I didn't really mind there not being an explanation of Elsa's powers, but felt the film would have been stronger if one had been provided. Maybe something that tied it back to The Snow Queen tale, you know, involving the Troll Mirror. It could have been a treasure of the Troll elder that was 'stolen' by the Royal family. When their daughter looked into it, its power caused her to freeze. They took Elsa to the Troll elder, he offered to revive Elsa in exchange for the mirror back, so that it could be kept safe. The King agreed. And from that point on, Elsa was given the magical powers she displays throughout the film. It would serve three purposes: setting up Elsa's powers and the nature of them (obviously), setting up a precedent for the King and Queen to seek out the Troll elder (as they would do later with Anna), and setting up the Trolls themselves. That's another thing that bugged me: how glossed over the Trolls were. ESPECIALLY their relationship with Kristoff. One line? "I'm gonna keep you!" That's it? That's ALL the development we're given? To be honest, that confused the HELL out me, because, at that point in the movie, I had NO idea Kristoff was even an orphan. I thought the Troll just fucking decided to steal him or something... That wasn't handled well at all. Kristoff being with the Ice Harvesters during the opening song made me think that they were his tribe or his family.
I really liked Elsa. Let it Go was, for me, the moment I most enjoyed, thinking back on it. I liked most of the songs, but Let it Go and Do You Want to Build a Snowman? were the standouts for me. I admit, I teared up during the latter. Love is an Open Door was cute, but trite, as I guess it was meant to be. In Summer was...okay, I guess. I can't hate it. (I can't bring myself to hate Olaf at all. Josh Gad managed to infuse his voice with enough innocence and charm to more than make up for any of the comic-relief shenanigans required of the character.) That brings me to another problem I had: the glossing over of Olaf’s creation. I wonder how many kids blinked and missed him being made during Let It Go? He just sort of walks into the movie, doesn’t he? I didn’t really care for For the First Time in Forever or its Reprise. Maybe it will grow on me? Who knows?
I had no problem with Hans being the villain. In fact, thanks to Tumblr, I already had that spoiled for me going in. I didn't know the big twist or the reason for it, but I knew he did something irredeemable that made him the bad guy. Watching the film, I thought, "Oh, wow. They're making him an understandable villain! He really DOES see himself as the dashing prince going to save his princess! That's so clever and brave of Disney... Like Gaston, but with more shades of grey! Oh, oh! I like where this is going...!" But then we get that, "Oh, Anna... If only somebody LOVED YOU!" He might as well have turned into a Jafar or Maleficent one-dimensional bad guy. (Not that there's anything WRONG with that when it's that way from the START. Not just thrown in all of a sudden to mind-fuck the audience.) Hell, even if they wanted him to be the "sudden" bad guy who is irredeemably evil, why not GIVE HIM A BETTER REASON beyond "I have 11 older brothers, so, I could never be king"? How about something like he's the next in line for the throne on HIS side, or, better yet, he's ALL READY KING, but he comes to Arendelle to take THAT Kingdom over and annex it? To do that, he emotionally manipulates Elsa by pretending to love Anna, drives Elsa away and every thing else that happens in the film. Set him up during the prologue. Give us more character development. But, to be honest, I wish they had went with the ‘truly thinks he the hero’ angle. Also: am I the only one who saw a missed opportunity for a Reprise of Do You Want to Build a Snowman? when Anna was locked in the SAME room Elsa use to be shut up in? I thought for sure, Elsa was going to be the one who came to Anna’s rescue in that moment and we’d get a beautiful, heartfelt reprise and reconciliation. Instead of having had Hans do his whole sneering villain thing, what if he’d locked her in “to keep her safe” from Elsa. And then he goes off to ‘end the winter’ and save the kingdom. Elsa comes to castle, we get what I described above, and then the sisters leave, together. Outside, Hans comes up and attempts to kill Elsa, Anna sacrifices herself, everything plays out just as it did in the final film. Gah! The possibilities are really endless! It’s disappointing we got what we did.
The film DOES have quite a few problems. I find myself going, “Ugh! Why couldn’t they done THIS instead of THAT!” thinking about it. I felt the same way about Tangled, to be honest, when it first came out, but not nearly as much as I did here. That being said, I enjoyed this film MORE than Tangled. I liked it. But I didn’t love it.
And why is EVERYONE comparing this movie to Hunchback?!
"Frozen" is a fantastic story about two sisters and the power of the love between them. It is about letting go, being yourself, and having faith in someone even though they don’t have faith in themselves. All great messages for people to live by. The themes and moral are handled well through the film and not once does it become preachy or grating.
The film is superbly directed with great attention to the script and character development. Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee keep us on our toes by slipping in some smart humor and just as intelligently placed moments of true emotions. The film is paced pretty well, but in certain key moments, particularly the ending, it tends to rush through it. However, it’s not rushed in a jarring way, but I did wish the film would slow down at certain points. A sharp script gives us well rounded characters and themes that we can all learn from. The two leads are given equal attention to and their relationship is handled incredibly well, especially in the intro of the film. The beginning of the film does a great job of introducing the characters and setting up their relationship. I was literally tearing up because of how real and honest the bond between the sisters were in the beginning and throughout the rest of the movie.
Characters are great in this film. Anna, voiced by Kristen Bell, is one of the two leads. She’s probably the most awkward and quirky Disney princess we’ve ever had. She’s a bit of a spazz, always tripping or bumping into things and fumbling over her words when she’s nervous. It’s quite cute and a joy to watch such an honest and real character. A lot of her flightiness comes from her being sheltered in a castle for such a long time with little interaction with other people. However, she’s also determined and very open to meeting new people and helping her friends. Elsa, voiced by Idina Menzel, the other lead is the complete opposite of Anna. She’s more reserved and her actions are always calculated to a tee. She has magical powers, but due to an incident that happened when she was younger, she fears that people will loath her for her gift. She doesn’t talk as much and usually prefers to be alone. The relationship between the two is really the highlight and it is heart breaking to see them rift away. One last character that I want to mention is Olaf. This character is probably the most worrisome part about the film for most people as Disney can sometimes be hit or miss with their side characters. However, here we have a huge hit with Olaf. He’s a bit oblivious, but he’s also incredibly likable and sweet. He gets some of the best lines in the movie and he’s just a joy to watch because he doesn’t try to steal the spot light from what’s actually important. The rest of the characters are great and defined very well.
The animation in the film is gorgeous. The characters move fluidly and the expressions on their faces are where some of the most intense emotions of the film come from. Elsa’s magical powers are used well and there is both beauty and danger to it. The colors are vibrant and the use of blues and other colder colors really makes us feel the chills of the eternal winter.
Like many classic Disney movies, this one is also a musical and a great one at that. The musical numbers are some of the best since the 90s films. Robert and Kristen Lopez did an amazing job with the soundtrack. The songs range from ballads to showstoppers to sincere to fun, but not one song feels out of place or stops the movies progression. My two favorite songs are “For the First Time In Forever” and “Let It Go,” both are powerful ballads that really give us a sense of what the characters are like and what they want. “For the First Time In Forever” is a duet between Anna and Elsa. I enjoy the contrasting lyrics as Anna is excited and Elsa is more afraid of her inauguration. “Let It Go” is the big showstopping ballad about Elsa, finally liberating herself from her frustrations. Idina Menzels’s voice is so powerful that I had goosebumps by the end of it. The rest of the songs are great as well and quite memorable with strong lyrics and powerful accompanying music. I bet you’ll be humming and singing the songs long after watching the film.
Overall, “Frozen” is a magnificent film filled with gorgeous animation, relatable and well-defined characters, toe tapping music, and a story that will melt even the coldest of hearts. Some people might be upset that their isn’t a strong central villain in this film, but I think it is a plus because then we can focus on the struggles and strains between Anna and Elsa. It is easily the best animated film of 2013 and a future classic that we’ll all watch over and over again. I give it 4.5/5, beautiful movie from start to finish.
Loved the movie and I can't get "Let It Go" out of my head. However, I think I still like "Tangled" a smidgen more, but the songs in "Frozen" are way better.
The film is delightful! I think the fireplace scene with Anna and Olaf is more touching than any scene focusing on Anna and Kristoff's growing friendship. However, the fireplace scene is not more touching than any scene focusing on Anna and Elsa's bond when they were kids and rekindled bond when they're grown up and all the scenes focusing on Anna and Kristoff's friendship are beneath all Anna and Elsa's bond and rebonding scenes.
ProfessorRatigan wrote:
I didn't really mind there not being an explanation of Elsa's powers, but felt the film would have been stronger if one had been provided.
another thing that bugged me: how glossed over the Trolls were. ESPECIALLY their relationship with Kristoff. One line? "I'm gonna keep you!" That's it? That's ALL the development we're given? To be honest, that confused the HELL out me, because, at that point in the movie, I had NO idea Kristoff was even an orphan. I thought the Troll just fucking decided to steal him or something... That wasn't handled well at all. Kristoff being with the Ice Harvesters during the opening song made me think that they were his tribe or his family.
I'm not as bothered by the lack of explanation about where Elsa's powers came from as I'm about the lack of explanation about why Kristoff wasn't adopted by one of the ice harvesters (what man, in that time, wouldn't want a son, whether it's his flesh and blood or not, to raise to help run a business to support family?) before the trolls offered to adopt him.
ProfessorRatigan wrote:I really liked Elsa. Let it Go was, for me, the moment I most enjoyed
Me too!
ProfessorRatigan wrote:another problem I had: the glossing over of Olaf’s creation. I wonder how many kids blinked and missed him being made during Let It Go? He just sort of walks into the movie, doesn’t he?
Yeah, after he popped out of Elsa's hands during Let It Go, the camera rushes to focus completely on Elsa and her snow magic. You really have to keep your eyes glued to the screen to catch little things like Olaf's last moment as an inanimate snowman and the Rapunzel and Flynn cameo during In the First Time In Forever when Anna is greeting people at the opened gates. Olaf does just walk into the story after he comes to life ("Happy Birthday!" -Frosty) talking to himself about nothing important.
ProfessorRatigan wrote:Hell, even if they wanted him [Hans] to be the "sudden" bad guy who is irredeemably evil, why not GIVE HIM A BETTER REASON beyond "I have 11 older brothers, so, I could never be king"?
I'm content with Hans having narcissistic personality disorder and being so far back in line for the throne back home he can just forget becoming king of the kingdom he was born in being the reasons he's the bad guy. My mother's boyfriend's son is 21 and when he helps people he isn't doing it out of the kindness of his heart, he'll help people if he can get something out of it. He'll put up a nice guy front to fool people outside the house into thinking he has the best intentions but here in my/our house we all live in, he doesn't give a crap who he upsets. He's done pretty nasty stuff to people in my/our house (including his dad) and his dad still simply adores him. *gag* It eventually acquired to my mom her boyfriend's son has narcissistic personality disorder and after she looked the disorder up, she found the son pretty much met all the symptoms of the disorder.
ProfessorRatigan wrote:And why is EVERYONE comparing this movie to Hunchback?!
To me, the only thing it has in common with Hunchback is funny shaped talking stones having an unearned song number. I've been comparing Frozen to Beauty and the Beast. Heroine and hero being chased and attacked by wolves, the townswoman clutching her baby in fear when Elsa freezes the fountain like the townswoman clutching her baby in fear when Gaston warns about the Beast, Elsa/Beast brooding in their bedrooms all the time because they feel they're hopeless cases.
Last edited by Sky Syndrome on Mon Dec 02, 2013 1:02 am, edited 3 times in total.
I think the hunchback comparisons have a lot to do with the darker feel of Frozen. You could argue that Tangled had an even darker theme, but it was presented in a more lighthearted way for most of the movie (until the climax). In Frozen, they kinda go to that dark place right in the very beginning, and this allows the darker tone to be pervasive throughout the movie. Even during the lighter roadtrip sequences, we still know Elsa's up there alone and we know that Anna and Elsa will have to face each other at the end of this roadtrip, which is pretty intense considering their past. And once Anna's heart is frozen by her own sister we get back in the directly dark feel again. This might just be me though, especially since i relate a lot to Elsa so my view on this is probably biased a lot.
EDIT: Something I noticed about Hans a while ago but i'm not sure if I mentioned it here: A lot of people on tumblr have been saying he isn't really bad, it's just because of his issues with being the youngest son. And they try to rationalize everything he does. Its funny because his smooth personality and sad backstory (debatable) "fools" a lot of viewers into thinking he is an alright guy, when really he is a power-hungry murderer. Its just like how people will rationalize when the popular highschool football player does something horrible by saying "he was such a nice boy, great grades, etc.". Pretty cool that they were able to portray this kind of character so well And to me, this is why Hans works well as a character.
Last edited by Alphapanchito on Mon Dec 02, 2013 12:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Alphapanchito wrote:
EDIT: Something I noticed about Hans a while ago but i'm not sure if I mentioned it here: A lot of people on tumblr have been saying he isn't really bad, it's just because of his issues with being the youngest son. And they try to rationalize everything he does. Its funny because his smooth personality and sad backstory (debatable) "fools" a lot of viewers into thinking he is an alright guy, when really he is a power-hungry murderer. Its just like how people will rationalize when the popular highschool football player does something horrible by saying "he was such a nice boy, great grades, etc.". Pretty cool that they were able to portray this kind of character so well And to me, this is why Hans works well as a character.
I think in this case, the reaction is justifiable because of the backstory, which we never find out if that was a lie. Motivation
His backstory makes absolutely no difference even if true.
I believe they were trying to deliver a point that the familial bond between the sisters saves them whereas Hans lack of support from his family leads him down a dark path. Doesn't excuse his actions, obviously.
qindarka wrote:His backstory makes absolutely no difference even if true.
I believe they were trying to deliver a point that the familial bond between the sisters saves them whereas Hans lack of support from his family leads him down a dark path. Doesn't excuse his actions, obviously.
Wow. That is a really good observation and I never made that connection. Thank you for pointing that out. That right there, makes Hans' character make a lot more sense and fit into the story better, rather than him just existing to be a villain and test the sister's love. This makes me love like Hans as a character a lot more, and I have even more respect for the decision to make him the villain
I also agree that no, his backstory doesn't justify his actions or give him any good excuse. I really have no sympathy for manipulative murderers, especially when the only motive is growing up in a large family. He was ignored, yeah, but so was anna, as qindarka pointed out. Assuming his backstory is true, hans planned to manipulate the princess and kill her sister just to prove himself to his brothers. I just don't understand how people can have sympathy for him? Well, I think his charm helps make his backstory seem like a more legitimate excuse than it actually is for some people, which makes Hans a pretty brilliant character imo.
All over Disney's Facebook and Twitter they are saying thank you for making Frozen the number 1 family movie in America; what does that mean? Has it gone to number 1 over Catching Fire now?
atlanticaunderthesea wrote:All over Disney's Facebook and Twitter they are saying thank you for making Frozen the number 1 family movie in America; what does that mean? Has it gone to number 1 over Catching Fire now?
It means that in terms of the family film genre, Frozen is number one in that regard. Like out of all the family films out there right now, Frozen is the most watched. Catching Fire is still the number one at the overall box office.
I dislike how on tumblr everybody reviews the film based only on how many POC/women there are and that Hans and Kristoff and the sidekicks should have left.
Don't these people know how to review movies anymore?
thedisneyspirit wrote:I dislike how on tumblr everybody reviews the film based only on how many POC/women there are and that Hans and Kristoff and the sidekicks should have left.
Don't these people know how to review movies anymore?
The Tumblr PC Police are batshit nuts. Everyone is always wrong, misrepresented, inconsiderate, sexist, misogynistic, homophobic, racist, transphobic/cisist, body-hating pigs. So don't let it get to you.
Doug Walker and his brother LOVED it! You know how he said at the end of his TANGLED review that if they made a movie with the story of TANGLED and the characters of PATF? Well, guess what?
Don't be fooled, disneyprincess, Doug Walker is crap! Now he's just raving like a fanboy and parroting what every other critic has said "omg best disney movie since Beauty and the Beast/Lion King!"
Frozen has received 10 Annie nominations! Let this be another WIR!
Best Animated Feature
Character Animation in an Animated Feature Production Tony Smeed
Character Design in an Animated Feature Production Bill Schwab
Directing in an Animated Feature Production Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
Music in an Animated Feature Production Robert Lopez, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Christophe Beck
Production Design in an Animated Feature Production Michael Giaimo, Lisa Keene, David Womersley
Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production John Ripa
Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production Josh Gad (Olaf)
Writing in an Animated Feature Production Jennifer Lee
Editorial in an Animated Feature Production Jeff Draheim
Slightly OT but ever since I saw Frozen, I'm curious to see if Disney will hire another woman (or more) to write and direct a film. (Probable answer: not in this decade, but I can hope. )
But darn, I want a job like that, making fresh stories...
Saw a preview screening at the weekend and loved it! Disney back at its best.
I'm not gonna say best since Beauty and the Beast or Lion King like some of the reviewers as I think a lot of people tend to forgot how good the rest of that era was, not just the "fab 4" (personally I prefer Pocahontas, Hunchback and Hercules to Lion King), but I will say that it can stand shoulder to shoulder with those classics. It felt like Disney was proudly embracing its heritage again rather than trying to shy away from it.
The songs were, on the whole, fantastic. It did feel like there were some slight pacing issues with the song placement with the beginning going from song to song quite quickly but then a lack of songs later in the film (I really wish they'd put a short reprise of Let It Go when Elsa restores summer). But still, amazing work and I hope to hear more from this team in future classics.
People are saying that this is quickly turning into the "new" Renassaince, comparing how each film grossed more and more as they passed by.
PatF would be like Mermaid, the begginer, Pooh is the Rescuers Down Under, the sequel, and Tangled, Frozen and Ralph could easily be any of Batb, Aladdin, or Lion King. If Frozen wins the Oscar, then...it'd easily be the new BatB.
Could this work? Or is it just pure speculation?
Because if so, then Big Hero 6 would be the new Pocahontas...god no.
*spoilers*
Good points about Hans--I had noticed that he had sibling issues just like Anna, but hadn't thought about it further yet. I guess the real difference between him and Anna/Elsa is that he discarded his family since they couldn't/wouldn't help him, whereas Elsa/Anna's actions are still mostly out of love. Even when Elsa says Anna can leave after the argument about marriage, it still reads like Elsa would be more glad if Anna did leave so she could never hurt her again.
@ProfessorRatigan: I honestly wasn't bothered by the lack of a direct explanation of Elsa's powers, although I wouldn't have minded one. I can't see them having the king and queen going to the trolls twice in the opening scenes though, because Anna's accident is probably the most critical development/motivation for Elsa throughout the movie. Perhaps they could have had the troll elder/shaman/whatever sideways given an explanation when he begins talking to Elsa in that scene. Sort of like--"Elsa, as one born with/of yadda yadda yadda, you must beware..." whatever he says in that scene.
And, I agree, that would have been the perfect moment for a reprise of "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" particularly since Olaf walks in right then. You know, going off those ideas PrincessElsa posted from elsewhere a few pages back, I think I would've liked to have seen Olaf interact more with Elsa. Perhaps instead of breaking in to save Anna, they could have had him break in to save Elsa? Of course, he and Kristoff don't know Elsa's there, so I guess that wouldn't work. But maybe they could have him sense his creator was in danger and come to help her? A reprise of that song to Elsa would help give even more power to the following scene where Anna dies and she realizes the feeling of love for other people is what allows her to control her powers.
@ChrisLyne: Would've loved a reprise of "Let It Go" there, especially since it would be more empowering since she's sure of herself in front of everyone ("the light of day"). Plus, it goes with the end of her fear over her powers--the line "You'll never (again) see me cry" would've been very appropriate at that point once she's truly conquered her insecurity.
Listening to most often lately:
Taylor Swift ~ ~ "The Fate of Ophelia"
Taylor Swift ~ "Eldest Daughter"
Taylor Swift ~ "CANCELLED!"
