FROZEN
US, 2013, 108 minutes, Colour.
Voices of: Idina Menzel, Kristin Bell, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Robert Pine.
Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee.
Frozen is a Disney film, adapting the story, The Snow Queen, by Hans Christian Andersen. Almost 25 years ago, Disney Studios had a breakthrough with their adaptation of Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. Frozen has received quite some critical acclaim and nominations for animation awards and it will be interesting to see whether it enters into public consciousness as did The Little Mermaid.
This is certainly a wintry film. While it opens in sunshine, and life in a country where there is activity and trade, ruled over by a benign king and queen, it soon moves to the grim cold. The reason for this is the character of Elsa, one of the daughters of the deceased king and queen. She has a cold personality but also has powers to transform a sunny experience into ice and cold. Her sister, Anna, loves her but is forced out of the kingdom.
A little unfortunately for us, Elsa disappears from the film until much later while the focus is on Anna, one of those feisty Disney heroines who can irritate audiences with her tough manner, no difficulty in delivering a few punches, while she could be a little bit more charming. We accompany her on her adventures, and meeting up with a pleasant young man Kristoff (not always the brightest!) who is an ice carrier and has quite an agreeable reindeer called Sven. Children’s audiences will probably enjoy the snowman, Olaf, who keeps losing his shape as well as his carrot nose, but parent audiences might find him just that little bit hard to take. And then there are some rocks who turn in out to be trolls. Better is the huge, very huge snowman who pursues Anna and Kristoff.
There are several songs throughout the film, perhaps Disney studios having in mind to turn it into a theatrical musical as they have with Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. There is a mixture of adventure and comedy.
Ultimately, we are back at the kingdom with Elsa defending herself with her powers, transforming rooms with extraordinarily visual ice barriers. And then there is Anna, getting colder and colder, hoping that a kiss from the foreign emissary, Hans, will be a sign of true love and leading to peace in the kingdom – and summer. While that, of course, does work out, it does not happen in the way we might have predicted, but it does mean that Elsa and Anna are reunited and there is always Kristoff for Anna to fall back on.
This is the kind of film that will appeal predominantly to a female audience, but there is enough action and comedy that might attract the boys in the audience. And parents probably won’t mind it at all.
1. A family entertainment? For girls, for boys?
2. Based on the story of The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen?
3. Disney animation, the characters and the traditional style, comic characters, landscapes, the city, the winter, the summer? The Voice cast?
4. The film as a musical? The songs, the lyrics, illustrating characters and situations? The musical score?
5. The setting, the town, trade, activity, the delegation? Hans and the betrothal?
6. The two sisters, their relationship, Elsa and the power? The parents, their love, their death? The aftermath?
7. Elsa, her character, her powers, winter, her isolation, defending herself, the exile of Anna? The visuals of her blockades of ice and snow?
8. Anna, love for Elsa, leaving? Wandering, the encounter with Kristoff, the diggers of ice, the ice carrier? Travelling with Kristoff and Sven? The comical reindeer? Meeting Olaf? The comic adventures? The pursuit, the huge snow creature, coming to the cliff, the rope going down, its being cut, falling in the snow, the continued pursuit?
9. Kristoff, working with the ice, nice, a bit slow, the attraction to Anna, no family, hurrying to the rocks and there becoming trolls? Then the trolls and their being festive, matchmaking trolls?
10. Sven as a character, the adventures, encouraging Kristoff, the last ride?
11. Olaf, his shape, the carrot nose, the traditional snow man, his adventures, falling apart, comic quips, with Anna, the fire, his melting? The end and his having his own drift of snow?
12. Anna, returning to Elsa, her liking Kristoff, trust in Hans, tough, fisticuffs, the travels, a response to Hans, his not kissing her, her going to Elsa, frozen, the room, Hans and his not kissing her, Kristoff coming to help, going to Kristoff, saving Elsa, the heart that could melt ice? Love for another person?
13. The authorities the town, Hans and his story, his shock at finding Anna alive, the attempt to kill Elsa, Anna saving, the snow melting, love?
14. Elsa, her change, the restoration, the ousting of the false traders?
15. Creating the ice rink, skating, and everybody happy?
