I can sum-up “Frozen” in just one word: Spectacular! This is Disney’s best animated musical since 1991’s “Beauty and the Beast”, which just happens to be my all-time favorite film. Less than a minute into “Frozen” it becomes clear that we’re about to experience something special, and that this production is destined for the stage. All the musical numbers are catchy and quite powerful. A few, literally, gave me chills. Mark my words – in a couple of years, there will be a live-action version of “Frozen” on Broadway. Fortunately, you can now bring home one of the movie events of the year.
The Mouse House goes back to its roots with “Frozen”, which is inspired by the fairy tale, The Snow Queen. However, the creative team behind “Frozen” spices-up this classic story, which may bother traditionalists, but will delight everyone else. What writers/directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee have created is not a standard princess movie, such as “Cinderella” or “The Little Mermaid”. “Frozen” is at another level.
The film begins with a brief backstory in which we are introduced to sisters Anna and Elsa, the two princesses of Arendelle. When they were young they were very close. Elsa, who’s next in line to be Queen, has magical powers that allow her to create snow and ice. While playing one day an accident takes place and Anna is nearly killed. Their parents, the King and Queen, take Anna to a group of trolls who save her life and erase her memories of Elsa’s special powers. But the girls grow apart, as Elsa shuts-out Anna out in order to protect her, and she can’t understand why.
Years later, in true Disney tradition, the King and Queen die at sea, so Elsa (voiced by “Wicked”‘s Idina Menzel) is to be sworn-in as the new Queen. This will be the first time the sisters see each other since they were kids. On the day of the ceremony, Anna (Kristen Bell) meets a dashing prince named Hans. The two immediately fall in love and want to get engaged – that day. Elsa doesn’t approve, and an argument leads to her unwittingly unleashing an icy rage, freezing the entire town. She flees to the top of the highest mountain, where she builds an ice castle for her new home. So it’s up to Anna to try to get to her sister and make things right. But she can’t do it alone. Along the way she’ll encounter an ice salesman named Kristoff, his helpful reindeer and a talking, singing snowman named Olaf (the hilarious Josh Gad).
“Frozen” is a powerhouse. Not only are the musical numbers fantastic, but the animation is phenomenal. And the script isn’t as simple as you might think. There are intense action scenes which are very well staged and executed. And two twists make for some of the better surprises of the cinematic year – one that turns the tables on everyone, the other that is part of the electrifying climatic scene.
The voice cast is excellent, with all the main actors excelling in both their dialogue and their singing. Each of the characters has an emotional depth that you don’t get in most contemporary animated films – even the very good ones. Gad stands-out as the eternally optimistic snowman, providing a perfect balance of humor and heart. Olaf isn’t simply tossed in for comic relief, as is common in most films of the genre. Yes, he’s funny, but with a much more subtle tone (except for his hysterical production number) and the character actually has a pivotal role in how the tale plays out. And, as you’d expect, the look of “Frozen” is tremendous. You may want to wear a sweater because, even if the heat is turned-up, it will be impossible not to get swept-away to this world of ice and snow.
“Frozen” is rated PG for some mild peril and language. It’s appropriate for kids of all ages. Even the little ones, who won’t understand the storylines, will enjoy the songs, the action scenes, and the endearing characters. It isn’t consistently laugh-out-loud funny, which is fine, because it’s not designed to be. “Frozen” is a sweeping epic adventure, packed with romance, suspense, comedy and drama. In short: A crowning achievement.
Shown prior to “Frozen” is Disney’s marvelous, new animated short, “Get a Horse”, which combines both hand-drawn and CGI animation in a movie theater setting. And it stars Mickey Mouse, whose voice track was pieced together from old recordings done by Walt Disney himself. The short alone is worth the price of admission, and I can’t wait to see it again. “Get a Horse” was nominated for the Best Animated Short Film Oscar (and should’ve won), while “Frozen” was the clear victor in every Best Animated Feature category during Awards Season.
On The Official LCJ Report Card, “Frozen” gets an A. It’s an instant Disney classic.