The Splendor of Neo-Disney

Rating: 7/10 (10 January 2014)

Disney princesses really seem to be on the upswing these days. With 2010's Tangled making a splash and Pixar's Brave (2012) doing it's thing, not only does there seem to be a resurgence in Micky Mouse regality but it's one of a different stripe. Gone are the days when Jasmine was saved from the clutches of Jafar by Aladdin (1992) and the smart but naÃ¯ve Ariel from The Little Mermaid (1989) was saved by Prince Eric. These girls are here to kick ass and take names and to that I say it's about damn time. It started with The Princess and the Frog's (2009) Tiana. Sure she ends up with her undeserving lothario noble but the principle lesson in The Princess and the Frog is you got to forge your own success, no one else is going to do it for you. Female independence wins out; hazah! Then along came Rapunzel in Tangled; at first a little too bubbly for my taste and she did marry the hero who came to save her, but she saved him via tear. Not exactly a women's lib lesson but at least she saved him and not the other way around. Then Brave completely changed the game by ignoring the love angle altogether, focusing on a mother daughter relationship and a woman's intent on making her own way in life. Now we come to Frozen (2013), a movie that once again challenges the assumptions of old Disney in favor of a more liberating storyline. Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell) are two princesses who live a sheltered life in their palace. The gates almost never open for good reason as Elsa has the power of frost and freezing she cannot control. She keeps it a secret to almost everyone including her spitfire sister. But after their parents die and Elsa is coroneted Queen, The gates open and Anna is introduced to her prince in shining armor (Santino Fontana). Elsa objects to a sudden marriage proposal and inadvertently unleashes her power. While Elsa chooses to hide away in the mountains, Anna vows to return her to the throne and put an end to their kingdom's eternal winter. Of course on her journey, Anna discovers colorful friends including a gruff mountain man named Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), his trusty reindeer Sven and a magical snowman named Olaf (Josh Gad). And when things get rough and Anna's prince turns from kind to Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), the one thing that makes the whole ordeal worthwhile is true love right? Well in a way. If you want to know more about how Frozen brazenly walks the path set by recent Disney and newer animated features in general you'll just have to watch it. Let's just say that Frozen does have a lot of strong themes that challenge viewers young and old without being cruel and cold. The detail in the animation is breathtaking and almost everything works about this film. If Frozen has faults they're similar to that of Tangled. Both make the choice to be musicals which isn't inherently a bad thing but there is a standard to reach. Unfortunately while songs like Let it Go and Do You Want to Build a Snowman are superb, the soundtrack as a whole just doesn't reach the apex of Disney classics like The Lion King (1994) or Beauty and the Beast (1991). Additionally there just seems to be a staggered way the songs are infused into the story. Some you see coming while others just kind of pop out at you. Sorry but if I had my choice I want a little warming up before you come barging in three minutes into the scene with In Summer. Overall however, Frozen is far from a frigid experience. The Disney musical machine has finally awoken from its slumber and will once again bring children the joys of growing up with a song in their heart. And while the heroes and heroines may have matured and the technology has changed drastically, there is still room for movies like Frozen.