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As the temperatures drop and the snow begins to fall, you’ll want to gear up for winter by hauling out your hats and mittens and boots and stocking up on salt for your driveway. Or you can set your shovel aside and fight against the frigid winter weather with Disney’s newest princesses in Frozen.
Loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale, The Snow Queen, Frozen tells the story of a princess who spends her life trying to hide a magical secret. Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel) was born with the ability to turn things to ice—but after it almost kills her younger sister, Anna (Kristen Bell), she locks herself away in her room, fearful of her growing powers.
When Elsa comes of age, she’s forced to come out of hiding for her coronation as queen. But when she accidentally reveals her powers, sending the entire kingdom into eternal winter, she runs away—and it’s up to Anna, an ice salesman named Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), and a magical snowman named Olaf (Josh Gad) to find a way to break the spell.
Disney definitely knows a thing or two about fairy tales. Each one that the studio has produced has its own personality, its own magic, and its own charm. And Frozen is no exception.
It seems as though Disney’s animators have been learning a thing or two from their sister studio, Pixar—because while the story may be set in a kingdom that’s covered in ice and snow, there’s nothing monotonous or monochromatic about the animation. The icy setting is absolutely breathtaking—bright and shimmery yet so very dangerous, too. And it’s often so realistic that you’ll almost feel the chill in the air.
The story also has its own unique twists—like the fact that it has two princesses instead of just one…and no obvious villain. It isn’t the same old princess movie—and its comes with plenty of surprises, too.
One of its biggest surprises, though, is its charming characters. Of course, it’s no surprise that Anna is sweet and spunky; that’s the Disney princess way. And her traveling companion, Kristoff, is, as they say, a diamond in the rough. The surprise, then, is Olaf the snowman. In trailers, he seems to be a ridiculous add-on, turning an otherwise charming tale into a wacky adventure—but he’s actually an adorably amusing supporting character. And while he helps to give this dramatic tale its comic touches, he does so without taking the wackiness too far.
Frozen has everything that fans have come to expect from a Disney princess movie: music, magic, laughter, and romance—as well as a handsome young man and a headstrong young woman. It’s a beautiful and captivating film—and it’s often quite sophisticated, too. So if you’re looking for some family-friendly entertainment this holiday season, come in from the cold and enjoy this icy fairy tale.
Blu-ray Review:
You may be ready for winter to come to an end, but Disney’s Frozen makes a great pick for any season. The film’s Blu-ray release also offers a smorgasbord of extras—like the Oscar-nominated short, Get a Horse, which showed before the film’s theatrical release, and the amusing song-and-dance making-of feature. There’s also a lengthier behind-the-scenes feature, D’frosted: Disney’s Journey from Hans Christian Andersen to Frozen, which takes a look at Disney’s long history with Andersen’s work. The feature also includes concept art from The Enchanted Snow Palace, an abandoned idea for a Disneyland attraction.
If you’re intrigued by Disney’s adaptation of the story, you’ll want to check out the four deleted scenes (with optional introductions by the directors), which show different story concepts—including Elsa as a villain.
And, for those of you who can’t get enough of the film’s Oscar-winning song, “Let It Go,” you can find four music videos of the song—featuring Demi Lovato, Martina Stoessel (in both Spanish and Italian), and Marsha Milan’s Malaysian version. Sadly, however, you’ll find neither Adele Dazeem nor Idina Menzel in this collection.
Frozen’s most fervent fans might prefer a more feature-filled release. After all, the extras aren’t especially in-depth—and the lovable snowman Olaf hardly makes an appearance. On the bright side, though, the special features menu isn’t overwhelming. You can easily make your way through it in a short amount of time—and after watching them, you’ll be glad you did.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
