Frozen

[Shlup]

Frozen is a damn good movie. A few parts were really cheesy, even for a Disney movie, but overall the screenplay was solid. The songs may or may not grow on me; we'll see. Olaf also wasn't as annoying as I feared.

[Ayen]

Haven't seen it and probably won't in theaters. I could see my mom picking it up on DVD like she did with Tangled and Brave.

Is it just me or has Disney really been into single titled CGI animated motion pictures recently? Not that I'm complaining...

[Elskidor]

Probably will see it some time in December. I have no clue what it is about, but my family really wants to see it. Disney usually has some damn good films.

[noxious.sunshine]

We saw it today!

I fell asleep though... xD

[Shauna]

Gonna see it this Sunday, I think! I am looking forward to it.

[Minami]

It's not out in the cinema over here yet but i will probably go and see it when it is. I'm a massive fan of tangled so i'm hoping this one will be as good

[Scotty_ffgamer]

I want to see this so bad. It probably won't top Tangled for me, but we'll see.

[Jinx]

I didn't even know this existed. It looks cute!

[Kossage]

I look forward to seeing this film once it hits theatres here in late December; can't wait to hear how the Finnish dubbing will sound like and how the songs in particular will be translated. Although the story's a loose adaptation of one of my favourite fairy tales (HC Andersen's Snow Queen), I'm cautiously optimistic. The marketing for the film has been so-so as is the present Disney mandate (unless you count the most recent trailer and the international trailers, mostly French and Japanese ones which focus more on story and drama than comedy) but the soundtrack has been quite an enjoyable listen so far. The songs are cute and catchy for the most part and have a few tunes which I wouldn't be surprised to hear in the Academy Awards ("Let It Go" in particular due to people's love of Idina Menzel). I'm also interested in seeing a film which is about siblings; the last time we really had that kind of approach was in Brother Bear with that lovely plot of the three brothers, so I expect Frozen's take on it being as emotion as that film's. :)

[Black Magic Shopkeeper]

I might go see Frozone--Imean Happy Feet 3-- I mean Slightly Chilled-- I mean Coldplay--...
...
ok it's getting old.
I might see it but Olaf keeps me at bay.

[Shauna]

Supposedly Olaf is not as awful as he appears in the trailers.

[Black Magic Shopkeeper]

One would hope.
But that musical number he did that I found on youtube made me crinnnnnge.

...At least he sings ok.

[Calliope]

This looks like it might make me feel sad. I want to see Saving Mr Banks!

[Shlup]

It does have a couple of sad scenes.

Saving Mr Banks looks good too! I was so mad that I didn't go to the park while they were filming. Bah!

[maybee]

One of the Best Disney Movies in ages

With Tangled and WIR Disney is truly back

I loved how

The badguy was the Prince Charming

The songs are a mixture of wonderful and slightly average however, I do feel like it's tons better than Tangled's soundtrack however.

Another 2D movie would be nice though.

[Del Murder]

Tangled...Frozen...these things do not sound pleasant. Will the next movie be called Stabbed?

[Shlup]

I love Tangled's soundtrack. ;_;

Frozen's felt a little forced and poppy.

[Shauna]

Just saw it today, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Would recommend! :3

[Shlup]

"Let It Go" is up for an Oscar, apparently.

[Scotty_ffgamer]

I enjoyed the music for the most part, but I don't think the music in either Tangled or Frozen holds a candle to any of the Disney classics of yore. But then I rode in a car with one of my coworkers and his wife (and she was around for our entire time of closing the store), and I'm pretty sure I heard the song Let it Go no less than 20 times in that time thanks to her playing the song on a phone. I really don't like that song now.

I also think there should be more discussion of the Mickey short before the movie. It was very enjoyable.

[maybee]

I love Tangled's soundtrack. ;_;

Frozen's felt a little forced and poppy.

Really ? I feel the opposite way here I thought that Tangled's soundtrack was pretty average.


But Frozen had Let It Go, In Summer, Love Is a Open Door and Do you want to Build a Snowman ? Song, which sent all different emotions all around.

Could of done with a decent Villian song though like Be Prepared and Poor Unfortunate Souls though.

[Black Magic Shopkeeper]

I think my favorite villain song ever was In the Dark of the Night from Anastasia. Not a Disney movie, but hey. Have you ever looked at the BACKGROUNDS in that movie?! So much detail was put into em~

It's a pity that Frozen doesn't have a decent villain song. Does it even have a villain song at all? Does the bad-guy at least sing just a little bit?

[maybee]

It's a pity that Frozen doesn't have a decent villain song. Does it even have a villain song at all? Does the bad-guy at least sing just a little bit?

Yeah does sing, but not a villain song.


I hope that this isn't spoiling too much.

[Minami]

I was going to see it on Sunday but have decided to wait till after Christmas as its just been released over here and the screenings will be full of children

[Black Magic Shopkeeper]

[QUOTE=Black Magic Shopkeeper;3341224]
Yeah does sing, but not a villain song.


I hope that this isn't spoiling too much.

Ha, not at all. Not for me at least.
I like to be disappointed ahead of time, not disappointed by surprise.

[rubah]

It was a bit of a slow burn, but really paid off!

[noxious.sunshine]

I'm so addicted to the soundtrack....

P and I have been singing Let it Go non-stop haha. She belts it out.

[maybee]

I'm so addicted to the soundtrack....

P and I have been singing Let it Go non-stop haha. She belts it out.


The soundtrack is doing so well that it beat out Beyonce on I Tunes :3



I was wrong, there is a villain song, but it's like really subtle. :/

[Jinx]

I listened to Let It Go. It's not bad, but it's pretty uninspired.

[Shlup]

NOW HEEERE I STAAND IN THE LIIIGHT OF DAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Someone shoot me.

[Mirage]

The movie is set in a place that is an actual town in Norway. I can't get past that part so I'll just not watch it.

[maybee]

The movie is set in a place that is an actual town in Norway. I can't get past that part so I'll just not watch it.


You are flipping flopping kidding me ?


That's like saying that The Lion King is bad because it's set in South Africa or Little Mermaid sucks 'coz Denmark


If you don't want to see the movie because you feel like it's sexist or racist due to the lack of darker skinned Sami characters, fair enough bruh


but that reason is just....

[Mirage]

No, having people saying "Arendal" is just ridonkulus. I've been there and it looks nothing like it! No realism, terrible.

[maybee]

I've been there and it looks nothing like it! No realism, terrible.



http://i3.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/387/236/a7e.jpg



It's a Disney movie



I don't remember flying carpets, flying to a place called Neverland, Elephants that can fly etc being real, plus it's lightly influenced on a Hans Christian Anderson tale, which wasn't known for being reals either.

[Mirage]

I'm not sure what you're smoking, but flying carpets are definitely real.

[Depression Moon]

The trailer I saw made it look bad, but with the positivity I've been hearing about it, I'll end up trying to see it when it comes to blu-ray.

The girls in the movie look like palette swaps of Rapunzel though.

[Shlup]

Tangled is set in a fictional world, and Rapunzel and Eugene have a cameo in Frozen, therefore Frozen is set in the same fictional world, not some town in Norway. BOOM! SCIENCE!

Also, Elsa has 20x more hair than Rapunzel.

[Ayen]

Rapunzel and Eugene have a cameo in Frozen

I must now see this movie.

[Shlup]

It's just the backs of their heads, for like a split second, when Anna runs outside.

[Shauna]

I saw this for a second time yesterday, and a lot of the minor issues I had with it were less pronounced the second time round, and I enjoyed it a whole lot more. :D

[Ayen]

It's just the backs of their heads, for like a split second, when Anna runs outside.

Well jeez, spoilers.

[Mirage]

Whatever shlub i don't believe u

[Jessweeee♪]

Saw it last night. Song lyrics were a little cheesy, even for Disney, but overall I loved this movie. c:

Also it was kind of obvious about Prince Hans about four seconds before he and Ana had their duet.

[Shauna]

Also it was kind of obvious about Prince Hans about four seconds before he and Ana had their duet.

Seriously? I did not see it coming. During the second watch I purposefully watched out for any sort of vague hints, and I got nothing. xD

[Jessweeee♪]

Also it was kind of obvious about Prince Hans about four seconds before he and Ana had their duet.

Seriously? I did not see it coming. During the second watch I purposefully watched out for any sort of vague hints, and I got nothing. xD

It probably helped that I went in knowing that the movie had a reputation for having strong female leads, so "I just met this guy and we're so in love and suddenly he's just agreeing with everything I say" made me think "ok things aren't gonna work out between these two, I bet he's like, a usurper or something."

[maybee]

Seriously? I did not see it coming. During the second watch I purposefully watched out for any sort of vague hints, and I got nothing. xD


About 'dat



Most of the hints are in the love duet/ villain song

Anna: Okay, can I just, say something crazy?

Hans: I love crazy!




One of Hans' verses subtly reveals his true intentions... "I've been searching my whole life to find my own place." As he sings this line, he gestures to Arendelle. This is a demonstration of Hans, in a sense, claiming the kingdom of Arendelle as "his place." According to Kristen Anderson-Lopez (http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Kristen_Anderson-Lopez) and Robert Lopez (http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Robert_Lopez), the song's lyrics were created in such a way purposely, as it's meant to stand as Hans' official villain musical number, though disguised as a love song to keep his villainous intentions a secret until the third act of the film. However, once the truth was revealed, the song's dark side was meant to be more apparent.
This song also introduces the audience to the constant use of doors as a metaphor in the film. This doubles as a villain song, for it is later revealed that Hans' love for Anna was not real love, and that he was only using her as a tool to marry into the throne.
One line between Anna and Hans hints at Hans' deception..."our mental synchronization can have but one explanation." While singing these lines, Hans and Anna dance robotically. In a sense, Hans is behaving like a machine. His emotions and his feelings are not real, he is merely manipulating Anna into making her love him so he can marry her and become Arendelle's king. During this entire scene, Hans doesn't feel anything. He is essentially an automaton, a heartless robot.

- Also when attacking Elsa's Ice Castle, Hans looks up at the Chandler and aims the Crossbow at a attempt to kill Elsa and make it look like a tragic accident and him a hero

- And when he's told that Anna is in danger, he looks way too happy, like he smiles and almost breaks his character, because he's too excite of the idea that he good look even more of a hero and thus be stepping to the throne.


I knew about Hans being evil since about September maybe even earlier when the kids books were leaked, but I've seen the movie 3 times and during Hans's plot-twist everybody in the audiences gasps in shock; so imo the twist isn't too predictable though a rare few may pick it up if they're paying attention, mostly during the villain song.

​

[Rhi]

I'm glad it wasn't just me that didn't see it coming. I expected something earlier on, like when Anna first leaves, but he kept being os nice that I thought 'huh. guess not'. WRONG. I was genuinely surprised at how low he was willing to go.

[Shlup]

Yeah, if it was gonna happen I thought it'd happen sooner.

[Mirage]

watched this thing on tuesday. cool movie! pacing was a bit strange, i felt, and some of the musical numbers felt a bit off.

[Fuzakeru]

I'm obsessed with this movie now.

Other than Let It Go and Do you Wanna Build a Snowman, the other songs took some time to grow on me but they definitely did.

The ice in the movie was so BEAUTIFUL! Everything visually about this movie made me squeal and freak out. Elsa and Anna's movements were flawless. I love watching clips in slow motion and analyzing everything. Hip movement, eyebrow movement... holy cow. Everything was just so meticulously done!

I can't stop listening and watching and tumblr'ing this movie. I feel like I have an addiction.

[maybee]

I can't stop listening and watching and tumblr'ing this movie. I feel like I have an addiction.

Same here :love:


Just brought the CD last night


Bees will buzz, kids will blow dandelion fuzz, and I'll be doing whatever snow does in suuuuummmmeeeeer~

[Jinx]

Denmark and I saw this tonight. I enjoyed it, as I am prone to do during Disney films. However, I don't think it's anything special. I was surprised by how minor Elsa's role really is. There's waaaay too many songs in the film, and none of them really stand out. I guess if you had to choose one stand-out song it'd be 'Let It Go' and I still stand by my earlier comment that it was uninspired. The villain plot was weird...the Hans thing coming out of nowhere and the villains from Weinerslave seemed kind of pointless after the Hans reveal.

That being said, I LOVED Anna. She's great. And Sven and Olaf were adorable as well. And of course the film was gorgeous.

EDIT: Also I love, love, love Idina Menzel, but her vocal range was all wrong for the songs they had her singing. It made the songs (particularly Let It Go) sound really harsh.

[blackmage_nuke]

I saw this last week. I loved the rock people (I cant bring myself to refer to them as trolls) and the music was nice. I tried not to think about how she could create massive lakes in deserts to help dehydrated children or whatever since she has to power to create water out of nothing. I like how it didn't end in a wedding and at the same time wasn't overtly about gurrrl power like Brave. Wish I saw it in 3d

I already knew about the big twist so I dont know if i wouldve seen it coming but I think I wouldve expected the prince to turn around and become a big jerk when Kristoff became a possible love interest since Disney movies dont end in threesomes.

[Shlup]

Disney movies dont end in threesomes.

:(

[Mirage]

Guys look what I found

52175

[Aulayna]

I have still yet to see it. :(

[SuperMillionaire]

I haven't seen it yet, either, but I wanted to. If it's still in theaters, I probably will, if I have time.

And "Let It Go" won best song at the 2014 Oscars/Academy Awards, and Idina Menzel performed the song at the show too. Demi Lovato also recorded a single version of the song too.

And check this out:

[MASHUP] Let It Go - Idina Menzel ft. Demi Lovato - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUrz0UeHqLw)

This is what Idina Menzel and Demi Lovato sound like together; someone created this fan-made mashup that makes it sound like they are singing in a duet. I think it's pretty cool.

[Night Fury]

I thought Adele Dazeem was awesome in this movie.

[Depression Moon]

They screened this at my school, so I went to go see it. It was entertaining, I'd have to give it a 6 though in comparison to other Disney movies. A couple of the songs seemed out of place like the first one. Olfek was pretty funny. I'm glad they switched it up at the end, I would've been severely disappointed if they took the cliche route..

[NeoCracker]

Having just saw it, I was amazed at how damned depressing all the music of this movie was, especially Build A Snowman and Let it go. Especially let it go.


I loved this movie btw. :love:

[Madame Adequate]

This is a great movie I just saw it and I love it! :jess:

[Pike]

Feckin great movie, I've seen it twice so far (in quick succession, yesterday in the theater and today at home) and I love it. You have to let the songs grow on you. "Let It Go," in particular, you have to listen to a few times at which point it goes from "it's okay I guess" to belting out "LET IT GO, LET IT GOOOOOOOOO" every two seconds.

I did not remotely see the Hans twist coming and neither did Huxley, I mean, I assumed something was going to go wrong but not THAT.

I also like how the movie subverted the "True Love" trope at the end.

I don't quite understand people who thought Olaf was annoying; he was a really minor character overall and I liked him the few times he was on screen. Sven is best sidekick, though. Especially as a little baby reindeer. :3: Too cute!

[Mirage]

Sisterly love isn't true? :(

[NeoCracker]

Screw you Pike, the songs are awesome from the moment I heard them. :love:

[Pike]

Screw you right back because I agree the songs are awesome! How dare you agree with me! :mad2:

[NeoCracker]

*Rage Quits the internet to go food shopping instead*

[Madame Adequate]

Sisterly love isn't true? :(

Subverted, not averted or inverted.

And anyway Elsanna OTP.

[Pike]

for your viewing pleasure

https://31.media.tumblr.com/4c540ebfded9a7c49105f8723e0da6dd/tumblr_n2jzdrd0Cm1qdg3a3o1_400.gif

and

https://31.media.tumblr.com/a0a38ba687ea0ba99aad7f197d874b80/tumblr_n2ba62fkde1t3t6wno1_500.png

[Jinx]

haha, that first one tho xD

[blackmage_nuke]

I'll just leave this here


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjbPszSt5Pc

[Shlup]

The DVD comes out tomorrow! My work is having a contest for who sells the most, and my location tends to win these contests (which means free food!) so I'm excited.

Frozen products fly off the shelf. It's gotten to the point where they won't even send us any more Elsa or Anna costume dresses; they have to reserve them all for the store in Fantasyland that does princess makeovers. The Elsa toddler doll won't stay on the shelf for more than half a day, and we went through our six month supply of Olaf and Sven in two weeks.

[maybee]

And anyway Elsanna OTP.


They're..... sisters

[Ayen]

And anyway Elsanna OTP.


They're..... sisters

Minor setback.

[NeoCracker]

And anyway Elsanna OTP.


They're..... sisters

Minor setback.

Were Frozen an Anime the sister thing would actually be quite the opposite of a setback!

[Ayen]

And anyway Elsanna OTP.


They're..... sisters

Minor setback.

Were Frozen an Anime the sister thing would actually be quite the opposite of a setback!

Anything goes in Japan, bro.

[Madame Adequate]

Yeah it's the opposite of a setback :hyper:

[Shlup]

Elsanna shippers are demented. Not because they're sisters, but because they have no chemistry.

[maybee]

Elsanna shippers are demented. Not because they're sisters, but because they have no chemistry.


Hmm yeah, Elsa is too serious for Anna.


I'm hoping that Elsa either ends up alone, or lesbian. Not with one of Hans' brothers, people seem to forget that they're all a load of pigheads, hence Hans turning evil.

it's canon that Hans grew up without love and was neglected

[Aulayna]

I actually saw this for the first time last night and loved it. I liked how it had several songs in it, rather than just one or two. I loved Anna's character and as usual the animal/living object sidekicks were great!

[Madame Adequate]

Elsanna shippers are demented. Not because they're sisters, but because they have no chemistry.

You need to look at more porn on /co/.

[Shlup]

No. No, I definitely do not need to do that.

[Pike]

Home video release yesterday. I've never seen so many DVDs and Blu-Rays sell out so fast. (I snagged one before they were gone, of course :mwahaha: )

Today's Cute Frozen Picture of the Day:

52479

[Shauna]

Ugh it's not released until the 31st here. Of course I have it on preorder from Amazon, so it's all okay.

[Pike]

Attn Huxley

http://25.media.tumblr.com/3542770c1b3f70d8bd0fd3866b7e21e5/tumblr_n2rs1mWT481t1gyv3o1_500.gif

[SuperMillionaire]

Hey, check this out:

Hear Frozen's Let It Go Sung In 25 Different Languages - CinemaBlend.com (http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Hear-Frozen-Let-It-Go-Sung-25-Different-Languages-41251.html)

This is what "Let It Go" sounds like in 25 different international languages. Elsa transforms seamlessly from one language to the next in this video.

[maybee]

Home video release yesterday. I've never seen so many DVDs and Blu-Rays sell out so fast. (I snagged one before they were gone, of course :mwahaha: )

Today's Cute Frozen Picture of the Day:

52479


Ohhhh how about ?


http://31.media.tumblr.com/1fd0498c2f3f07586909381166b528c8/tumblr_n2rb9m8h7q1sipzhlo1_500.jpg

[Shlup]

http://th01.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2013/349/5/0/disney_heroes___kristoff_by_david_kawena_by_davidkawena-d6tccr8.jpg

[Spuuky]

Kristoff just looks like Owen Wilson to me.

[Pike]

http://th01.deviantart.net/fs70/PRE/f/2013/349/5/0/disney_heroes___kristoff_by_david_kawena_by_davidkawena-d6tccr8.jpg

Believe it or not, Jinx posted that to my Facebook the other day. You know, for all my friends and family to see.

[Jiro]

I watched this the other night. It was okay, far from the best Disney film. Bit of a stretch to say it's even inspired by The Snow Queen.

Like I can get behind stuff like the sisterly love being the thing but they undermine that by bringing romance back into it at the end and it's really hard to get behind a movie that relies on like so many minor villains. Like I don't know one of your protagonists is also the villain maybe? I found that hard to appreciate from a narrative standpoint. Felt stitched together oddly.

Looks fucking grand though, I'll pay that.

[maybee]

I watched this the other night. It was okay, far from the best Disney film. Bit of a stretch to say it's even inspired by The Snow Queen.


It was going to be a bit more like the original tale, with Elsa being the villian and icy- cold Snow Queen, but they changed it all because of Let It Go.

They felt that it was too misunderstood for a villian song, so they completely changed Elsa, and choose Hans to be the villian instead.

[Pike]

Honestly I can't even put my finger on why I loved it. But the more I watch it the more I see little storytelling nuances or symbolism that I didn't pick up on the first time that make it better. I also ultimately consider it a "villain-less" film, much like, say, Finding Nemo.

I don't think it's Disney's overall best, but I do think it's their best CGI movie (if we're counting Pixar as a separate entity). And I say this as someone who loved the heck out of Wreck-It Ralph.

[Shlup]

Halloween time at Disneyland is when they bring out the villains. If they start bringing out Hans I will die. His villain song is Love is an Open Door for goodness sake. xD

[Calliope]

We watched it the other night, and I basically spent it thinking:

Mental illness parallel
Mental illness parallel
Mental illness parallel
God I want a reindeer
Mental illness parallel

[Aulayna]

Halloween time at Disneyland is when they bring out the villains. If they start bringing out Hans I will die. His villain song is Love is an Open Door for goodness sake. xD

This has to happen now.

[Pike]

Agreed; this needs to occur.

[maybee]

Oh gosh, I don't think that Hans is going to be that big of a misfit. After all his face, when he was about to behead Elsa


Hans - DisneyWiki (http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Hans?file=Hanskillselsa.jpg)

[maybee]

Double posting, kind of, but it's worth it.


https://31.media.tumblr.com/b1ba7bd535aee4712d81614e2adcb993/tumblr_n30uea0g5H1tvkeajo1_500.jpg

[Shlup]

Double post approved. I lol'd.

[Vyk]

Just watched this the other night (finally). And while I think it was a really good movie, I don't think it stands shoulder to shoulder with Wreck-It Ralph or Tangled. The songs didn't really do anything for me, they seemed more conversational than emotional, and it reminded me too much of country music. The plot was really disappointing to me. I think they vastly dropped the ball and missed a huge opportunity for a more complicated character driven plot, with the misunderstood villain possibility, and the possibility of a love triangle. I was genuinely curious how they were going to resolve the love triangle. I though it was hugely mature story-telling to bite the cliche plot and have someone actually give up on their love for the greater good. And it seems more realistic. Most of the time when we meet someone awesome, they are involved with someone else, and we have to live with that. I loved the realism that was taking place. The fact that the betrayal caught me by surprise means it didn't have to happen. The fact that a villain or two was already in place by that point made it seem crowded and pointless. I guess I just disagreed with a lot of narrative choices they made and think it would have been a much better movie had they made braver decisions rather than stick to old tropes where true love is "the one" and it finds a way regardless of what else is going on in your life. It started out so complex and interesting, and tied up way too nicely, it was very jarring and disjointed. But I've only viewed it once, and can't comment on how much things grow on you the way most people are saying. So that's just my two cents as a single-viewer

[Pike]

52572

[Jiro]

definitely agree that it was the most well animated disney film, I was super impressed

[maybee]

what the hell

http://31.media.tumblr.com/894fa0ac6252a7b5e4006f630f2c1d68/tumblr_my65jrFwu41skiltjo1_500.jpg

http://31.media.tumblr.com/9820357135d1c75b26db44ba9c450861/tumblr_my6a77RXLo1rt3l26o1_1280.jpg

http://25.media.tumblr.com/967c19efa9e5d365a943820aed4d4502/tumblr_mzktnpO3jj1tnwceoo1_500.jpg

[Pike]

52574
52575

[Mercen-X]

Just. saw.

It. was. awesome!

[Skyblade]

Just. saw.

It. was. awesome!

I saw it about a week ago now. Have to agree. It is an utterly fantastic film.

[Sephiroth]

I liked it very much but the pace was not fitting for me. It escalated too quickly and then never really had the chance to "cool-down" enough (pun intended).

[Kossage]

Frozen is a mixed bag for me. There's a lot in it to celebrate (and I'm very happy to see how it's become a big hit for Disney almost comparable to the Lion King) but it left something to be desired, too.

I saw this film with my sister when it was showing in cinemas. It was quite an experience, seeing kids, teens and adults alike enjoying a Disney film together as there were people of all ages in the audience. The "If only there was someone who loved you" scene caught most of the people by surprise, and I was happy to hear shocked gasps and utterances of "No way!" from people when it happened (well played, Disney). I had to fight the urge to not shout "Called it!" as I had correctly predicted the twist long in advance as the story was quite clever to foreshadow it in several previous scenes with subtle (or not-so-subtle) movements. :p

The only thing of this viewing experience that kind of irked me was how a bunch of boys in the front row started yelling and being obnoxious during Anna's "sacrifice", only shutting up once the Great Thaw scene was over, but other than that, the audience was quite respectful of the film, and was unusually quiet during the aforementioned betrayal scene. I even heard some people humming the tunes after we left, which is always a good sign as far as songs are concerned.

Animation's gone up since Tangled in many noticeable ways, and I like the character designs even if they have a hint of Tangled in them (similar to how there's a certain aesthetic with films like Cinderella and Peter Pan if one needs a comparison, although this is slightly closer in tone). This is the first CGI Disney film where I actually ended up paying a lot of attention to facial animation as well as body language, and it truly is beautiful (and quite subtle as well as foreshadowing) in many places, particularly the songs. Each character has their own visual quirk and mannerisms, which help set them apart and turn them less into plastic dolls and more into actual people...or creatures in the case of trolls and Sven.

It's quite funny to me that Hans, Kristoff and Anna each have their names based on Hans Christian Andersen, the author of the Snow Queen fairy tale, and Hans was even made to look like him...which is why it's such a punch in the gut when he turns out to be the villain who doesn't get the girl, particularly if you know of the somewhat tragic "love life" of Andersen himself. The ice and snow effects (particularly building the ice palace and the whiteout scene of the finale) were beautifully crafted animation-wise, but there were a few jerky movements here and there, nothing too distracting, though. A great effort from the animation team, all in all.

As for story...well, I'm happy to see that it turned out to be as good as it did, considering the troubled production. This was supposed to be the Disney old guard's magnum opus, a far darker and more faithful retelling of the fairy tale than it ended up being, but because they ran into trouble how to portray the Snow Queen, it ended up in the hands of new directors and turned much more light-hearted while the character dynamic changed. As great as it would've been to see Disney's take on the original tale a la the Soviet version of the Snow Queen and show the love of brother and sister, this retelling didn't turn out to be as big of a train wreck than I feared despite all the nasty in-house politics, budgetary concerns, changing crews, story rewrites and executive meddling, so I'm happy that the end product is mostly solid.

What we got instead was quite passable by Disney standards. Olaf, for instance, isn't nearly as obnoxious as the trailers (including even the otherwise gorgeous, story-focused Japanese trailer) suggested and actually serves a greater role in the plot than I anticipated...much like Ray in Princess and the Frog although his song number is pretty much pointless although it has a catchy tune and nice choreography. I liked the triangle drama aspect of Hans and Kristoff in Anna's life as well as the semi-subversion of what "love at first sight" and "act of true love" mean.

The chemistry between Anna and Elsa is great whenever they're together, and I like that they kept the sibling love angle and the "threat of ice" from the original tale even if they added their own twists to it. I almost wonder if the story would've benefited more if Elsa had been made into an even more ambiguous character and more "villainous" so the ending would've packed more punch, but she was alright as she was, and the finale, albeit not quite as grand in scale as one might expect from such a grand film, was serviceable (and likely due to budgetary reasons, but at least they manage to sneak a justification in the story due to the whiteout, and it does lead to a dramatic scene when the storm ends abruptly).

However, there are moments in the film which were quite abrupt and could've used some finetuning. Kristoff almost randomly ending up raised by the trolls, the trolls' rather questionable methods of what they did to Anna (which could've used some more explanation), the troll's somewhat "minor" role, and people conveniently ending up in the same spot in the climax among other things did make me roll my eyes at times. But, considering the troubled production and their hurry to rush this film out, such things are inevitable, so at least the script turned out as good as it did despite several rewrites. I personally would've been fine with some sort of final battle to up the stakes although I understand the reason not to include such as the focus was more interpersonal this time around.

Voice acting was pretty solid in our Finnish dub and in the English dub from what I've heard. However, there were some problems with our dub at times both speaking- and story-wise, which surprised me, as usually Finnish dubbing has been top notch by Disney standards and been internationally recognized as some of the best dubbing out there. I could write a lot about this subject as well as the translation itself, but suffice to say is that some parts of it could've been done better. It's not disastrous by any means but not near the standard set by our "Golden Years". I kinda feel that Idina Menzel in the English dub is a bit too forceful a voice for Elsa during both speaking and singing parts but she tries her best, so kudos to her for that. The rest of the cast does a good job...even when it goes close to obnoxious levels like during the song with the trolls.

And this leads us, finally, to one of my favourite aspects of Disney films in general aside from animation and story: music. The underscore by Christophe Beck is quite impressive at times, but at times it can also be disappointing and, one could say, underachieving. Considering how much hype was built around the fact that he and the song writers collaborated to ensure that score and songs would mesh together and the score would use the song themes turns out to be not quite as exciting as one woul've hoped. There are some references to the song themes but mainly during the finale; I really expect more leitmotivic connections in the music but alas that wasn't going to happen. However, Beck and the team must be commended for using several regional instruments such as the bukkehorn, as well as using traditional Sami vocal techniques like kulning and joik, to make the score sound authentic and fitting to the Norway-inspired setting.

The use of the "Vuelie" theme is quite beautiful, and Elsa and Anna do have a very sweet theme, and then we even have the ominous "Repression motif" (which represents the curse of Elsa's powers) which, thankfully, also finds it way into some of the songs to act as perhaps the biggest overarching musical narrative in the work, surprisingly enough. One theme that positively surprised me was the gorgeous "Heimr Arnadalr" choral tune which played during Elsa's coronation; I didn't expect Disney to use such a Christian-like liturgical tune in the film after they took out the Christian references from "Vuelie" which was shortened for the film. The score does have some memorable moments in it such as the terrifying "Summit Siege", the heartbreaking latter half of "Return To Arendelle" as well as the redemptive "The Great Thaw (Vuelie Reprise)" to mention a few.

As for the songs themselves, they're okay. The lyrics do have some clever moments in them but they're not as clever as Howard Ashman's (then again, few things are, but at least they tried their best...for the most part).

"Vuelie", as mentioned before, anchors the story together and acts as nice foreshadowing to its later, glorious reprise during the Great Thaw scene, although its placement before the following song is somewhat questionable and almost pointless (apart from sounding nice as the logo shows up).

"Frozen Heart", albeit short, sets the tone quite well although sounds a bit jarring immediately after the previous song. Its dubbing and lyrics in Finnish were gorgeous, arguably even better than the English version, for anyone who's a fan of our written work Kalevala. The enthusiastic choir helps a lot in giving this song personality and introducing some key concepts surrounding Kristoff as well as the theme of the frozen heart in general.

"Do You Want to Build A Snowman?" is an endearing yet, ultimately, quite sad song about sisterhood and lost childhood. It's a fine piece for the most part although I wish the dialogue parts would've been sung instead to give it even more gravitas. It's an infectious melody with several interesting variations and arguably has some of the saddest scenes in the entire film in a way only Disney can truly deliver. I really like the tone change halfway through, and it really hits you in the gut and gives us reasons for the sisters drifting apart and how much it pains them, as well as how Elsa's forced to wear a mask (signified by the gloves), which will play a major role later.

"For The First Time In Forever" is perhaps the most Renaissance era Disney song out of them all with its classic tone. I love the orchestral backing of this song, and the strings really shine in this song with how busy they are until they lead to those memorable, swelling moments for the chorus lines. The song does have somewhat jarring visual shifts at times, and the song doesn't always know which way to turn, but its intentions are sympathetic, and it really helps introduce Anna's character in the earnest. It also has some of the most memorable moments in the film as Anna gazes at the coming ships, and later when she's in the room with paintings (which really shows that good ol' Disney magic). The song leads to a marvellous duet as Anna and Elsa sing in counterpoint while the Repression motif ("Conceal, don't feel") also cleverly shows up midway through the song. Definitely one of my favourite songs in the film.

"Love Is An Open Door" is a quirky song in many ways. It took me a while to grow into it due to its more contemporary instrumental backing, but it does have an earworm of a tune, and Kristen Bell and Santino Fontana have great chemistry in it. The visuals during this song are clever and also have nice bits of foreshadowing for those who pay attention (notice when Hans sings "I've been searching my whole life to find my own place", he points at the city, foreshadowing his true intentions to take over the kingdom later in the film), and I really love the aesthetics of the "shadow dancing" in the sails as well as the bridge scene. The counterpoint use in this song is quite pretty too. If only we'd heard a reprise of this song with a different tone during the fireplace scene later in the film instead of the spoken monologue/exposition we got (I mean, why wouldn't they sing at that moment as characters should always be singing when they're emotional, and if that isn't an emotional moment, I don't know what is!), this song would've left an even bigger impact on the film.

"Let It Go" is the showstopper tune in the film, and rightfully so. It really helps to show us Elsa's character development and is also darkly ironic as her development and newfound "freedom" only ends up leading her to become even more isolated than before. It's almost like an anti-anthem of a sort, and I really like the irony of it. This is the moment where the writing team realized that they couldn't depict Elsa as a "villainous" Snow Queen, and it does serve the story well and also has some beautiful body language and facial animation as well as the ice palace building scene. The Repression motif ("Don't let them in, don't let them see") shows up once again to cement the song into the overarching narrative, and I like how the song changes from a desperate tone into a determined, hopeful variation by the end. If there's one bad thing to be said about this song, it's the fact that it maybe has a too "pop/rock" instrumental backing, which makes Demi Lovato's end credit version almost redundant. It really could've used a more lush orchestra in the background to set it apart from Devato's version and give the song a bit more "timeless" feel. I almost prefer the condensed theme park version (http://youtu.be/-NwLUgGuU2A?t=12s) of the song as it has more fleshed out orchestration in it, and the difference in tone compared to the film version is quite noticeable. But the film version as it is works okay in the film; I just wonder what could've been had it been bolder in orchestration.

"Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People" is, frankly, less than it could've been. It's a waste of Jonathan Goff's talents although I understand why it had to be short. Although it's a cute little song and helps explain a bit more about Kristoff's character, it really could've used a reprise during the moment when Kristoff and Sven leave the capital after handing Anna to the servants as that was an emotional moment for both characters. As it is now, it's one of the more forgettable songs in the film.

"In Summer" has a nice 1920's vaudeville theme in its centre, and I like the dance choreography in it (the bit with the seagull made me smile). Aside from a few funny lines, though, it acts more like hitting the audience in the head about the "Snowmen melt in summer!" theme, which could've been conveyed in a different manner. Although it's a pretty song music-wise, it ultimately doesn't serve that big of a purpose other than pad out the running time...and showcase Josh Gad's over the top yet quite sincere singing.

"For The First Time In Forever (Reprise)" brings the film back on track and is one of the standout dramatic moments in the film (as it should be because it's analogous to an equally "gut punch" moment from the original fairy tale). I like how the sisters end up singing on top of each other in counterpoint which is both endearing yet terrifying as the Repression motif returns more threatening than ever, and the song ends in an ominous note. It truly shows the contrast of the two sisters by the second half of the song and how they still have things to learn, and the visuals during the mini-blizzard are truly memorable with animation which is arguably among the best in the entire film. The lyrics even have some gems in them, but then there are moments like the "deep, deep, deep, deep snow" that almost make me groan...even if they're in character for Anna.

"Fixer Upper" is a song with quite a few broadway sensibilities and has been quite divisive based on online comments I've seen. Personally I'm fine with it apart from some almost groan-worthy comedic vocalizations at times (which are thankfully more toned down in the Finnish dub). It helps show us the trolls' quirky character, gives us more development for the potentially budding Anna/Kristoff romance, and also acts as a major foreshadowing tool of how to break the curse of winter. The melody shifts appropriate through different modes throughout the song, particularly the female solo bit in the latter half before the choir joins in. It does have a rather catchy tune like the "Dig A Little Deeper" tune from the Princess and the Frog and does have its place in the film.

Other than the reprises I mentioned, the film really could've used a proper sung finale a la many of Disney's prior animated films. A proper fairytale ending has always had one of the main themes being reprised at the end (Snow White, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid etc.), and it really would've helped give a timeless feel to this film. Why not have a triumphant reprise of "Do You Want To Build A Snowman" instead of the choral/orchestral backing we got instead, or did they think it would've been too much after the stunning Vuelie reprise? It's a missed opportunity, IMHO, as Disney's choral song endings have always been some of the most memorable moments in their respective films, and Tangled too suffered from the lack of such.

All the rambling aside, Frozen is, despite its faults, as enjoyable a film as Tangled. I have a difficulty figuring out which one I like more, but both of them are definitely behind the Golden Age, Silver Age and Bronze Age (or Disney Renaissance Era) classics. Still, Frozen is worthy of being included into the official Disney animated canon, and I look forward to seeing Disney's upcoming projects on the big screen. I hope they keep making these more fairy tale-ish stories alongside more contemporary subject matters as Disney often tends to be at its best when it dwells deep into fairy tales which were so dear to Walt Disney himself. :)

[Mercen-X]

Frozen is destined to become a Musical-on-ice (in which every single word is sung). They typically add like three or four more songs. I'm sure that'll make you happy.

[Pike]

Frozen is destined to become a Musical-on-ice (in which every single word is sung). They typically add like three or four more songs. I'm sure that'll make you happy.

Considering there were like ten unused songs on the special edition soundtrack I think they've got plenty to choose from!

[Shlup]

Today my store got 20 boxes of Olaf plushies. There are 18 in a box. By the end of tonight there were two boxes left.

[blackmage_nuke]

I cant imagine Olaf being that good a plushie. Baby Sven maybe. Or Trolls with "moss" made of velcro so we could curl them up into rocks

[Jinx]

Olaf is awesome, you shut your whore mouth.

[maybee]

Frozen is destined to become a Musical-on-ice (in which every single word is sung). They typically add like three or four more songs. I'm sure that'll make you happy.

Considering there were like ten unused songs on the special edition soundtrack I think they've got plenty to choose from!

Please use Life's Too Short and Life's Too Short reprise. Awesome, awesome songs.

[Kossage]

From what I've heard, there are talks of it possibly going Broadway, but that'll take some time even if it's green-lit...considering how long it took Aladdin to reach that point and how the Hunchback of Notre Dame is still waiting for its English premiere after a successful German run. But yeah, it definitely has potential, especially if some of the shorter songs are made longer and some of the lyrics are tweaked a bit.

As for the rejected songs, it really depends on how they expand the plot on stage to see if these old versions can be made to work in a stage adaptation. The songs were cut for a reason as the characters were finetuned, and having an even more direct confrontation between the sisters (which "Life's Too Short" and its reprise represented) could be difficult to work into the story without some retooling at least lyrics-wise (well, the reprise would be easier as there's definitely a very good spot for it to appear in the narrative with only slight changes but the main version would be trickier as it was already supplanted by the reprise of "For the First Time in Forever"). ;)

But anything's possible as Disney can be quite unpredictable at times when it comes to promoting or dissing this or that property of theirs. If only one could make sense of their bizarre executive and marketing decisions...