Will melt the iciest of hearts, the best animated film of 2013 by a mile and one of Disney's best in recent years

Rating: 9/10 (15 December 2013)

With the best animated film of 2013 claim, that's saying a lot as it has been a very hit and miss year for animation(have yet to see The Wind Rises though, not playing in my country), there are some very good ones(Despicable Me 2, Monsters University, Dark Knight Returns Part 2), but a fair few lacklustre ones(Justin and the Knights of Valour, Planes, Escape from Planet Earth) and some bad ones(Sir Billi, My Little Pony: Equestria Girls, Free Birds). Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs falls into decent category. Disney did fall into hit-and-miss-land after Tarzan but Princess and the Frog saw them in terms of feature films back on form and Tangled and Wreck It Ralph were even better, Winnie the Pooh was very cute too. Frozen for me was outstanding, not perfect maybe but one of Disney's best since The Hunchback of Notre Dame at any rate and with some of the contemporary wit as well as the feel of hearkening back to the Renaissance another example of Disney being back on form.
It did feel ever so slightly rushed at times like the ending, the trolls' song was out of place and not as catchy or as memorable as the rest of the songs- more like filler than anything else and while the twist was very surprising and unexpected chunks of the writing at that point sounded a bit clichéd. In terms of problems(which are personal taste rather than objective) though those are pretty much it and with everything else so beautifully done they don't seem that major. The best component was the animation which was spellbinding, if there was a pick of the most visually beautiful film from Disney since Tarzan that pick would be Frozen. The setting stands out among the rest of those in a Disney film like Princess and the Frog did with New Orleans and will positively give you chills just looking at it. The colours are very rich and beautifully textured with the shadings not too bright or too over-saturated. The characters are well modelled and defined particularly Elsa, and the detail and fluidity in the backgrounds is to be admired.
The music has a fantasy sparkle yet a rousing adventure sound to it, not only appropriate and dynamic for the tones and setting of the film but also appealing on the ears and memorable. The songs range from upbeat and lovely, the highlight of the score is Let It Go, one of the most emotional and heartfelt songs possibly in the Disney canon, no Disney song since God Help the Outcasts affected me as much. For the First Time in Forever and the touching Do You Want to Build a Snowman(the song that moves the story forward the most and says about the sisters' relationship) also deserve a mention, and actually the show-tune-like style may suggest a stage show in the near future. The writing is pitched perfectly, the dramatic moments are genuinely touching like in the first 10 minutes and the humorous moments very sharply written and smart, Olaf is a joy and the chemistry between Anna and Kristoff show some sparkling interplay. The story may lack the polish of Tangled but it is still easy to follow and full of humour to entertain kids and adults, drama that is gripping and identifiable and thrilling spectacle(like Elsa building her glacial fortress of solitude).
As for the characters they carry the story wonderfully, they avoid being clichéd- Elsa especially, the trailer made her look like an evil snow queen but she is much more human than that, more a co-protagonist and heroine which adds to the emotional power of the story- and actually consist of the heroes having flaws instead of being too perfect and the villain not seeming like one initially. Olaf is cute and hilarious, and the reindeer Sven is likewise appealing for the same reasons. I didn't mind the trolls personally, they were like the Gargoyles from Hunchback of Notre Dame that I didn't mind them as characters but wasn't crazy about their song. The voice acting is terrific, especially from Idina Menzel who is highly emotive and involving, Kristen Bell who's very spirited and sings like an angel and Josh Gad who sounded like he was having a ball as Olaf. Overall, outstanding effort from Disney, not one of their absolute best but one of their best since the end of the Renaissance and stands out by a mile among the other animated films of 2013. 9/10 Bethany Cox