Director:
Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee

Starring:
Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Santina Fontana

Other notable appearances:
Alan Tudyk, Robert Pine

Running time:
102 minutes

Watch this if you liked:
Tangled, The Princess and the Frog, The Emperor’s New Groove

Queen Elsa (Menzel) has kept her ice powers a secret since an accident that nearly killed her sister Anna (Bell) as a child. Yet when Anna announces her engagement to Prince Hans (Fontana) and pushes Elsa to accept it, Elsa unwittingly reveals her powers to the kingdom, its allies and her sister.

Elsa flees the kingdom without realising she has plunged it into an eternal winter. It is up to Princess Anna and her new friends Kristoff (Groff), Sven and Olaf (Gad) to save Arendelle.

It has been 27 months since Frozen changed the world as we know it. Over two years since children (and adults — admit it) everywhere were enchanted by the magical world of Princess Anna and Queen Elsa. I was lucky enough to see it at the cinema many times upon its original theatrical release. The magic of seeing Frozen on the big screen has not dissipated in the slightest.

I love the characters in Frozen. Queen Elsa who is terrified of herself and hurting those she loves. Sweet Princess Anna who is quirky and relatable, shows us that it’s okay to be impulsive, young at heart and a bit left of centre. Prince Hans oozes charm and grace but proves that isn’t always what you need. Sarcastic and gruff Kristoff who has a heart of gold. Comedy relief snowman Olaf who dreams big. Last but definitely not least is Sven the reindeer who is the latest in a long line of animal sidekicks without whom the film would not be as entertaining.

The story of Frozen is loosely based on the Hans Christian Anderson tale The Snow Queen. However, Frozen has taken the classic tale, changed it up a bit then added lots of humour, loveable characters, wonderful songs and a truly despicable villain. The result is magical.

The songs in Frozen are superb. I think I would be hard pressed to find someone who hasn’t heard “Let It Go”, the film’s flagship song. “Let It Go” signals a major turning point for one of the main characters and it is the perfect reflection of the character’s transition.

There are more great songs where that came from though. “In Summer” is a fun romp through Olaf’s dreams of summer. The homage to Mary Poppins during the dance number is delightful. “Fixer Upper” is a hilarious look into Kristoff’s life and flaws as his adoptive family tries to set him up with Princess Anna. “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” and both “For the First Time in Forever” and its reprise are insightful glimpses into the relationship and differences between the sisters. All of the songs are great sing-alongs to boot.

All in all, I would recommend that fans of Frozen not pass up any opportunity to fall in love with your favourite characters all over again on the big screen.

Rating: 5/5

“Oh, look at that. I’ve been impaled.”