Frozen Movie Review

Almost a week after it came out, we worked up the courage to go see Disney's newest animated feauture, Frozen, with a 10 month old baby. Since he has separation anxiety, we couldn't leave him with a sitter; since both J and I wanted to see the movie we opted to take the baby with us. We planned it around his naptime, and it worked like a charm. I went armed with his favorite snacks, just in case, but I needn't have worried. He was rapt during the previews, then started fussing as the movie was about to start. So I nursed him asleep and he napped in my arms the whole movie. We also went in the middle of a school day, so there would be the fewest other movie viewers disturbed if our plan went awry.

The movie itself was amazing. I loved it! I knew while I was watching it that this is one of those movies I'll buy and watch over and over again. J wasn't a fan of the songs, but I still liked them. There wasn't one perfect song, but I found each song enjoyable. I think the reason J wasn't as big a fan of the songs is because they were more Broadway-style and less Disney style. Typically in a Disney movie, the songs further the plot. Not all the songs in Frozen served that purpose. Sometimes a character would break into song as an emotional release or for their own entertainment.

One thing they nailed was the winter atmosphere. From the snow to the aurora, the animation perfectly portrayed winter. The snow was realistic in how it fell, how it looked, and how it would make the characters feel. The most impressive animation to me was the ice and the aurora. Whenever the aurora is portrayed in films or books, they often show it in summer. But the aurora is typically only visible in latitudes where the sun doesn't set during the summer; if the sun doesn't set, you can't see the aurora. But Frozen only showed the aurora in the winter scenes, and they showed it accurately. The didn't go crazy with the colors or make it dance too fast; part of what makes the aurora borealis beautiful is the slow ribbons of light, moving gently.

I love the plot as well; from the focus on sisters to learning to trust yourself. Kirsten Bell and Idina Menzel each did a wonderful job. I had no idea Veronica Mars could sing!

I absolutely loved it and can't wait for it to come out on bluray. I can't imagine how amazing the effects will look in HD after seeing how they looked on the big screen.