Movie Review: "Frozen"

Hey movie fans!

Liza is slaving away in the kitchen, and our expensive HD Smart TV is showing a video of a fireplace.. that can mean only one thing... Hmong New Year!  That's right, Hmong New Year, when families around the nation get together, light a Menorah and tell everyone what they're thankful for. It's a great time of year.

And the week of Hmong New Year also means, the start of the Holiday Movie Season! Normally a time for a couple big films, some Oscar Hopefuls, and some family films. In this case, Disney's latest leap into non-pixar cartoons, "Frozen." based very (VERY) loosely on "The Snow Queen" by Hans Christian Anderson.

In a nutshell, the story is about two princesses. The older has been blessed/cursed with the ability to make things cold. (Think, Iceman from the original X-Men) The problem, her power is growing beyond her control, and the only way to calm it down is for her to be in control of her emotions. The other sister is full of fun and adventure, and has grown stir crazy stuck in a house, unable to have guests, with a sister who is cut off from her. When the older, sister is crowned Queen, she become upset, looses control, and freezes the entire kingdom. Fearful of what will happen to her, the Queen retreats into the wilderness, leaving it up to her younger sister, along with a charming ice-seller, to convince her sister to come back, and thaw out the kingdom.Things actually get more complex from there, if you can believe it.

Despite the complex plot, "Frozen" does a good job of keeping the action, and the plot simple and moving. Some of the characters are extremely simple, and the timing is a big too convenient,  but this is a family movie we're talking about. To be honest, while there are a lot of plot developments, most of them are so cliche ridden, you can see them coming from far off. But the most surprising element in my mind, is a lack of a strong, overarching villain. I mean, Disney Villains are often time the best part of the cartoon. But in Frozen, we have a story that's more about the love of two sisters, and the feeling of trust, than it is about defeating some bad-guys plot. It's refreshing,  and shows that you don't need to follow the same exact formula every-time to make an entertaining story.  Now, before anyone who has seen it can call me out, there is a bad guy in the movie, but he's not very strong, or overarching. In fact, he's little more than a plot device to make the third act seem a bit more thrilling.

The cast is made up of some of your standard tropes, but all done with the standard Disney Charm that makes them so easy to like. If there was a standout, I would have to say it was Josh Gadd as the Magical Snowman, "Olaf."  Full of great comedic lines, and imaginative uses of his snow body, he steals most of the scene's he's in. The best twist, as a snowman, he only have a slight idea what "Summer" is, so he helps the group try to bring it back, not realizing what that means to for his fate...

Of course, you can't have a Disney Film now without a musical. Indeed, many of the songs are really well done, and I really enjoyed a couple. Like most Disney Films, all the singing stops once the real plot kicks in, so they have to cram a lot of singing into the first half of the film.

If you can afford it, I really recommend seeing it in 3D. It has some of the best effects I've seen in a while, and I really enjoyed the constant "snow" effect. Not that you'll lose any of the plot in 2D, but it really makes it more fun. I'm told by multiple sources that the short cartoon at the beginning is amazing in 3D. (Sadly, I missed it due to the woefully slow concession line.) on that note, also stay for a bit more after the credits.

Parents, there are some violent aspects to "Frozen." While the emotional characters make the movie stronger, they also make the scenes where violence takes place more intense. Children may become a little emotional at times. But other than that, this is pretty G-Rated, with no deaths. Just hold your child's hand, and tell them everything is going to be OK. (Well, unless the kid hates spoilers.) \

I really recommend "Frozen" for this season, not only to families who are looking for something to do while the kids are out of school, but to anyone who is looking for a nice fun time. (In case anyone needs a scale, I like "Tangled" and thought "Frozen" was better. )\

Well, I'm off.  The fireplace in my TV is nearly burned down, and Liza's Apple Crisp is ready to go in the oven. I'm afraid I'm going to have to work on Hmong New Year tomorrow, but my work will provide my with the traditional Hmong New Year Turkey and Gravy, and Liza and I will light the Menorah on Friday.

Till next time.. would someone please get me preview tickets for Hobbit or Anchorman?

Happy Hmong New Year!

Ron Edens