Frozen / Rated PG for minor violence, some scary stuff and snow. Lots and lots of snow.
Frozen is the latest Walt Disney animated feature. It’s very loosely based on “The Snow Queen” by Hans Christian Andersen. Andersen was very interested in working on the screenplay but couldn’t since he died in 1875. Disney Studio’s has had previous success with his stories the biggest of which was The Little Mermaid (1989) which generated endless products, sequels, rides and restaurants in the Disney realm. With the financial success of Frozen look for all of the above extra’s in the Frozen genre as well as a line of popsicles.
Frozen is a lot like other recent Disney films but bears a strong resemblance to Tangled (2010). The horse character in Tangled bears more than a whinny to the one in Frozen. Also look for the Tangled star Rapunzel to appear in a cameo role in Frozen. She shows up with her shorter brown hair in the scene where the feature song “For the First Time in Forever” is first performed as the castle gates are thrown open for the first time following the long period during which they were closed.
The adapted story line is about two royal daughters who become shut in’s when one of them is found to have a strange problem in that everything she get’s near freezes solid. The only good thing about this is that all the castle groceries that need refrigeration are left in her room without spoiling. Meanwhile, the other sister who is normal wanders around the castle singing and acting sad.
When the King and Queen are lost at sea as their ship sinks the cold sister becomes Queen. She cannot take the throne until she is of age and lots of insulation is imported for the coronation ceremony. When the non cold sister falls in love with the first pretty face at the party and becomes betrothed the same day trouble ensues.
Eventually we meet another pretty face, a talking joke spewing snowman and a bigger snowman who is not quite so nice. Along the way more singing and fun take place. And more snow.
While Christophe Beck provides a fine and majestically appropriate score the songs, while mostly adequate, will make you long for the music of Alan Menken’s tuneful The Little Mermaid .
Still above average, little kids, especially those of the doll buying set, will love this film. I liked it a lot even though I only want a couple of the toy tie ins. A special treat is that Disney has added a pre movie cartoon ala Pixar. They have taken a classic black and white Mickey Mouse cartoon called Get a Horse and brought it to old and new life. It is better than the main feature and made me wish that I had ponyed up the cash for the 3D version.
Pay attention and you will find that the names of three of the main characters are based on the name Hans Christian Andersen. If you stay till the end of the closing credits one of the characters makes a final appearance. Watch for the appearance of Frozen popsicles coming to a store near you. What other kind are there?
Rated 3.0 out of 4.0 reasons to bet that the sequel will be called Thawed.