Frozen

[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.

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...(SPOILER)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 ((SPOILER)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 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...