Matt's Movie Reviews logo
Custom Search
AWFUL
POOR
GOOD
EXCELLENT
MASTERPIECE
*
**
***
****
*****
iTunes subscribes
Youtube image
Frozen poster

CAST (VOICES OF)
KRISTEN BELL
JONATHAN GROFF
SANTINO FONTANA
CIARAN HINDS
JOSH GAD
IDINA MENZEL
ALAN TUDYK

BASED ON THE STORY “THE SNOW QUEEN” WRITTEN BY
HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN

STORY BY
CHRIS BUCK
JENNIFER LEE
SHANE MORRIS

SCREENPLAY BY
JENNIFER LEE

PRODUCED BY
PETER DEL VECHO

DIRECTED BY
CHRIS BUCK
JENNIFER LEE

GENRE
ANIMATION
FANTASY
MUSICAL

RATED
AUS: PG
UK: PG
USA: PG

RUNNING TIME
102 MIN

 

FROZEN (2013)

Exuberant in song and beautifully crafted in animation, Frozen is another strong release by Walt Disney Animation Studios and just might mark the day when ol’ Walt took the reins back from Pixar.

Time always restores order, and so it goes with the ‘to and fro’ between Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios. When Pixar first set up shop at Disney they were the hotshot second driver on a spluttering animation team, sleek in computer animated design, too cool for musicals, and (since then) firmly set in pole position. But after a series of misfires (Cars 2, Monsters University) Pixar has lost ground while Disney have gained the lead by not compromising, but improving upon their traditional fairy tale, musical heavy model. The Princess and the Frog was great. Tangled was even better. Frozen is a spectacular display of animated joy, a movie about fear, family, and faith in the belief that true love will warm a cold world.

Like many Disney animated gems, Frozen is an adaptation of a classic fairy tale, in this case “The Snow Queen” by Hans Christian Andersen. The film’s focus is on Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel), sisters and heirs to the kingdom of Arendelle. They’ve also been separated for over a decade thanks to Elsa’s uncontrollable power to turn everything and anything around her into ice, not a good look for a recently crowned queen with emotional issues.

When an ashamed Elsa flees her kingdom, loving sister Anna gives chase. As expected in an animated fairy tale many characters are met along the way: there is the dashing Prince Hans (Santino Fontana), heroic woodsman Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) along with his ever loyal reindeer Sven, and there is the lovable Olaf (Josh Gad), a snow man who has a naïve obsession with the sun, and like Scratch from Ice Age and Donkey from Shrek is a scene stealing, sure to be favourite of kiddies everywhere.   

Considering the depth of animated fairy tales in the Disney vault, that Frozen ranks near the top is saying something indeed, with writer/directors Chris Buck (Tarzan) and Jennifer Lee (Wreck It Ralph) succeeding in all facets. The story is well paced, characters beautifully created and voiced, and the animation is breathtaking, with the sight of a snow covered world (Disney style) a thing of pure driven beauty.

Most impressive of all are the original compositions by veteran duo Robert Lopez and Maria Anderson-Lopez (whose credits range from Winnie the Pooh to Book of Mormon: The Musical). The songs in Frozen are the right kind of musical treat: never distracting, wonderfully sung by a bravura cast (especially Broadway veteran Idina Menzel who cranks out a winner in “Let it Go”) and enriching in narrative and emotion.

Frozen caps off a successful rebuilding model by Walt Disney Animation Studios, which is now ironically under the charge of Pixar heads John Lasseter (he who brought Toy Story to life) and Edwin Catmull. With quality this good, the combined words of “animated-fairy tale-Disney-musical” need never be met with a shudder again.

****

  RELATED CONTENT  
The Princess and the Frog poster
The Princess and the Frog film review
Tangled poster
Tangled
film review
Brave poster
Brave
film review

 

 

Created and Edited by Matthew Pejkovic / Contact: mattsm@mattsmoviereviews.net
Logo created by Colony Graphic Design / Copyright © Matthew Pejkovic

Twitter logo
Facebook logo
    Youtube
Matthew Pejkovic is a member of the following organizations:
AFCA logo