Visually stunning, funny, satisfying

Rating: 10/10 (14 January 2014)

Cinderella and Snow White got the gold watches and a nice retirement party. The era of spunky, take-no-prisoners Disney heroines is upon us, and it is good. There are only so many ways to shuffle the elements of a fairy tale, and they've all been done, so if you're expecting anything radically new from any fairy tale, well, tough luck. That's the limitations of the genre, not the film.
The film opens with a haunting chant that sounds more Polynesian or native American than anything else, then a striking scene of ice harvesters cutting ice in the winter. The only thing quite like it is the circus roustabouts in "Dumbo" erecting tents. Visually and musically, it's one of the best things in the film. I'd like to have seen more things in this style. We get introduced to Kristoff, the hero, as a youngster trying to keep up with the grown-ups.
The kingdom of Arendelle has two princesses, Elsa and Anna. Elsa is cursed with the power of freezing things and becomes a recluse, until the day of her coronation, when she panics and locks the kingdom in perpetual winter, then flees into the mountains. It's up to Anna to rescue her. The film has the predictable musical numbers, but they're better integrated with the story than say, the tedious "Mother knows best" in "Tangled," and more appealing. Still, I'd like to see a return to singable tunes that can really stand alone. "The first time in forever" is straight out of the "I did it my way" cocktail lounge genre.
Visually, it's wonderful. Gorgeous scenery, Elsa's ice palace, cute trolls. There's plenty of humor and a plot twist where a seeming hero turns out to be a villain.