Intro

Sorry for the length, but I didn't have time to write a short blog.

Monday, December 9, 2013

Brrrrr...Frozen...


Anna and Elsa are sisters.  Elsa has inherited her father's curse/gift to cause the world around her to become frozen.  Anna is normal like her mother.  Mom and Dad die. In order to protect the world and keep Elsa's secret, she is locked away, but it is eventually revealed. Elsa flees.  Anna sets off on a quest to bring back her sister with the loveable rogue, Kristoff and his reindeer and a snowman named Olaf, and then she intends to marry the charming Prince Hans.

During the course of the story, there will be fun and predictable turns, some songs and the classic Disney fairy tale ending. In other words, the Disney formula of princess on a quest with a lovable scalawag and an unusual side-kick is alive and well. What is more, it still gets us right where our heartstrings are.  Frozen is classic Disney "happy ending" storytelling with magic and music.

Anna, who is voiced by Kristen Bell, is a sweet and precocious character who we immediately care about. What is more, Kristen Bell can sing which is fortunate because she has to back her voice up to Tony award winner, Wicked's Wicked Witch Idina Menzel who voices her sister, the Queen, Elsa.  And no, Elsa is not evil, and I am not going to tell you who the bad guy is.  The story works even if it is formulaic, but, hey, that's what Disney animation does.  I did like the songs for this cartoon musical, something that has not been as strong in recent productions.

Olaf the snowman is like all other cute magical sidekicks who come with a risk.  It's the Scrappy Doo effect.  Olaf is clever, funny, has a great song, and works as well as any dopey creation ever worked.  Not only that, he gets to deliver one of the best lines in the story, "Some people are worth melting for."  The rock trolls is another fun group of characters who have a fun song and like Olaf, are not over-the-top.
There is definitely an eye on making sure that this cartoon too will be adaptable for the stage.  Overall, Frozen is fun, and entertaining.  The two elementary age boys I was with sat rapt by the music and story and so did the adults.  I didn't see it in 3D, but it is clearly animated with that in mind.  I think you'll like it, unless you have a frozen heart.

I will buy the DVD.

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