Disney Has Left Me Frozen With Joy

Disney’s 53^rd animated feature, Frozen is a tour de force of wonder that produces one of the most enjoyable times you will have in a movie theater. The stunning visuals and wonderful songs consume your imagination. Everything about this film got better and better as it progressed. This is a musical, so if you can get past that, prepare for the winter winds to blow you away to an epic adventure!

Frozen is based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Snow Queen, and follows two sisters, Anna and Elsa, who were very close until Elsa, who possesses the ability to control ice and snow, accidentally injures Anna with her powers. They grow apart until coronation day, ten years later, when Elsa is to be crowned queen of Arendelle. It’s all too much for Elsa as she can no longer conceal her powers and turns the kingdom into a frozen tundra. Elsa runs off and Anna chases after her in order to reverse the icy enchantment.

The characters in the movie are sensational on so many levels and the voice acting is superb. Most Disney Princesses are portrayed as the damsel in distress. Anna, voiced by Kristen Bell, is an awkward but fearless optimist with a heart of gold. She is easy to relate to because she is not bound by the pomp and circumstance of royalty and isn’t afraid to roll up her sleeves.

The amazing and talented Idina Menzel brings life to every character she portrays and does so again, this time providing her remarkable voice as the ice powered Queen Elsa. Sisters tend to have polar opposite personalities in these kinds of tales. Elsa is as kind-hearted as Anna, however, her fear of hurting others and ex-communication compels her to live a life of solitude.

Olaf, voiced by Josh Gad, is adorably hysterical. I was concerned he would just be a cute snowman for the kids but he steals every scene he is in with some of the most memorable lines of the film. They know when to bring him in for levity and when to get him out to let the more serious tones of the movie resume. When you see what Olaf wants in life more than anything, you will facepalm as it is a heartwarming conundrum that will make you laugh and cry at the same time.

Now, let’s talk about the music, shall we? Words can’t accurately describe how incredible the songs are.  I saw the movie two weeks ago and I’m still humming various songs from the soundtrack. Hell, I’m humming them even now as I write this blog.

The song “Let it Go” is the melodious pièce de résistance of the film. The songs popular verse “The cold never bothered me anyway” is one I constantly sing, while walking in the snow-filled New England weather, which is weird considering how I can’t stand the cold. Menzel kills it with her performance and should earn the track an Oscar nomination for best original song.

There were a couple of bold plot twists late in the game. One of them revealed the villain of the story, which was missing for some time. It was hardly noticeable, however, because the real villain was the peril Arendalle was in and what would have happened if Anna and company failed to turn off the winter.

A marketing tool Disney used to promote Frozen was stating that it is the best-animated film since the Lion King. If bold statements were stock then this is one that delivers an ROI that you will never forget. Everything from the voice acting, music, and imagery serves the movie so well and gives you everything you want from a Disney classic.

Frozen is a film that not only needs to be seen but it should be experienced in a movie theater. Taking it all in with the surround speakers and marveling with fellow moviegoers will help you fully appreciate the grandeur as this latest film shows why princess movies are the epitome of Disney’s wheelhouse.