Once upon a time in
the kingdom of Arendelle, there lived two young
princesses: Anna (voiced by Livvy Stubenrauch
as a child, and Kristen Bell as an adult) and her older sister, Elsa (Eva
Bella, and later, Idina Menzel,
of “Wicked” fame). Elsa was born with the power to manipulate and create ice
and snow, which she loved showing off to delight her sister. But one day while
playing, Elsa accidentally injured Anna with her gift. The king and queen’s
only course of action was to take Anna to be healed by the Troll King (Ciarán Hinds), who successfully revived her, but also
erased her memory of the incident (as well as of Elsa’s powers). After the
accident, the king and queen made Elsa promise to keep her abilities hidden,
and never reveal them to anyone. With no recollection of her injury, Anna
couldn’t understand why her sister had suddenly grown distant and wouldn’t play
with her anymore, feeling as though she had lost her
best friend.
Years pass, and Elsa
keeps herself isolated, afraid of the possibility she might hurt someone again.
Elsa stays locked in her room and Anna’s loneliness grows, until finally, on
Elsa’s coronation day, she has no choice but to open up the castle once again.
But during the ceremony, Elsa accidentally reveals her powers to the kingdom,
and when her people react in horror, she flees, retreating to the mountains and
leaving Arendelle cloaked in eternal winter. Now
knowing her sister’s secret, Anna sets out after her sister and bring her back
home. Along the way, she recruits an ice salesman, Kristoff
(Jonathan Groff, “Spring Awakening”), his reindeer companion, Sven, and an
enchanted snowman Elsa created, named Olaf (Josh Gad, “Book of Mormon”) to help
her find her sister and bring summer back to their kingdom.
Loosely inspired by
Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” “Frozen” at first seems like
another in the long line of Disney’s traditional fairy-tale musicals. But as
the story goes on, it turns out to be a little more subversive (well, as
subversive as Disney is likely going to get). Directors Chris Buck and Jennifer
Lee, working from a story they wrote, along with Shane Morris, place the
emphasis squarely on the ladies and build on the groundwork laid by previous
Disney entries “Brave” and “Tangled,” with their strong, feisty princesses who
take action for themselves. The filmmakers are not afraid to poke fun at some
of the tropes of Disney princess films, as when several characters make fun of one
of the two princess heroines for claiming to have fallen in love at first sight
with a handsome prince. But in this story, the princess heads into the action
while the prince hangs back home.
“Frozen”
consistently bucks expectations, an unexpected surprise when you’re talking
about a Disney animated movie. Besides the presence of Idina Menzel, there are a number of thematic similarities
to “Wicked,” most notably the humanizing of what would be the villain in
another version of the same story (as Elsa’s “Snow Queen” was in the original
fairy tale). It’s also interesting to see how easily the film could be read as
a coming-out story. Elsa’s mantra of “conceal, don’t feel” regarding her ice
powers should resonate with anyone who has been closeted, suppressing something
inside of them out of shame and fear. There’s the constant emphasis on the idea
the Elsa was born with her abilities and not “cursed” with them, plus the fact
that one of her first actions following her escape is to experiment with her
powers and give herself a makeover. (Incidentally, if a bass-thumpy, dance version of Menzel’s
big number, “Let It Go,” doesn’t immediately go into heavy rotation in gay
clubs across the country, then someone out there isn’t
trying hard enough.)
The songs in
“Frozen” were written and composed by husband-and-wife team Robert Lopez and
Kristen Anderson-Lopez. He’s best known for co-writing the songs in Broadway’s
“Avenue Q” and “Book of Mormon,” and the two previously collaborated together
for the recent “Winnie the Pooh” movie. Several of their songs here are closer
in nature to sung-through stage musicals than traditional Disney tunes, meaning
they’re not all as immediately catchy. But they’re growing on me with each
listen.
Songs & score! Check out CITY’s CD review of the “Frozen” soundtrack
Kristen Bell injects
her unique personality into the other heroic sister, Anna, giving her a
charming daffiness that we’re not used to seeing in a Disney princess. Menzel makes for a sympathetic Snow Queen, and her
considerable pipes are utilized to great effect. Since the directors bothered
to cast Broadway vet Jonathan Groff in their musical, you’d think he’d get more
than one short song (a funny little ditty called “Reindeer(s) Are Better Than
People”), but he’s utterly charming in the role. I’ll take comfort in the fact
that Menzel was cast in Disney’s 2007 live-action
Disney princess film, “Enchanted,” and never sang a note, so if the pattern
holds, Groff should get a starring role sometime in the next few years. A
little of Josh Gad can go a long way, but he’s utilized perfectly here; his
animated snowman Olaf is used sparingly enough that his character never starts
to grate.
“Frozen” continues
the quality of animation in Disney’s features: it’s absolutely beautiful, with
costume and design elements taking inspiration from the story’s setting in
Norway. Seeing the film in 3D adds an immersive atmosphere, especially the many
lovely, enveloping shots of falling snow. I admit to wondering if the theater’s
air conditioning had suddenly kicked in during some of the film’s more blustery
scenes.
Though “Frozen”
isn’t quite up to the level of “Tangled” — a popular but underrated film that I
adored — its great characters, lively songs, and unique storytelling choices
make a worthy addition to the Disney stable.
This article appears in Nov 27 – Dec 3, 2013.
