Frozen (2013) Review

                                                 'You can't marry a man you just met'

From the wintry mountain tops of Arandelle comes box-office smash; Frozen. The cogs at the Disney Corporation have been turning and have churned out this icy adventure, which is almost self-mocking of its entire foundation of films. For you see, this particular adventure focuses around two sisters and their relationship, instead of the usual prince and princess shtick (although, there is some romance chucked in for good measure).

The frosty film focuses around Anna and Elsa, voiced by Kristen Bell and musical legend, Idina Menzel, respectively. Elsa possesses magical ice and snow powers, which at first delights herself and her younger sister, Anna, but soon become a danger. Over the years Elsa’s powers grow stronger and she accidently strikes her sister with ice, causing the family to seek help from rock people (trolls) that live nearby. They fix Anna and tell Elsa that she should learn to control her powers, so the family decide to shut her away and try to control her, instead of helping her embrace her abilities. After the unfortunate demise of her parents (shocking for a Disney film, I know) she locks herself away in her room and has the gates to Arandelle closed. Anna meanwhile, is incredibly bored and spends her hours passing by time doing idle activities, waiting for her sister to come out and play. Eventually, a coronation for the upcoming Queen (Elsa) puts things into a downward spin as Elsa’s powers and revealed and she flees to a mountain, where Anna must team up with Kristoff, (Jonathan Groff) a mountain man, Olaf, (Josh Gad) a snowman and Kristoff’s reindeer. Also involved in the film is Hans, (Santino Fontana) a Prince from the Southern Isles who seeks Anna’s hand in marriage.

Having written this review retrospectively, the film has currently grossed over $1 billion and received Academy Awards for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song, for ‘Let it Go’, which is sung by Idina Menzel. It’s not hard to see why. Frozen is built upon the foundation that sometimes, sisterly (and sibling) love can be more powerful than any fleeting romance, and Elsa and Anna are two characters whose love can thaw anyone’s frozen heart. The film is unique in the stance that it takes on animated musical feature films; in such that it doesn’t follow a particular pattern and is actually rather mocking to the stereotypical Disney Format of boy meets girl, girl and boy fall in love and marry. This gives the film an icy edge over its counterparts, and presents itself a well-rounded addition to the Disney family.

The songs are catchy and the script well-written, with lots of snappy one-liners and clever quips from some characters. Menzel’s ‘Let it Go’, which was written by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez and composed by Christophe Beck, is a signature song that has already sky-rocketed itself to fame and into the hearts of many audiences. The track is sassy and strong, while Menzel’s vocals are undeniably striking and give the song its power. The way it is played out on screen is visually breath-taking, as Menzel’s character Elsa creates herself an ice palace to rival the Queen of Narnia herself. Frozen is a true musical, and with beautiful duets from Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel, it’s hard not to find a place in your heart for this touching tale. With a screenplay by Jennifer Lee and written collectively by Lee, Chris Buck and Shane Morris, the film makes sure it has a place in the current cultural climate; with Disney re-affirming that it can still spin out the classics.

Overall, it’s wonderful to see an animated film with such strong, individual characters that really imprint their mark on this snow-covered landscape, as well as visuals that astound in the way that computer animation should do. The power-house performances from the cast and especially Menzel and Bell, elevate the film to new sweeping heights, above other popular animated films, like Despicable Me 2. Frozen is a visual reminder that blood can be thicker than water, and that sometimes the most meaningful relationships we have are with our siblings. Empowering and beautifully envisioned and executed, Frozen secures its place amongst the greats of 2013, and of the history of animated features, which is no easy feat.

4.5 stars