REVIEW: Frozen

Courtesy of Disney

I don’t know what’s going on with Disney’s marketing, but it seems like the people creating the ads have absolutely zero faith in their studio’s films. That’s the only explanation I can think of for the existence of Frozen trailers selling a completely different – and far worse – movie than the one I saw earlier this week.

You probably know the ones I’m talking about: a brief glimpse of princess sisters, and then tons of emphasis on burly men, goofy animals and a cute little snowman spouting off one-liners, all of them engaging in comic mischief of various sorts. I’d completely forgive you for assuming Disney’s latest is a cynical ploy to sell enough toys so that high-level execs can get nice, new beach houses for Christmas.

Unfortunately, the horrendous trailer is hiding a remarkable film that should surprise reluctant and misinformed viewers with its quality and subject matter. Most notably, Frozen is a full-blown musical, a welcome return to Disney’s late ’80s-early ’90s heyday that produced The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King.

The powerful – and cleverly subversive – fairy tale, which screenwriter Jennifer Lee (who also co-directed with Chris Buck) loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen, is further strengthened by fantastic songs written by Robert Lopez (co-creator of Avenue Q and The Book of Mormon) and Kristen Anderson-Lopez. The result is a heartwarming, funny tale that also brings some of Disney’s problematic views on gender roles into the modern era.

Frozen tells the story of two princess sisters: the endearingly awkward, eternally optimistic Anna (Kristen Bell) and reserved, uneasy Elsa (Idina Menzel), who possesses the power to generate snow and ice. Best friends as children, their parents made the difficult choice to keep them separated after Elsa nearly killed Anna while they played together. The inadvertent consequences of this decision meant that Anna grew up thinking her sister didn’t love her anymore and Elsa was raised to believe she was a freak who must keep her powers hidden at all costs.

After a tragic shipwreck claims their parents’ lives, Elsa becomes queen of Arendelle and Anna is just happy to be on speaking terms with her sister again. However, an argument leads to Elsa bringing eternal winter to the kingdom and fleeing into the mountains. Anna knows it was an accident and believes she can convince Elsa to reverse the spell, if only she can track her down.

Along her journey, she enlists the help of mountain man Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), his trusty reindeer sidekick, Sven, and an enchanted, childlike snowman named Olaf (Josh Gad). The unlikely team fights against the elements, snow monsters and royal treachery in an effort to find Elsa, convince her to return to the throne and use her powers for good.

Part of Disney’s sad overreaction to the failure of The Princess and the Frog is that the studio remains convinced that boys won’t go see movies with “girly” titles or plots. That’s why Rapunzel became Tangled (complete with its own godawful trailer) and why Frozen isn’t called The Snow Queen – a far more fitting title. It’s also why those ridiculous ads focus on goofy sidekicks instead of the film’s strongest elements: the touching relationship between Anna and Elsa; complex themes like love, loss and fear of the unknown; and, most of all, the wonderful music.

I don’t know when “musical” became a dirty word again, but Disney is hiding that element of the film like it’s a shameful secret. The studio should be proclaiming it from the rooftops, considering the music’s emotional power.

“Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” and “For the First Time in Forever” are moving portraits of various stages in Anna and Elsa’s relationship. “Love is an Open Door” is a fun reflection of Anna’s charming, yet perilous, naiveté. “In Summer” is Olaf’s adorable, hilarious ode to a season he dreams of experiencing because the poor guy doesn’t understand what happens to snowmen when the weather changes.

The actors all demonstrate admirable vocal range, even those, like Bell, who viewers don’t immediately connect with their singing ability. But the film’s pinnacle is Menzel’s performance of “Let It Go,” Elsa’s realization that she doesn’t have to hide her powers anymore and she no longer has to live in fear of what others might think.

Anyone familiar with the Tony-award winning actress’ glorious performance of “Defying Gravity” in Wicked will recognize plenty of Elphaba in her work as Elsa, but nowhere more than in the goosebump-inducing vocals of this showstopper. Unless the members of the Academy have lost their ever-loving minds, there’s your Oscar winner for Best Song.

The performers instill their characters with a refreshing amount of personality, though I can’t believe it has taken this long for someone to think of Bell or Menzel as Disney princesses. It’s also weird that the filmmakers cast Groff (a veteran of Broadway and Glee) and only gave him one short song. He has an incredible singing voice and it’s practically wasted here. And, of course, Gad makes Olaf so darn lovable that you should probably buy a stuffed version for your kid before it’s impossible to find.

The best part about Frozen is its devotion to subverting the troublesome “only true love’s kiss can break the spell” mentality that pervades so many Disney flicks. An act of true love is still required to save the kingdom of Arendelle, but it may stun viewers when they learn what that entails.

(Note: Get a Horse, the animated short that precedes Frozen is also excellent. It employs 3D spectacularly well and features the best use of Mickey Mouse I’ve seen in years.)

Frozen is rated PG for some action and mild rude humor.

Grade: A