Visually stunning but not much of a story

Rating: 7/10 (27 February 2014)

I just finished watching Frozen and there were many positives. To start, the visuals are truly stunning. I was amazed at how the artists played with the medium of snow or ice, which could be flat and white and boring, but in this film is exciting and beautiful. The story unfortunately seems to have been an afterthought, with all efforts expended on the polished music and animation (by comparison the story is a rough draft, and you have to wonder what the writer or writers were thinking.)
The film rushes through emotions and events and expects the viewer to manufacture the appropriate feelings. I found myself unable to enjoy the ride as I usually do. Done right, this film could have made viewers gasp and laugh and cry. For me it did none of those things, I felt like I was trying to keep up...love, conflict, fear, resolution...the script bounces from one to the next and it doesn't make much sense.
Even children's stories (even the most basic fairy tales, the little mermaid or the nightingale) have more depth and development. Even in other Disney movies, like Aladdin, we understand where feelings of inadequacy and greed and friendship and love are coming from.
This movie was all about the neat tricks but lacking in the kind of substance that makes kids fall in love with stories and maybe even learn a little about them. It was enjoyable to watch but when the credits began to roll I felt disappointed. The master storytellers--so present in other animated films--were absent here.
Kids are smart, and when we fail to grasp that, we do them a disservice.