MOVIE REVIEW: Frozen

GENRE: 3D Animated musical fantasy

RUNNING TIME: 108 minutes

VOICES OF: Kristen Bell (House of Lies, Gossip Girl), Idina Menzel (Glee), Jonathan Groff (C.O.G.), Josh Gad (Jobs, The Internship)

DIRECTED BY: Chris Buck (Surf’s Up), Jennifer Lee (Wreck It-Ralph)

RATING: 6/10

Currently screening at Ster-Kinekor Northgate.

PLOT: Two beautiful little sisters share the castle in the kingdom of Arendelle. The eldest of the two, Elsa (Idina Menzel), has magical powers and can freeze anything she touches. Her younger sister, Anna (Kristen Bell), is delighted by the winter wonderlands which her beloved Elsa creates. Together, they build snowmen and skate on the frozen ball room floor of the castle. Elsa accidently strikes her younger sister while playing in the snow one day. Anna survives, but Elsa’s powers are out of control and she is locked away in a room in the castle. Tragically, the king and queen are lost at sea and the sisters are left to fend for themselves, never seeing or touching each other.

Coronation Day arrives in the Kingdom of Arendelle as Queen Elsa finally comes of age. The gates of the castle need only be open for the day in order for Elsa to be crowned. Fear grips Elsa as the citizens start flooding through the gates to witness this glorious day. During the festivities, Princess Anna meets the man of her dreams. Hans (Santino Fontana), a prince from the Southern Isles. He steals her heart and asks for her hand in marriage. Queen Elsa refuses to give the couple her blessing and Anna challenges her about her fear of the world and its people. Queen Elsa retaliates by unleashing her icy powers, trapping the kingdom in eternal winter.

Princess Anna sets off on an epic journey to save her estranged sister and convince her to remove the curse of the cold on the kingdom. Along the way, Anna befriends Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), a rugged, thrill-seeking mountain man and his loyal pet reindeer, Sven. The sisters’ childhood snowman, Olaf (Josh Gad), comes to life and joins the search for Queen Elsa and the key to unlocking summer.

THE GOOD: Frozen is the 53rd animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. It is loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytale, The Snow Queen. As with all Disney movies, each character sports their own unique charm to win the hearts of the audience. The musical parts of the film are beautiful, but not overbearing.

THE BAD: Disney movies are predictable!

VERDICT: The festive season is the perfect time to release this movie. In the spirit of goodwill and love, the story and characters will warm your heart. The dialogue is easy and simple enough for kids to understand but also quirky and funny for the adults to enjoy. The 3D adds to the wonder of the icy visuals and the music will get you tapping your feet. This holiday season, grab your kids and some popcorn and go delight in the magic of Frozen.

Thanks to Ster-Kinekor Northgate for making the review possible.