I Think Disney Hiccuped On This Movie

Rating: 6/10 (8 December 2013)

The problem with an earlier review that I posted ( which I have since removed) was its length. It was just too long. And I felt I was perhaps being too judgmental.
Deep down, I actually wanted to more than "tolerate" Frozen. I wanted to like it/love it, around the level that I liked/loved Tangled. But alas. I couldn't.
Go see this movie for the animation. Disney succeeds here, with the wintry wonderland of Arendelle. It is every bit as wonderful to look at visually, as Rapunzel's quaint, homey tower, town, and landscape. It is as breathtaking as the lush/creepiness of Brave's dark forest. The ice staircases and the ice palace that Elsa builds are worth seeing.
Go see this movie for Olaf. He is a genuinely great character. His humor keeps this movie from sinking completely into melodrama. It's not his fault, that he makes this movie work. But you'll see that Olaf is the "fixture" and the "glue."
My pet peeves in this movie are just mine. But, in my view, they put this movie well outside of the Disney Classics.
First, there are the Broadway-esque songs. I know that the Lopez couple meant well, but the songs just really jar me out of immersing myself in the story. I'm well into enjoying the scene, and then the characters suddenly break into song, without any buildup. And the songs have way too much of a "rock concert vibe to them" (Love Is An Open Door), or they spend way too long in exposition, and bog down the action ( Do You Want To Build A Snowman, and For The First Time In Forever). Some songs are just pointless (Fixer-Upper), and leave one wondering why they didn't have the leads Kristoff and Anna sing a duet, instead?
The only two songs that I did (sort of appreciate) were "Let It Go" by Elsa, and "In Summer" by Olaf.
"Let It Go" is the best song in this movie. Idina Menzel belts out Elsa's frustrations and ultimate self-actualization in a tantalizing flurry of words. (However, the song didn't tug at my heart as Disney Classics "Part of Your World" and "Beauty and the Beast" did.) "In Summer" is a funny ditty, and it captures the moment purely because it is ironic. A snowman who loves summer, but doesn't know he will melt. Cute.
Other issues are still enough to make me not quite love this movie. The plot is kind of in-and-out. I'm supposed to appreciate that Disney is poking fun at the "love at first sight gag," which is a major plot-line development in former Disney princess movies. However, I was a bit disgusted with the execution of it. I mean, I could read Hans from the minute he appeared on screen. That's not supposed to happen. I knew he was a greedy guy, and was further disgusted that he got a song with one of the heroines. Ick. It was no surprise ( to me) that he was the villain. Why? I guess, I can read people. But...even without that... no explanation was provided for his motives, except that he had too many siblings. Wow. That makes one into a conniving, merciless person? Well, I don't really buy that...but... um, whatever.
The trolls, and the mom and dad were really stupidly written. I mean, telling your kid ( who has special powers/a gift) that they're the problem and a danger to everyone? On top of that, keep your kid isolated from everybody else, and train her to feel like less than a person? That's called child abuse where I come from. But I guess I'll put down the gavel. And while you're at it – sure – have some nearby trolls remove all of the memories that were crucial to the incident. That will set up everything for a wonderfully estranged relationship between siblings.
I'm not certain whether I should applaud Disney for making it "the love between sisters" as the climax of the movie. I felt a little lost at that moment, in particular. I appreciated the gesture, but the way it transpired felt...too rushed and flimsy. I do wish that they had developed Anna's relationship with Kristoff more. Heck, they could have built-up Anna's relationship with Elsa more, before the "magical, tie-up-a-bow ending."
So I don't like Frozen for the above reasons: underdeveloped plot, underdeveloped characters, quite a few songs that are a miss or are truly misplaced, and an overall message that is unsatisfying. There were too many what-ifs left in my head, after the screen went dark.
And there you have it. Please have a nice Holiday Season!