Thursday 26 December 2013

Film Review: Frozen



What better way to shake off the heat of the Australian summer than to sit down and watch a film called Frozen that is based on Hans Christian Anderson's The Snow Queen?

Frozen is the latest animated adventure from Walt Disney Animated Classics - the same studio that have produced a string of quality, high-budget animated films in the last few years such as Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph and The Princess and the Frog. So, what's the verdict?

Following on from the immense success of Tangled, Disney Studios has chosen to adapt another classic tale of princesses, castles and magic. Based on the classic Hans Christian Anderson's novel The Snow Queen, Frozen is the tale of two sisters, Anna and Elsa, the latter of whom is cursed with the uncontrollable power of freezing the things she touches.

As a result, Elsa confines herself to her room from a young age, only to emerge upon the day of her coronation. Anna, who has spent the majority of her childhood also in isolation, feels that this is the start of a new chapter for the two sisters. Things soon take a turn for the worse as Elsa spreads an unending winter across the land...

In Frozen, Disney have once again produced a memorable and classic animation that has mass appeal. Of course, the primary audience is families with kids but the appeal will spread wider than that. One of the biggest plus points is the quality of the animation. The animation in Frozen is really gorgeous; the clean snow and towering mountains are stunningly crisp and detailed. The realistic ice and snow is really, really clever.

For fans of Tangled, this film will feel very familiar. With a sure-of-himself male character (Kristoff), a horse-like sidekick (Sven the Reindeer) and a funny comic-relief (Olaf the Snowman), all the little pieces are in the same place. That Disney hasn't strayed too far from the path may seem a little safe for some.

And whilst that is true, Frozen is an all-round more refined and memorable film than its predecessor. The songs are catchy and wonderfully original. One of the best things about Frozen is that the narrative isn't as conventional as typical Disney princess stories. The story is both instantly familiar to fans and refreshingly different to peripheral viewers; things aren't as straight-forward or as grounded in boy-meets-girl romance this time around, which is a real delight.

Instead, the focus is on the sibling-relationship between Anna and Elsa, with the characters of Kristoff and Hans not as pivotal as you may think going in. It was really refreshing to see this new spin on the Disney Princess format play-out this time around.

The jokes primarily flow from the cutesy-ness of Olaf the Snowman and the comic interplay between Anna and Kristoff. The former will be a hit with kids as his shtick is similar to that of Donkey from Shrek.

The Verdict: 8/10


Frozen doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it certainly does enough to blow fresh air into an old format. The characters are funny and friendly for everyone. If you're looking for a delightful family film with which to wind down from Christmas, Frozen is exactly that. Disney's recent run of form continues.




2 comments:

  1. Nice review. Definitely another good outing from Disney. Glad you enjoyed it. :)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Chris! It certainly did go beyond my expectations going in. Thanks for commenting!

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