Exceeds frozen expectations.

Rating: 10/10 (16 May 2014)

I have to admit I almost feel a little embarrassed giving FROZEN my highest rating. However, in spite of my reservations about this retelling -- er, Disneyfication -- of Hans Christian Andersen's SNOW QUEEN -- being a CG film and not a traditional one (the latter format could have been used just as effectively for a film like this) -- FROZEN is surprisingly really good. Which is not something I was expecting to say given how disappointed I was with TANGLED. However, FROZEN earns my highest rating for the following reasons.
While this is a "Disneyfied" SNOW QUEEN, it's not done in the manner one would normally expect. This is arguably a darker, edgier re-imagining; the title queen in this story is Elsa, one of two sisters whose primary motivation for causing eternal winter is not out of outright evil, but for more complex issues. The whole conflict starts off because of an accident that traumatized her and her sister, Anna, in childhood, leading the girl to become emotionally distant. This lends a surprisingly more "adult" angle to the story.
But the best part about FROZEN is how Disney turns two of its tried and true clichés completely on its heels. There IS a handsome prince, yes, and he does romance Anna, but not for the reasons one would expect. Furthermore, the climactic "act of true love" needed to break Elsa's spell isn't romantic, but sister related. It's because of this that FROZEN emerges as one of Disney's best fairy tales in a long time.
The chemistry between the principal characters is also very well done, especially the sister dynamic between the more aloof, distant Elsa and the outgoing, socially awkward (but sweet- natured) Anna. Prince Hans, as mentioned, isn't the picture perfect figure you'd expect. If anything, the most interesting character has to be Kristoff, a somewhat grumpy ice hauler who grudgingly agrees to help Anna find her, but naturally he turns out to be a real soft- hearted gentleman. Naturally, this DOES give this film a "love triangle" angle, but to reveal how it is resolved would be the equivalent of giving spoilers.
The music is also great, especially Elsa's charged ballad "Let it Go." (The only exception is a gospel-flavored song involving trolls, which isn't BAD by any means, it just struck me as out of place with the tone of the story.) Even the occasional comic relief (from a snowman and a mute elk) doesn't overpower the dramatic depth of the story. There ARE a few places where I think Disney could have toned down the laughs, though, but it's nowhere nearly as grating as in TANGLED.
I'm not quite sure where FROZEN ranks in terms of Disney's all-time greatest films, but I WAS pleasantly charmed by it and it exceeded my expectations.