Film Review- "Frozen"

Frozen
Directed By Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee
Starring Kristen Bell as Anna, Idina Menzel as Elsa, Jonathan Groff as Kristoff, and Josh Gad as Olaf

It's no secret I'm a guy who likes his animation, but Disney animation is my true bread and butter. Their animation studio may not be as dominant in the industry as it once was, now having to compete with the likes of Dreamworks, Blue Sky, and their sister studio Pixar. But their films can still pack a punch.

I love all the Disney animated films. From the classics of the fifties and sixties, such as The Jungle Book and Peter Pan, to the juggernauts of the nineties like Beauty & The Beast and The Lion King. Even their films from the past few years, such as Princess & The Frog, Tangled, and Wreck-It Ralph have wowed me.  But even an avid Disney fan like myself had my eyebrows raised, when the ads for Frozen were declaring it "The greatest Disney animated event since The Lion King"

That's more than tooting your own horn. That's raising expectations to incredible heights, and betting everything that those expectations will be met by your audience. Given the gravitas of The Lion King, and the reception of more recent Disney films that preceded it like Tangled and Ralph, is Frozen that good? Is it the greatest Disney film since The Lion King…Note quite. But I'll tell you, it comes pretty damn close.

Like Tangled, it's a perfect blend of Disney's past and present, and earns a place, standing tall alongside the classics of the Disney Renaissance. The film, a loose (and I mean loose) adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen" tells the story of two sisters. Anna and Elsa, played by Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel respectively. Elsa is born with the power to create and manipulate snow and ice. As expected, her parents, the king and queen, decide to keep Elsa and her powers shut off from the rest of the kingdom. This also includes her sister, Anna, who grows up longing to be as close to her sister as they were in their youth.

When their parents die (It's a Disney film what did you expect?) Elsa, being the older sister, is crowned queen. As a result of an argument with Anna, Elsa's powers are exposed. Instantly feared by her subjects, Elsa flees the kingdom, and builds herself a fortress of ice in the mountains, while at the same time sending the kingdom into an eternal winter. Anna sets out to bring her sister home and set things right, with help of a mountain man named Kristoff (Groff), a summer loving snowman named Olaf (Gad), and a reindeer named Sven.

Frozen is a very unique Disney film. The central relationship is not "the prince and the princess" or "the guy and the girl" it's the relationship between the two sisters. It's a beautiful story. The way Anna and Elsa are written, in the script and the songs, is a breathe of fresh air and brings something new to the Disney formula. All of the characters bring both laughs and heart to the film in their own way. I have to say, I was ready to hate Olaf. He came off as so annoying in the trailers, but he steals the freaking show.

The animation is stunning. The animators clearly took full advantage of the winter setting of the film, and the technology at their disposal, to make a film that is more than pleasing to look at. The voice cast is not filled with huge names, but that's just fine. Kristen Bell did so well as Anna I forgot it was her. Idina Menzel as Elsa is amazing, and her solo song "Let It Go" is absolutely the stand-out number from the film. Josh Gad is perfect casting as Olaf. Jonathan Groff as Kristoff does a fine job, but you'd think a guy that was on "Glee" would sing more than fifty seconds in the film!

The songs in this film are a mixed bag. Again "Let It Go" is the film's stand-out song, and the only one that really stuck with me after I left the theater. After finding the other songs on Youtube, I can say Olaf's "In Summer" is upbeat and quite fun. Anna's song "Do You Want To Build A Snowman" is a very cute, and surprisingly emotional opening number. "For The First Time In Forever" and "Fixer Upper" are catchy, but don't leave a lasting impression like the previously mentioned songs.

I consider Frozen to be Tangled's sister film in some aspects, such as the tone and style (Keep your eyes open for some cameos, too). But a solid script (with maybe a twist that'll surprise you), more than enjoyable performances, and stunning animation gives Frozen enough to stand on its own. It's an instant Disney classic and truly one of their more unique outings. Hopefully Frozen can do what Tangled didn't, and earn an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature next year. It certainly deserves it. Again…maybe not the best Disney animated film since The Lion King, but pretty damn close.