Written by Mallory Delchamp
There is always one thing we can count on as the holiday season approaches, excellent movies. Aside from turkey and stuffing movies are steadily becoming apart of American holiday traditions. And what is the holiday season without a good Disney movie?
The latest film from Walt Disney, Frozen (despite its title) is the perfect antidote to the cold winter weather. Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee (Wreck It Ralph, Tangled) Frozen is loosely based on the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale “The Snow Queen”. The animated feature tells the story of Anna, a fiery yet naïve princess and her older sister, Elsa. Elsa has the power to control ice and on her coronation day she accidentally curses the land of Arendelle (a fictional, Scandanavian-esque kingdom) into an eternal winter. Displeased with her inability to control her powers, Elsa flees the kingdom. Anna then sets out on an adventure to find Elsa in an attempt to convince her to return summer to their homeland. Like all Disney films there are bumps and turns along the way and plenty of comedic moments in between.
With a slew of talented voice actors including Kristen Bell (Veronica Mars) as Anna, Tony award winner, Idina Menzel as Elsa, Josh Gad (Broadway’s The Book of Mormon) as Anna’s snowman sidekick, Olaf and Glee’s Jonathan Groff as leading man, Hans. Frozen feels as animated star studded Broadway musical-but in the best way possible.
And, Frozen is indeed a musical. Unlike recent Disney releases which feature only one or two memorable songs, Frozen carries on in the tradition of The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast in the sense that not only is the music beautiful but it also enhances the story. With music by Robert Lopez (Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon) and Kristen-Anderson Lopez (The Wonder Pets) and a orchestral score by Christophe Beck; Frozen has an incredible soundtrack and I’m willing to bet money that the film’s power ballad “Let It Go” (sung by Menzel’s character) will receive an Oscar nomination for best original song.
Frozen also differs from Disney’s previous “princess” films (i.e. Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, etc.) because it’s not focused on romance or the film’s heroine searching for love. Yes, it contains a good dose of romance but Frozen is truly a film about the importance of family and friendship. And, as much as Disney fans enjoy a good animated romance I personally believe Frozen will pave the way for stories of more modern princesses.
Bottom Line: Disney has done it again. They have created a beautifully animated film that will delight audiences of all ages. Frozen is the perfect film for the holiday season and is definitely worth watching!
All images credit: Disney
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