By Durga M. Sengupta
By Durga M. Sengupta
McClatchy-Tribune
“Frozen” does something feature films do not — break stereotypes. A delightful Disney animation, Chris Buck’s “Frozen” is a reinvented folk tale based on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen. Critics applaud the film for its refreshing perspective. “Despite it’s chilly title, “Frozen” is a bundle of winter warmth, a delightful and dazzling display of Disney animation at its finest,” writes a warm and gooey Tom Long in The Detroit News.
“Graced with the wonderful vocal talents of Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel, this is also the most successful Disney musical in years, featuring bright new songs from the husband and wife team of Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez. Broadway, clear a stage, because this is coming,” he announces.
”(“Frozen”) makes it clear that girls who pin all their hopes on romance may want to rethink the fairy tale and opt for self-reliance,” writes a pleasantly surprised Linda Barnard in The Star.
“Welcome to Disney 2.0, which has learned from the box office success of “Tangled” and last year’s “Brave,” that kids are demanding a lot more from their cartoon princesses these days.”
“As impossible as it may seem, these two even pass the Bechdel test for feminism on film, where two women talk to each other about something other than a man. Make way for a new kind of fairy tale. These ‘Frozen’ princesses are the kind we can definitely warm to,” she adds.
David Hiltbrand sees a two-fold value in the film. “‘Frozen’ starts off like one of the studio’s fairy-tale classics, with a royal family facing a terrible curse in its Edenic preindustrial kingdom,” he writes for Philly.com.
“But then, as Anna sets off from the palace to save her sister and her kingdom, ‘Frozen’ abruptly takes a goofy and juvenile turn. A balmy, buck-toothed snowman named Olaf hijacks the movie and steers ‘Frozen’ in a direction that is campier, as well as more childish and contemporary. Don’t be put off. ‘Frozen’ is a highly unusual but hugely enjoyable double feature,” he adds.
Promising, to say the least!
“While the journey may seem overly familiar, the destination has some surprises in store. Some come out of nowhere and don’t exactly work. But the biggie—the one that’s a real game-changer in terms of the sorts of messages Disney animated classics have sent for decades — is the one that’s important not just for the little girls in the audience, but for all viewers. It’s so innovative, it makes you wish everything about the film met the same clever standard,” writes Christy Lemire.
Now, I’m curious.
“Beautifully animated, smartly written, and stocked with singalong songs, ‘Frozen’ adds another worthy entry to the Disney canon,” reads Rotten Tomatoes beside an enviable 84 percent rating.
Weekend sorted?