "tell." Just through simple words and short phrases, we are able to see what the characters mean. A nod should be given to the writers in the comedy department as well. Many scenes had me giggling and dying to see the movie again.
In conclusion, this film was enjoyable on so many levels. The moments when we are able to see the portrayal of deep emotion and beautiful virtues are quite moving. Sisterly love and devotion is displayed violently well throughout the film. Friendship, trust and hope is also illustrated. Additionally, an honorable mention to the animators for the stunning animation and gorgeous scenery. Overall, Frozen will captivate your heart and leave you inspired, excited and, quite possibly, leave a smile on your face as the credits role on the screen.
Review by Cari Frantz
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