★★★★☆
Four Stars
I watched Frozen on a hot summer’s evening with my 18 year old sister and, at 20 years old, I would happily do it again. I was initially resistant – I couldn’t bear the thought of 90 minutes watching bubble-gum flavoured Disney princess crap. But what I expected turned out to be exactly what this movie is consciously rejecting and critiquing. The most important relationship in Frozen is not between a blonde bimbo and some guy she’s just met who has a crown and claims to be charming; it’s between two sisters. Two sisters who are really cool. Frozen, as it were.
When I was at the age of watching Disney movies, my two personal favourites were Mulan and Pocahontas. They seemed the coolest to me, and in retrospect that’s probably because they involve the most proactive Disney females in an industry of very passive princesses. They take matters into their own hands, and boy do they get shit done – Mulan saves all of China!
The two heroines of Frozen are similarly badass. Anna doesn’t send her prince on a rescue mission for her sister – she goes herself. When she needs “an act of true love” to save her from death, she doesn’t mope around – she goes herself to find one. Elsa builds an extremely cool palace, creates two ice beings, and ultimately overcomes what appears to be a form of anxiety or depression and rules in peace. They’re great models for me, and they’re undoubtedly great role models for young girls. (Certainly, it beats any of the women in The Hobbit. Oh wait – there’s only one! One woman who is shoe-horned into the work for the sake of romance. Great!)
Apart from finally having some cool female role models for the 21st century, it’s also just a good movie. Unlike Brave it actually has a plot, rather than being an excuse to throw around a “feisty female” who has an entire CGI programme made for her hair. For example, a mainstay of any Disney movie is the songs – and the songs in this are great. There’s already a proliferation of YouTube clips showing adorable children singing the songs, and you absolutely need to add them to your Disney sing-along playlist. (Everybody has one. Don’t lie.) The little Sis and I were singing “Do you want to build a snowman?” for a week after we watched it. It is easily the best Disney song I’ve heard in the last 10 years.
Another thing you might consider is how beautiful the animation is. The wintry landscape is gorgeous, an on-screen representation of a snowy life which makes one feel like the cool breeze is emerging from the screen and settling onto your body. I’ve even been told that they created an entirely new CGI algorithm for the snow!
You should watch Frozen. Whether you are male or female, young or old, watching it in winter or summer, you absolutely need to watch it. Mainly so I have someone to sing “Do you want to build a snowman?” with.
Frozen is in cinemas now
