Frozen

One way or another, all of us grew up with Disney. Whether it was one of their live-action classics, classic animations, their Renaissance Era, or even Pixar, we’ve all grown up with it. However, within the 2000’s we haven’t gotten anything classic from them in animation aside from what Pixar’s been giving us. We all wanted to relive childhood and experience the magic of Disney Princess stories in the theater again, and it wasn’t until 2009 and 2010 when we were given “The Princess and the Frog” and “Tangled,” which were the first two Disney Princess films in years. They were both big hits, and they managed to really bring back nostalgia trips for the adults, as well as show kids these days what TRUE Disney was. While they did manage to be successful both critically and financially, there were elements from both films that didn’t seem to balance it out. For “Princess and the Frog” it was the songs by Randy Newman and plot, where as “Tangled” was with it being CGI instead of hand-drawn and have on-screen actors do the voices instead of professionals or no-names.

This year, Disney attempts again try and relive the glory days of the original Renaissance Era, with their adaption of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” under the title “Frozen,” and their first adaption an Andersen story since “The Little Mermaid.” Now when teasers started to pop up from this film, I had to admit I wasn’t too into it with the snowman and reindeer bit. Then the cast list popped up, and that got me mixed about the film, as like I said I don’t like it when on-screen actors are doing the voices, unless it’s done right. However, I still decided to give this film the benefit of the doubt and went to go see it.

And let me tell you, this film manages to feel like one you’d see from the Disney Renaissance Era. It felt so much like watching “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast,” more so than “The Princess and the Frog” and “Tangled” on many levels.

The film tells of two sisters, Anna and Elsa, who have both been separated from each other and locked in the castle for many years, especially after their parents’ death. Reason for this was due to Elsa almost killing Anna by accident with her snow powers, which had Anna get rid of her memories to protect her. On the day Elsa is courted to be Queen, Anna tries to get some answers when she is denied her marriage, which causes Elsa to freak out and run away, exposing her powers and causing an eternal winter. Now Anna has to go after her, while getting assistance from a fellow ice seller, his deer, and a snowman. There are changes from the original Anderson story, but what works is how they handled making it work for Disney fans all around.

First off, let me say that the animation is absolutely GLORIOUS! Out of all the CGI animation Disney has given us from their animation studio, this and “Wreck-It Ralph” stand as their best! This really does feel like the traditional animation in proper 3D, like they finally got it 100% right. With the combination of snow and ice as most of the scenery, it really lets the colors that the characters have stand out in a really brilliant way. Not to mention, the ice rising doesn’t feel like just a 3D gimmick, it feels like it ACTUALLY belongs in this atmosphere. How they did it this good is just astonishing.

The music in this film, what can I say? It sounds so beautiful and so hypnotizing, I immediately got the soundtrack. If music was like the dessert you get at your favorite restaurant, THIS would be it. The songs were done by Robert and Kristen Anderson Lopez, most familiar for writing songs for “Avenue Q” and “The Book of Mormon,” which would explain why the songs in the film sound so Broadway like. It really manages to fit in with the film perfectly, and it’s very rare with most Disney flicks.

Broadway-esque songs really help, since the cast features mostly Broadway actors. If you haven’t guessed, that’s Idina Menzel from “Wicked” and “Rent” playing Elsa. She does a MAGNIFICENT job in this film, as she really knows how to deliver a performance, and boy did she NAIL this! It was also really great to see a Disney Princess as a QUEEN in the movie, which is INCREDIBLY rare for people. What also worked really well in this film was the mockery moments they had to other Princess stories, which were addressed by both Elsa and Kristoff, the ice seller, towards Anna. Yeah, you know those satire moments they had in “Enchanted,” which went overboard? Unlike this film, the moments are actually SUBTLE and NOT shoved in your face. Not only that, but the relationship between Anna and Kristoff is actually genuine and developed very well, making it one of the most realistic romances since “Beauty and the Beast.” They also gave an interesting relationship with Elsa and Anna, showing a great bond between sisters through and through. If you have daughters, or sisters, who constantly fight, take them to see this movie. The fact that they got a strong bond between sisters done this well is worth the price of admission alone. My favorite character, however, was the snowman they advertised, Olaf. He just has such an upbeat attitude, and they turned a character that COULD have been annoying and made him incredibly funny. Oh, and in case you’re wondering; YES, that is Josh Gad from “The Book of Mormon” voicing the character, proving my point further that Broadway actors prove to give much better voice-over performances than most movies that shove a celebrity in there just to get a name in there. And yes, I am aware Kristen Bell is voicing Anna in the film, but she did manage to prove me wrong, as she really managed to do such an amazing job with her performance. I honestly couldn’t picture Bell in the film, all I saw was the character of Anna.

The film was directed and written by Chris Buck, who directed Disney’s adaption of “Tarzan,” and Jennifer Lee, who wrote the screenplay for “Wreck-It Ralph.” These two really managed to bring this film so much life to this film, and I applaud them for the fantastic job they did.

Overall, “Frozen” is one of my favorite films of the year, and this film AND “Wreck-It Ralph” starts up a new Renaissance for Disney this generation. It may have started with “The Princess and the Frog,” but here I know it has picked up at its fullest. It’s got great animation, great performances, BREATHTAKING MUSIC, and just an all around good feeling given when you come out of it.

Rating: 10/10