Let it Go!

Rating: 8/10 (11 December 2013)

Since the release of Tangled Disney Animation Studios have been having a mini-revival under John Lassister and Frozen sees Disney goes for a full return to fall musical princess story.
In the kingdom of Arendelle Princess Elsa (Idina Menzel) is born with the ability to create ice and snow. But when her powers cause her younger sister, Anna (Kristen Bell) to have an accident and have her memory erased. After that her parents shut Elsa away and try to teach her to use her powers. When the king and queen die at sea Elsa has to become the queen and ends up loosing control of her powers at her ball in her honour when Anna announces she is engaged to Prince Hans (Santino Fontana). Anna sets out to find Elsa convince her to winter.
The heart of the relationship and interactions between the sisters. Menzel and Bell were excellent together, they had the best songs, strong chemistry and their singing voices complicate each other, Menzel's powerful voice, to Bell's more higher pitched voice. Their songs particularly felt like Disney had their eye on a stage show, with one little line where Anna says Arendelle is in deep, deep, deep snow had a stage quality to it.
Menzel is best known for her lead role in Wicked and Elsa does share some similarities. Both characters are isolated who are struggling to control their powers. Even the songs Let it Go and No Good Deeds have a similar tone and style.
Olaf the Snowman played by Josh Gad was heavily promoted in the trailers and he seemed like he was going to be an annoying creation. He turned out to be a charming little character who did offer most of the jokes and humour for the film and does at least have a kind heart and meaning to princesses. The other areas of humour came from Anna being crummy and her interactions with Kristoff (Jonathan Groff).
As you would expect from a Disney Animated film the animation is of a top level, with excellent character designs, the scenery and art direction and camera angles, movements and placement. There are some solid action sequences to also liven events up.
Frozen starts at a brisk place, having an introductory song and there are five songs in the first five thirty minutes. The songs slow down after 'Let it Go', but I personally would have like more songs, particularly from Menzel and a little more from Bell. They two worked so well together and Menzel only sings in three songs. I would have preferred it if the film was a bit more like the Les Miserables film where there was constantly singing or at they be more songs during the running time.
As a musical Frozen is strong, but at a plot it a typical Disney film and the plot points can seen coming from a mile off, especially in the final act.
Frozen is an enjoyable film that fans of Disney animated films will enjoy and shows there is plenty of life in the Disney Princess genre and animated musicals.