For the First Time in Forever: Frozen Review

For the first time in what seems like forever(19 years actually), Disney Animation Studios has created another classic motion picture with Frozen. Not since 1994's The Lion King had the studio produced a movie with such a high quality of visuals, animation, original songs & score, story, and vocal performances, all in one package. From the opening hymn and the first song("Frozen Heart"), the mood is set for an epic tale involving two things: lots of love and lots of ice. It's close to the feeling you get during the "Circle of Life" sequence in The Lion King.

The ice is provided by "Elsa"(Idina Menzel), the eldest of two sister princesses of the nordic kingdom of Arendelle(beautiful name for a beautiful kingdom). "Elsa" was born with the power to create snow and ice whenever she pleases(like a mix between "Storm" and "Iceman" from the X-Men movies). This gift becomes a curse when "Elsa" accidentally hurts her younger sister "Anna"(Kristen Bell) during a game of winter wonderland fun inside the palace. Anna is cured by some nearby trolls, but her memory of the  incident is erased. Their parents decide to separate the girls and instruct "Elsa" to hide her powers from "Anna" and the rest of the world, sealing the gates to the kingdom in the process. Where's Professor Xavier when you need him?

The years pass with "Anna" trying, unsuccessfully, to get "Elsa" to come out and play on multiple occasions, her feelings expressed beautifully with the song "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?". Anyone who's had a younger or older sibling will relate to these sisters. Jennifer Lee, who co-wrote 2012's wonderful Wreck-it Ralph, gets the sole writing credit for Frozen, and with this screenplay she does for sisterhood what The Lion King did for father & son relationships. An integral part of the storytelling comes from the unforgettable original songs written by the husband & wife team of EGOT Member Robert Lopez(that's part of his name now) & Kristen Anderson-Lopez. You'll be singing these songs long after watching the movie(I know I have).

One of those unforgettable original songs is the bouncy and uplifting "For the First Time in Forever", which comes at the moment the gates of Arendelle are opened for Elsa's coronation ceremony. The song highlights Anna's optimism at finding love, and Elsa's fears of not being able to control her powers, and her desire to hide those powers from the world. Elsa's fears are realized during the celebration, when she loses control of her powers and curses Arendelle to an eternal winter. Elsa flees the kingdom and Anna pledges to find her and bring her back because she believes her sister can undo what she has done.

Elsa is finally free to be who she really is, and, in the movie's show-stopping moment, she builds herself an Ice Palace in the mountains while she sings about finally releasing the storm inside in the Oscar-winning "Let it Go". Elsa shuts the door, literally, to the outside world , a sharp contrast to Anna's previous song, "Love is an Open Door", where she gets engaged in a duet with "Prince Hans"(Santino Fontana), who she just met earlier that day.

The movie shifts to Anna's quest up the mountains to find Elsa, where she meets "Kristoff"(Jonathan Groff), a mountain man who has "conversations" with his reindeer "Sven". Kristoff immediately questions Anna's judgment when she tells him that she is engaged to Prince Hans, schooling her in the ways of modern day fairy tales. Notwithstanding her judgment, he decides to help her up the mountains, having been convinced by his "talkative" reindeer. Together, they meet "Olaf"(Josh Gad), a scene-stealing snowman created by Elsa who provides comic relief while dreaming of warmer days in a delightful melody, "In Summer".

The four of them arrive at Elsa's Ice Palace. Anna goes inside and the two sisters go back and forth in an epic reprise of "For the First Time in Forever" that I can't wait to watch live on Broadway! I really can't think of any moment quite like it in all 52 previous Disney Animated Feature Films(I won't spoil it here). Come to think of it, Frozen is a truly unique entry into the Disney canon. Just know that the resolution to the movie deals with the theme of true love, but not in the traditional way you'd expect. Before the film's climax, we get one more upbeat song, "Fixer Upper", about learning to love others, flaws and all, and of the love & support we all need from our family members.

This is the essence of "Frozen", a story of two sisters who learn that there is no more powerful force in the world than true love. We also get some of the traditional fairy tale highlights, such as two love interests for Anna, a villainous plot to take over the kingdom(just not from who you'd expect), fast-paced action scenes for the boys, and some funny supporting characters to keep us laughing throughout the film. More importantly, we learn that when it comes to love, we should always start by loving ourselves, flaws and all. This will open the door for others, especially those closest to us, to do the same. It's those things that make us different that truly define us, and when we permit that part of ourselves to shine through, then love will surely find its way to us.

For those of you who still haven't seen the film ... 

What are you waiting for???

Frozen is available on Blu-Ray and DVD today!!!