First Take: Frozen- just let it go already

SYNOPSIS: When the newly-crowned Queen Elsa accidentally uses her power to turn things into ice to curse her home in infinite winter, her sister Anna teams up with a mountain man, his playful reindeer, and a snowman to change the weather condition.

When the first trailer for this film appeared on-screen over the summer (a weird move on Disney’s part), a lot of people got super curious as to what this film would be. Audiences got hyped for it… and it delivered alright. Disney Animation’s latest is set to be an instant classic purely and simply because of the music.

Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee are the duo tasked with directing the film, and they do a fantastic job taking a story like this and turning it into a very unique musical that bridges Disney’s old school roots and their future in the form of CG animation. The pacing is damn near spot on, coming in at a very tight 1 hour 42 minutes, and with Lee’s screenplay having all the emotion needed to convey a story so basic yet infinitely rewarding, this film will resonate with audiences both young and old. It’s animated beautifully, the score from Christophe Beck is fantastic, and then, the songs. Step up Avenue Q creators Robert and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, thanks for creating songs so catchy that they’re already stuck in our heads.

With the musical roots deeply on show, the cast certainly deliver in both talent and ability. Just listing them off says it all- Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell as leads, Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad in supporting roles… this is a solid effort by all involved from the animators to the cast, and I imagine we’ll be talking about this film for several years to come- especially as the worst kept secret in showbiz (the film’s sequel) has been confirmed alongside a lot of short films too.

THE VERDICT

Marking a return to the traditions that made Walt Disney’s films so successful, Frozen takes the best of cinema past, present and future and takes it to modern audiences in a way that feels unique and original. This film will be a success, and it’s one that I think will become a Christmas tradition for a lot of people.

RATING: 4.5/5