Well, I finally made it to the theatre to see Frozen, Disney’s musical and very loose retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen. In fact, the only similarities are there is a Queen who enjoys a chill, a girl who ventures to the frozen castle and a smattering of trolls. Just in case you haven’t seen this family flick, here is a brief synopsis: 2 sisters, 1 is born “different” and after a near accident involving her younger sister is confined to her own room. After the sudden passing of their parents, #1 inherits the throne, stresses herself out, accidentally reveals her penchant for ice and flees for the mountains, but not before casting an eternal winter on her kingdom in the middle of summer. #2 goes after her sister in an effort to calm emotions and bring back the summertime. The sisters quarrel and #2 is wounded by magic. With the help of a local merchant and mysterious frozen sidekick, we learn that the spell can only be reversed by an act of true love. Through twists and turns, #2 makes the ultimate sacrifice by standing up for her troubled elder sister and the world is set to right.
That being said, I think there are more similarities between Frozen and Carrie that the fairy tale. A young girl who has special abilities is seen as an outcast and the harder she tries to hide her power, the more they show and the more people they hurt. While Frozen is much softer and has a happy ending, it’s difficult to ignore the similarities.
It really is worth a watch and I truly did enjoy it! The animation is incredible and major props to the lyricist for working the word “fractals” into a children’s movie. Broadway sensation Idina Menzel and TV/film actress Kristen Bell voice the sisters and are marvelous together. But my favorite moment in the whole film is during the song of Olaf, the sidekick snowman. He’s rhyming away about wanting to cuddle in the middle of summer and how it would make him a….happy snowman! Ahhhh…if you haven’t seen it, seriously, at least watch the musical number, In Summer. And I have no doubt that there will be many little Snow Queens flitting about for the next few years!
For a fun peek into the world of animation recording, check out this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzs8u-gPcxU
