Disney has done it again. The newest animated musical, “Frozen,” is a fantastical adaptation of a classic Hans Christian Anderson tale “The Ice Queen.”
Set in the kingdom of Arendelle, Frozen is the tale of two sisters Anna and Elsa. Elsa has the magical power to control the snow. She is told to keep her power in check and not to let others know of it.
If you walk into this movie knowing that it’s a Disney film and just let yourself get enveloped in the story, it is a fantastic movie. It really calls back to the movies of Disney past.
The music does more than set the tone. It tells its own story within a story. Utilizing the seasoned voices of Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell, the two carry their songs with the grace of a falling snowflake. Idina’s voice rings out like the howling gale. She captures the pure essence of the songs written by the duo Robert Lopez and his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez.
Josh Gad’s song as Olaf, a magically brought to life snowman, stole the show. Gad’s comedic timing along with Robert Lopez’s wit (he wrote songs with Trey Parker and Matt Stone for Book of Mormon) creates a perfect storm. I don’t want to ruin it for you, but snowmen aren’t accustomed to that weather. While the songs are great, Disney still had surprises in store.
The animation done by Disney artists has always been smooth as freshly zambonied ice. Perfect lines, crisp details and amazing synchronization with reflections. Disney spared no expense to show off their incredible craftsmanship.
Every time I saw the ice form, it blew me away. Not even seconds after you saw one part of the ice form, the details emerged. Reflections changed and everything was perfect.
I cannot talk enough about how perfect that animation was. I plan on seeing it a second time just to watch the smallest details as they emerge.
There was a scene towards the middle of the movie where you could see the points on some icicles melt. The water didn’t just drip down, but slowly formed until the bead was heavy enough to drop.
It’s the small attention to detail that really pulls even the smallest moment together. With every moment drawn together, the story just flows effortlessly.
Though not perfectly connected to the original story, the adaptation carries it through. Nothing is out of place.
Maybe it’s because the story warmed my frozen heart, but this was the perfect movie for a cold winter night.
If you have any trepidations about seeing Frozen, cast them aside and bask in its warmth.
**** out of five