Disney's Frozen warms the heart

Media Invite

(Daddy reviews)

Beautiful. This word went through my mind countless times as I sat through Disney's latest year-end animated offering, 'Frozen'. Because being confidently written and positively spilling over with charm, it not only belongs on a shelf right there next to 'Beauty & the Beast', 'The Little Mermaid' and 'The Lion King' but it is, above everything else, spectacularly beautiful.

That, and the fact that it had both Ash and Ayd gushing over the movie - no mean feat especially since the 2 protagonists of 'Frozen' are princesses! 

Oh, and it’s a musical, too.

Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Snow Queen', 'Frozen' tells the story of Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel), sisters and heirs to a Scandinavian kingdom of Arendelle. Elsa was born with an ability to create snow and ice and when the girls were very young, an accident occurred which lead their parents to separate the sisters. This fear turned Elsa into a recluse, and it leaves Anna longing for the connection they had as children.

The girls grow up and after accidentally sending their kingdom  into eternal winter, Elsa flees before she can do more harm. Anna enlists the help of an outdoorsman named Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) and a hilarious snowman named Olaf (Josh Gad) to find her sister and reverse the spell.

One of the many wonderful surprises of 'Frozen' for me is how strong the female characters are. Gone are the days when princesses are the meek, helpless and ones that need the rescuing. It was utterly refreshing to see an animated film anchored by two strong women, who don't act like fussed-over royalty and not worried about getting their hands dirty to get the job done. 

And speaking of strong, the songs in the film are the strongest yet since Disney's 'Beauty & the Beast' days. The tunes are terrific - moving, funny, catchy and best of all, they all seem fit into the plot ever so seamlessly. I even caught the boys humming some of the tunes days after we watched it. Okay, me too actually.

Given that this is a Disney cartoon, you probably already know how it ends, but what is interesting about 'Frozen' is that it is not your traditional cartoon from Disney. There is nothing predictable about where the story ends up or even how it gets there. Yes, expect a few twists and turns along the way.

Ultimately, ‘Frozen’ is a total crowd-pleaser from start to finish. It is funny - all thanks to Olaf the irrepressible Snowman who forever yearns for the hot Summer -, moving, exciting and thought provoking all bundled in one. I have said it in the beginning of this post and I will say it again - This is the best animated musical to come out of Disney since 'Beauty & the Beast', 'The Little Mermaid' and 'The Lion King'. For sure, this will be a favorite for audiences of all ages, especially for young princesses-in-waiting who now have more choices for princess outfits!

Oh, and as if the film alone is not enough, the accompanying short cartoon before it, 'Get a Horse!', is one of Disney’s best ever and must be seen in 3D. Featuring Walt Disney’s own voice as Mickey Mouse, this short film starts off like an old Mickey Mouse cartoon but let's just say that appearances can be quite deceiving as the cartoon rolls along. I thought that it was fantastically inventive and funny so yes, remember to be seated early if you are watching 'Frozen'! You will thank me for it.

Disney's Frozen opens in cinemas island-wide on 28 November 2013.