Saturday, March 15, 2014
Frozen (2013)
Cast: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan
Groff, Josh Gad, Santino Fontana
Directors: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
Synopsis: Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel star as
sisters, Anna and Elsa, in this lively Walt Disney animated musical-comedy.
Based off Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale, The Snow Queen, the film follows the journey of Anna and friends to
find the recently estranged Elsa. Born with magical powers, Elsa inadvertently
cast the entire kingdom in a perpetual winter and flees to the mountains. With
the help of a bubbly snowman, a mountain man, and his pet reindeer, Anna and
crew search for Elsa to persuade her to bring back summer.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4/5 Reels
Review:
Frozen is wonderfully family-friendly, with
witty one-liners and songs that will stick in your mind. Buck and Lee did a
great job creating a film endearing to both adult and children. The film leaves
audiences with a heart-warming message of love: “An act of true love will melt
an icy heart.”
The actors
were brilliantly cast, as the voices match the characters perfectly. Anna’s
sweetness comes through Kristen Bell’s melodic voice, while the deeper pitch of
Idina Menzel conveys the maturity of Elsa.
The
character of Olaf the snowman is the greatest source of comedy in the film. Although
not a key component of the story, Olaf’s childlike naivety transforms simple
comments into humorous one-liners, such as the observation that he lacks a
skull. His sincerity and unrealistic optimism make him a character beloved by
all ages.
The most
obvious flaw in the film is the lack of details and nonlinear storyline. The
audience is never told how or why Elsa acquired her magical powers; the only
comment made is that she was born with the ability to create ice and snow. No
explanation is given as to why a child born to non-magical parents with a
non-magical sister would hold powers. Additionally, the winding turns of the
storyline cause the film to lose any real plot. The audience is lead on a
journey that does not truly make sense until the ending, where they are met
with a surprise plot twist.
Overall, Frozen is a unique family film that
highlights the sisters’ love rather than the typical Disney romance. Light-hearted
and fun, the film is full of catchy songs and clever humor. As parents and
children alike can appreciate the jokes, Frozen
is sure to be a hit to all ages.
By: Lindsay
Norton
Lindsay, this is a great post! I have seen Frozen (and heard children singing it everywhere) and loved it. There was so much hype about this movie that by the time I saw it I did not even notice what you pointed out about how we never find out how Elsa got her magical powers or why she was born with them! This is definitely something that should have been addressed in the movie.
ReplyDeleteLindsay,
ReplyDeleteI heard all of the excitement about this film and was anxious to watch it. I agree that the directors did a marvelous job in casting. The difference in the voices of the sisters, once older, really showed the contrast in their personalities and maturity. I'm not sure about your comment about the little sister not having powers. If I remember correctly, the little sister had her powers taken away by the trolls (grandpa) in order for her to live.
I absolutely agree with you about Olaf. Until you mentioned it, I thought he was one of the main characters! He definitely brought a sweetness, innocence, and a sense of humor to the film. Though the plot line was a little difficult to follow, it really was a great film and a fun one to watch!
Lindsay,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your review on Frozen. The first time I saw it, I did not notice many of the little details, but as I watched the film another time with my family, it finally dawned on me when my Dad asked, "How did she get her powers?" It made me wonder, and think that they never really explained that at all. I'm glad that you noticed that and shared it with us.
I also love that you pointed out that Frozen is not like other Disney movies focusing on true love. This movie showed us that true love does not have to be romantic. It really can come from a sister, brother, mother, or father. It was nice to see a movie that was not completely full of clichés.