The idyllic kingdom of Arendelle is prepared to celebrate the coronation of their new queen, Elsa (Menzel). Unbeknownst to the kingdom, or her sister Anna (Bell), Elsa has a secret: she can create snow and ice, but can't control her power, so she has stayed locked away from the world. The coronation means opening the castle gates, which fills Elsa with dread and Anna with joy.
During the coronation Elsa loses control and accidentally and plunges
the kingdom into perpetual winter. She flees to the mountains and vows to stay away from people. With the kingdom in trouble, Anna puts her new fiance Prince Hans (Fontana) in charge of the kingdom and chases after Elsa. But finding Elsa is harder than she expected and she enlists some help: rugged loner / ice salesman Kristoff (Groff), his loyal reindeer Sven, and loveable snowman Olaf (Gad). Meanwhile, the Duke of Weselton (Tudyk) believes Elsa is a monster and sends some men to destroy her. Can Anna find Elsa and save the kingdom in time?
As an avid Disney fan, I have been excited about this film since it was first announced. I loved the teasers and the trailers and couldn't wait for it to hit theaters. My mom and I went to see it and we loved it!
Frozen is the 53rd film in
the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. The story is based on Hans
Christian Andersen’s fairy tale “The Snow Queen.” Disney tried to adapt
the story multiple times, but due to various complications the project was
shelved. In 2008, director Chris Buck presented a new take on the story, but they couldn't figure out how to make the film work with traditional animation. In 2011, they announced that the film would be made using computer animation.
Directors Chris Buck and Jennifer
Lee (the first woman to direct a Disney animated feature film) also wrote the
film. Buck was a Disney animator in the 1980s-early 2000s and co-directed Disney's Tarzan. Lee was a screenwriter for Disney's Wreck-It Ralph. They brought on Tony Award winning songwriter Robert Lopez and
Kristen Anderson-Lopez to write all the original songs. Lopez and Anderson-Lopez previously wrote the songs for Disney's Winnie the Pooh in 2011. The nine original
songs are infectious and reminiscent of the classic age of Disney
animation (since seeing the film on Tuesday, I have listened to "Let It Go", "The First Time In Forever", "In Summer", "Love Is An Open Door", and "Fixer Upper" many times... planning to buy the soundtrack).
The songs and characters are brought to life by a strong
cast. The 5 main characters are all Broadway vets. Kristen Bell (best known for TV’s “Veronica Mars”) makes Anna quirky and
endearing. She isn't known for her singing (despite appearing in Reefer Madness, and in on Broadway in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer), but she is excellent here and holds her own with her co-stars. Idina Menzel is known for her powerhouse voice (Original Broadway Cast of Rent and won a Tony Award for Wicked, and her turns on TV's "Glee"), and brings down the house with her powerful
vocals. Josh Gad (from Broadway’s “Book of Mormon”) brings a lot of heart and
humor to the role of Olaf. He has the funniest song (embedded below) and gets the best lines.
Jonathan Groff (won a Tony for Spring Awakening, and known for TV's "Glee") gets a short, forgettable song, but is still an
entertaining character. Santino Fontana (Tony nominated for Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella) is entertaining as Prince Hans,
and gets a funny duet with Bell. Alan Tudyk as the Duke of Weselton.
Frozen (2013) 108 minutes
Director: Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee
Starring: Kristen Bell as Anna
Idina Menzel as Elsa
Jonathan Groff as Kristoff
Josh Gad as Olaf
Santino Fontana as Hans
Alan Tudyk as Duke of Weselton
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