Because Princess Elsa’s ability to create ice and snow is dangerously hard to control, she and her sister Anna are kept apart; years later, Elsa’s coronation to the throne of Arendelle ends in disaster… Once again, Disney heads back to a trusted well for another animated fairy tale and tweaks Hans Christian Andersen until he fits the mold. Formulaic, indeed, but still fun and grand 3D entertainment with a wonderful winter landscape (based on Norway), a very funny sidekick in the shape of a loosely assembled snowman and two well-written female protagonists. Icing on the cake is the soundtrack, a musical experience that looks destined for Broadway.
2013-U.S. Animated. 102 min. Color. Widescreen. Produced by Peter Del Vecho. Directed by Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee. Screenplay: Jennifer Lee. Fairy Tale: Hans Christian Andersen (“The Snow Queen”). Songs: “For the First Time in Forever”, “Let It Go” (Robert Lopez, Kristen Anderson-Lopez). Voices of Kristen Bell (Anna), Idina Menzel (Elsa), Jonathan Groff (Kristoff), Josh Gad, Santino Fontana, Alan Tudyk… Ciarán Hinds.
Trivia: Later a stage musical. Followed by Frozen II (2019).
Oscars: Best Animated Feature, Original Song (“Let It Go”). Golden Globe: Best Animated Feature Film. BAFTA: Best Animated Film.
Last word: “We never had an outline of where the songs would go, but we worked with Bobby and Kristin [Lopez] every day, via video conference. I would bring in pages and we would think about what kind of song could go here, and if it wouldn’t work there. And if it didn’t work, I’d rewrite everything leading up to it. The best example of that is ‘Let It Go’. Elsa was much more of a dominant character when we began, like a straightforward villain, and with ‘Let It Go’, we were inspired by them writing that song. We were so blown away by it, we really wanted it to be powerful and to resonate, so I went and rewrote the whole first act, just for that song.” (Lee, Den of Geek)
