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So, last night, my hubby and I went to see Frozen. We went to a new theater that I absolutely loved. It was a dine in experience and it was a great way to see a movie. We'll be hitting up this theater again. (Nothing like dinner and a movie all at the same time.) But you didn't come here to hear about the movie theater that we went to. No...you came to hear a review. So let's get to it!
Non-Spoilery
Ok...so I hate reading reviews that contain spoilers. It's why I avoid most reviews about any movie that I REALLY want to see. I like to be surprised. (It dates back to when I read a magazine article about Ross and Rachel from Friends that to this day still sort of ruins that episode.) Which is why with this movie, I avoided pretty much everything minus a few trailers and maybe a couple articles. So, I had a few preconceived notions coming into it. But not enough to ruin it. Actually for those of you who have seen a few trailers, I can tell you that they really aren't like the movie. So, that's a good turn of events. (No spoilers...I promise!)
What I will tell those of you who want no spoilers is that this movie was a lot of fun. It was well done and I can see why people are saying it's one of the best movies that Disney's done recently.
The movie was visually stunning. There were pieces that you just go...how on earth can they animate that so it looks so realistic? (Especially some of the scenes involving ice.) It's amazing how much color they can bring to a world that's mostly blue, gray, and white. But Disney certainly does it and they do it well.
In addition, the songs were quite fun. I really enjoyed them immensely. They are not traditional Disney songs, but modern twists on Disney songs, I think. (And boy can Idina Menzel sing...I mean, I knew that...but when you hear it, you are just floored.)
I really liked the characters. They were certainly likeable and I appreciated the character traits they possessed. It made the movie feel like a contemporary Disney movie with a Princess touch. Like the best of both worlds.
Overall, it's a solid movie and one you should certainly go see. The plot is enjoyable and it has portions that are perfect for the kiddos, but the adults will certainly get a laugh or two out of it. Make sure you don't let this movie melt out of theaters before you go see it.
(By the way, it's super hard to write this review without spoiling too much! I think that could be why Disney promoted it the way they did. You just need to go see this movie!)
Ok...so for those of you who do not want spoilers, stop reading now. Because the next portion of this post will be FILLED with them.
I have given you fair warning.....
Completely Spoilery
Ok...I hope you're ready for spoilers...because here is my real review of the movie.
I really did like this movie. I thought it was extremely well done, especially considering all the troubles this movie has had getting of the ground. (I mean, it's famously been a movie that Walt thought about doing, YEARS ago, but they could never get it just right.) I really can see why people are calling this one of the best Disney movies in years.
I have to say, I absolutely did not see the bad guy twist, which I loved. Before, with the trailers, I actually thought Elsa was considered to be the bad character. Then as I watched, I totally fell for the Duke of Weselton being the evil one. It really was a nice reveal that Hans was the true evil one. (I almost wished we would have had more opportunity to explore his evilness, so I could have spent more time hating him...kinda like they did with Lotso in Toy Story 3. You didn't know at first that he was the evil one, but once you did, you had plenty of time to hate his guts.)
Can I also say how glad I am that Olaf was not super annoying or overbearing?! I really hated him in the trailers and personally, think that Josh Gad is sort of grating, but for this, it just worked! I thought he had some great one liners and he really made me chuckle out loud at some points. (I've been impaled.) Olaf was really the star of the movie. He worked a lot like Pascal did, the only difference is he could talk. And can I just say, he had the BEST line in the movie with some people are worth melting for. Ugh...my heart melted and I think that was the moment I really fell in love with him too.
Speaking of being in love, I wholeheartedly loved the way they broke the spell! For the first time ever in a Disney princess movie, you didn't have a guy saving the day! While I'm certainly not an uber feminist, it was so wonderful to have true love be that of a sister's love and not rely on a guy to save the day. Again, a nice twist that I didn't see coming and a wonderful change of pace. What a great plot decision.
I loved how they characterized Anna. She seemed like such a modern Disney princess. She had spunk, was awkward, and relatable. It also makes sense why Elsa was calm, cool, and collected...she had to be...and as the older sister myself, I understand how she acted. You have to be the mature one...especially when you have special powers. It was nice to see her relax a bit at the end though.
Also...two words...Idina Menzel....
Seriously...she could sing the phone book and I'd be freaking happy. "Let It Go" is amazing and she was meant to sing it. Also, as silly as it was, the other song that really stood out to me was the song the trolls sang. Silly and not crucial, yes, but darn entertaining. I also really liked Olaf's "In Summer" song. Again...just fun.
With all that said, personally, I felt like there was just something a
bit off...I think it was the pacing. I mean, don't get me wrong, I
thought they did just fine with the story, but it almost felt a bit
rushed, almost like there was too much of the story that they wanted to
tell, but they didn't have time to do it.
Or maybe that was just me, as I could have sat
there greedily consuming more of this story! I wished that we could
have seen a bit more of Elsa and her character development. I would
have maybe loved throwing some flashbacks in there to tell more of the
story. But I'm well aware that these animated movies are geared towards
kids, so I understand that they only had a short window for attention
span and that a 2 plus hours certainly would be well past the limit.
I'm just saying that I would have been more than happy myself to have
given it.
Overall, I thought it was a solid movie. I'm not yet sure how it stacks upf for me against Tangled and Wreck-It Ralph. Both of those I seem to enjoy with each additional viewing. I'm sure that I will only grow more in love with this one as time goes on.
If you haven't seen the movie yet and you've read this incredibly spoiler laden review, then you definitely need to see it. It has a lot of heart and excitement, as well as a fascinating story. Even though I felt it was a bit rushed and would have loved to have the opportunity to explore the story more, I strongly suggest seeing it.
Bravo to the artists and everyone who helped to finally bring this long labored over story to life. Thanks for creating another movie that's worthy of the Disney name.
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