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    Frozen (2013)


    "Some people are worth melting for."

    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.

    The backgrounds are gorgeous and definitely worth seeing on the big screen.  Looking forward to seeing it again.  The story is a great story for girls and has a nice, unexpected twist towards the end.  A wonderful addition to the Disney family! 

    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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