I’ve decided to start a monthly cultural discussion about a book, movie, or TV show. My readers and I had a lot of fun when we did a discussion about The Hunger Games, so I’m excited about the possibilities of this. If you have suggestions on what you’d like to discuss, let me know in the comments! 
So, without further ado, today’s topic of discussion is Disney’s Frozen. As I’m sure you know, since the film came out in November, Frozen mania has swept the nation with an unexpected fervor. If you haven’t seen it yet, I really do suggest that you do. It was worth seeing in theaters.
I don’t think it was perfect, though. I adored the way they wove the threads of true love in an unconventional but impactful way, redefining, in some ways, the theme that Disney has pounded out for years. I felt it had its problems, though. Feel free to comment with any of your thoughts about Frozen, but here are some questions to get you started:
- What was your favorite part/aspect of the film? Mine is hard to pin down, but I think it was the story between Anna and Elsa and the theme that love is laying down your life for someone. I loved the animation and the music and just about everything else about it, though.
- What, if anything, disappointed you the most? I felt like the backstory didn’t come full circle. I wanted a moment where Kristoff realized that Anna and Elsa were the two little girls he saw before he met the trolls. But that never seemed to come into play; it felt unfulfilled to me.
- Favorite song? I loved the soundtrack to this movie! And, unlike the songs from Tangled, which I love in the course of the film but which bore me on their own, these songs mesmerize me. As for which one was my favorite, I’m going to say Do You Want to Build a Snowman? Though one of the saddest songs in the movie, it tells such a poignant story. And it makes me cry just about every time I listen to it…
Jump into the conversation in the comments; I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
What was your favorite part/aspect of the film?
ReplyDeleteMy favorite part...gargoyles, that's hard to pin down. Um. Maybe the part where they meet Olaf. That was my favorite! I also love how it wasn't cliche.
What, if anything, disappointed you the most?
I'm pretty happy with what Frozen offered. It's Disney, it's light, it's happy. That's really all I can ask for.
Favorite song? Hmmm..."First Time In Forever" or "Let It Go." Or "In Summer." Frozen's songs were all so amazing that I couldn't.
Thanks for doing this!
~Rcubed~
Mm, the part where they meet Olaf was pretty great! And you're right: he wasn't cliche. The whole idea that he's a creation of Elsa's imagination is fascinating enough to me, but then the character is a whole 'nother pile of amazing. :D I appreciated his character and story arc immensely; and humor is usually an asset! ;)
DeleteI know what you mean about the songs. I was delighted with the soundtrack when I watched Frozen in theaters, and there are so many different emotions demonstrated in those songs. I love that they stand so strongly on their own, apart from the movie, though, of course, they meld wonderfully with the film.
Well, thank you for commenting! I love to hear people's input!
Hey, Bluebelle!
ReplyDeleteI'm not going to lie, Frozen is my top movie for 2013. I went to the theater thinking it was going to be a somewhat funny movie about a snowman, and only found out it was Disney once the princesses made their first appearance. Beginning with the three starter points...
1 What was your favorite part/aspect of the film?
In one word, Elsa. Though there were many very good aspects to the movie, the one that really grabbed me was the inner struggle of the Queen. Unlike many movies, especially Disney movies, her struggle was shown in what I thought was a very realistic fashion. The early stages, a lack of control and fear of what that lack could do was presented well I thought, if not in as much detail as I would have liked (one of the few complaints I have with the movie). I especially liked the point they made of Elsa going "cold" when she became afraid (thus Anna being 'shut out'). The poker-face effect, done very well and realistically, in my opinion. Later, with Let It Go, she thawed part of that poker face (debatably not an entirely good thing, as she threw off responsibility, people, and at least part of her sense of morality in the process), but eventually came to become a "real" person, with much help from Anna.
@Bluebelle:
Yes! Doing a sister story was a great move on the part of the makers! And the change from the mainstream Disney was refreshing, shocking, and hilarious. XD ... Not that I dislike mainstream Disney movies, quite the contrary, but still.
2 What, if anything, disappointed you the most?
The lack of a strong ending. One song right around the thaw, maybe a Let It Go reprise or a Do You Want to Build a Snowman reprise, would have done wonders, in my opinion. Elsa's "Love thaws" realization was the weakest point in the movie.
@Bluebelle:
There were a lot of loose ends in the story. Unrealized and/or unexplained points that are left to the viewers imagination to fill in. Myself, this didn't bug me as much as it could have, probably because I viewed it as more of a Theme movie, less as a Plot movie (if that makes any sense). I've been shocked to find that many people I talk to prefer Tangled over Frozen, solely because of the difference in plot solidarity.
3 Favorite song?
Let It Go ranks high, of course, but I would have to say the For the First Time in Forever reprise was my favorite. A, or perhaps The, pivotal moment in the story when both Elsa and Anna realize that things aren't going quite how they had thought. A moment of truth.
@Bluebelle:
Sad from both Anna's and Elsa's perspective. Rather surprising how sad it is, with such a cute little girl (going off the voice) singing a song about sisters. The introduction of the princesses was what pulled me into liking the movie first, but it was Do you Want to Build a Snowman, and the development that took place during the song, that really got me emotionally engaged. I expect it will always hold a special place in my Frozen heart. :)
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Wow! I really respect all the thought you put into your answers! I love seeing people get into these discussions! :)
Delete1. Elsa was certainly a wonderful character, and, obviously, a key part to the story. I, too, thought her struggle was shown. And it's something a lot of people do: shut others out because they love them. I liked that the film showed the importance of letting love in, not shutting it out.
2. I hadn't thought about the ending being weak before, but I went back and watched the scene on Youtube, and I think you're right. When I watched the movie, I was disappointed by other things, and I suppose I just didn't notice that weak spot. Even though I love the theme it demonstrates, I agree that it wasn't carried out perfectly. Hmm, I have trouble applauding a "Theme" movie over a "Plot" movie, because, to me, a good movie melds both. And though Frozen does hold strong themes, I wish they had planned the plot better. As for people liking Tangled better, that's interesting. I didn't know that. I can see why, but, at the same time, I don't. I love Tangled, but, to me, Frozen was much better. I haven't re-watched either of them in a while, though, so I'll just have to see when I get around to it. :)
3. Ah, yes, the Reprise. It is a wonderful song, full of emotion and turning points. I honestly don't know why people love "Let It Go" so much. I love the way Idina Menzel sings it, but it's not really near the top of my favorites. A lot happens in that song, and, honestly, I thought it was Elsa's villain transformation at first. But the somewhat rebellious strain in it turns me off to it, as a standalone song anyway. Yes, "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" is incredibly poignant. Not because Anna is singing about sisters, but because Elsa pushes her away, and Anna can't understand why. That was the other thing that confused me: their parents should have given Anna some kind of explanation, however weak, for Elsa's sudden withdrawal, but they didn't.
After these, I would add a couple of questions of my own:
ReplyDelete4 Who is your favorite character, and why?
For myself, of course, it is Elsa, hands-down no contest. The why is in my answer to the first question. :)
5 What was your favorite decidedly non-Disney moment?
For myself, I have something of a hard time picking a favorite. I find them all quite funny simply because they make a point of poking fun at some of the classic plot pieces. *SPOILER* In the end though, I think I must land on the somewhat surprising turn of Hans. While it did seem rushed, as far as the plot went, and didn't really add a ton to the story, I found it hilarious just because of the twist on what must be one of the most classic Disney characters of all time.
... To go down this path a little further, beyond the scope of the original question... Even with the rushed feel, it wasn't without some story value. I thought the twist helped develop Anna in a surprising way. Anna: "I don't even know what love is." Not something your run-of-the-mill Disney princess says. The whole spin of her falling for Hans due to the lack of love from her sister (and of him being something of a dirtbag) was also a thought provoking and character enhancing bit, I thought.
A final question, though it's more of a poll...
6 Do you want to see a Frozen 2?
Myself, I would lean towards no, just because the first seems classic (and classics don't generally have sequels. At least, not the kind that you talk about or remember). However, if they were to make another I'm not going to say I wouldn't be seeing it within the first days of showing. ;)
4. Hmm, I think mine is Kristoff. I loved how he realized that love is sacrifice and thus took Anna back to Hans even though he loved her, because he wanted to save her. Plus, despite his odd habit of sharing food with Sven, he's just incredibly loveable, brave, and realistic. He's a good, though not perfect of course, model of what girls should look for in a man, in my opinion.
Delete5. Non-Disney moment? It's hard for me to define exactly what a "Disney moment" is, so it's thus difficult to show it's opposite. But I agree with you about Hans. See, I thought he added a lot to the story. Because of Anna's infatuation with him, she doesn't immediately fall in love with Kristoff. And it makes her rethink her whole conception of love. The whole situation with Hans makes Anna grow up, in a way. I haven't watched Frozen recently, so I can't say whether it felt rushed or not. I don't remember it seeming that way, but I could be wrong. :)
6. Well, I think they're making one whether we want it or not. But I honestly don't know. Considering the plot holes in this one, I'm somewhat concerned about the potential for failure in a sequel. Yet I love the characters, and I believe they could make an excellent film if they work hard at it, treating it as if it was the first movie instead of just capitalizing on the money. *laughs* I know what you mean about seeing it, though!
Thanks so much for your thoughts, Michael! I enjoyed reading them! What do the rest of you think about his questions?
What was your favorite part/aspect of the film?
ReplyDeleteI love the sister relationship, even though they didn't always get along. It was touching to see how Anna tried to mend their relationship despite Elsa's wanting to be alone. It paid off in the end. But of course I love Olaf. He's hilarious.
What, if anything, disappointed you the most?
I was loving the whole thing until the end. I feel as if it got a bit rushed while they were trying to end and figure out how Anna could get with Kristoff. There should've been some amount of foreshadowing with Hans; I felt it a bit unbelievable.
Favorite song?
Hehe, I liked, "In Summer" just because it's amusing and I couldn't stop laughing the whole time. I also liked, "Let it Go." But, I'd have to go with, "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" in the end. The little kids are adorable in that scene! You also get to see how Anna gets repeatedly "shut out" and see develops in both storylines.
- Katie
Hello, Katie! Thanks for stopping by!
Delete*grin* Yes, Olaf is hilarious. But he's also quite deep. I appreciated that he's not just comic relief; "some people are worth melting for," for example. *blinks away tears* :D
As I told Michael above, I can't remember if it was rushed or not. And, yes, the story could have benefited from some foreshadowing, but I didn't find it unbelievable. Why did you?
Agreed! "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" does an excellent job of character development. It also raises a lot of questions, like, "What does Anna do all day?" and "Who's running the kingdom until Elsa comes of age?" Did you find yourself asking those questions?
You're very welcome :)
DeleteAs for the unbelievable part, it was mostly because of the lack of foreshadowing. (At least that's what I think) I was so shocked to realize that Hans was bad. For some reason it just didn't click with me.
I was asking myself your first question, but hadn't thought of the second. Huh. I wonder...
- Katie
I was able to re-watch the movie for the first time yesterday, so now I can see what you mean. The only inkling you get of his motive is when he says he has twelve older brothers. He actually does seem really nice to everyone, including Elsa at first. Hmm, I hadn't really thought of this before.
DeleteHaha, yeah, those are the kinds of things running through my head as I'm sitting in the front row of a crowded theater... :D
Oh, and by the way... We tagged you for a blog award, not sure if you're following us or not :)
Deletehttp://cousinsinchrist.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-sunflower-blogger-award.html
- Katie and Anna
Hey, I popped over to the blog and answered you on the post. :)
DeleteHey there, Katie!
DeleteYes, Olaf was executed so well! I was sort of afraid that he would turn into a not-so-funny funny guy, but he was, as you both put it, hilarious! I especially liked how innocent he was, but coupled with the darkness of some of his humor. "Yeah,I bet she's the nicest, gentlest, warmest person ever... Oh look, I've been impaled." The most notable point of that innocent/dark humor being "In Summer", which I too found very funny, especially in a Disney Princess movie. XD A funny side note: There was a little boy watching it nearby, my second time through, and he kept asking his parents questions like "What does impale mean?" and "Tell him what?" (during/after "In Summer"). Made the contrast that much funnier. XD
*laughs* Oh my goodness, little kids' reactions are priceless!
DeleteI just really, really like how Anna loves to eat. Haha! I think she kind of made the movie for me - real, funny, flawed. My niece is such an Elsa fan....so we have this discussion a lot. :)
ReplyDelete~Liv
Absolutely! I loved that Anna was such a non-perfect Disney princess. I mean, she had actual bed-head! It was great. And you're right: she's such a klutz, but she's incredibly genuine and loving. Haha, I'll bet your niece tries to convince you that Elsa's better?
DeleteHey, Liv!
DeleteAnna was amazing! Elsa ended up elevating to the top of my list over the course of the movie, but Anna was one of the first aspects that really grabbed me from the movie. I'm not sure what to call it her personality, I think air-headed (not in an all negative way) or exuberant (not in an all positive way), but it was very real and alive. The chocolate thing was a good show of her character, providing a deeper look into her psych in that it indicated a sort of child-like pleasure in life. A naivety and/or innocence, I guess. I was especially tickled by the line "Don't know if I'm elated or gassy, but I'm somewhere in that zone!". :)
Haha, that line got me, too! I mean, what other princess movie would you hear that in? :D
Delete"Do you wanna build a snowman?" is an awesome song to me, mostly because of all the parodies of it that have been created (:P)
ReplyDeleteI also thought it was cool how Elsa's character was played by Idina Menzel, an woman of Indian descent. (Even though it was sort of off when Elsa was singing, and an Indian accent was coming out of her mouth O_o)
But I really give kudos to Disney for this movie because it was different from all of the cliche Disney princess movies. For one thing, Prince Charming (a.k.a Hans) really turned out to be evil and not in love with Anna. I like how Elsa finally pointed out, after all these years of Disney princess movies, that you can't marry someone you just met just because they're attractive. And I liked how Anna and Kristoff's love seemed more realistic, but that the real love story was about Elsa and Anna.
Yes, there are some amazing parodies of it out there! I don't know if you watch BBC's Sherlock at all, but I've found "Do You Want to Play Deductions?" pretty amusing.
DeleteI didn't know Idina Menzel has Indian blood, and it didn't sound strange to me in the movie. I loved how unique her voice is. It gave another layer to Elsa's character, in my opinion.
Oh, absolutely! "You can't marry a man you just met!" Only what parents have been thinking for years after watching Disney movies... :D Thanks so much for stopping by!
Howdy, OW!
DeleteHehe. Yes, the older-sister Voice of Reason. A great non-Disney comment, and a good way of highlighting some of the differences between the sisters. I would have been a tad unhappy if Elsa had gone evil after making a comment like that. XD On Anna and Kristoff, I too liked how it was more realistic then if it had been Anna and Hans, however, I did feel that it was a little rushed in some ways. It didn't bug me much, being a side plot (in my opinion), but it seemed to be just a step up from the love-at-first-sight by the end of it. It was more of a love-in-first-day thing. :P This is actually one point that I think Tangled did exceedingly well at, and that Frozen didn't spotlight as much. Anna and Kristoff weren't the super-cliche Disney couple, but I didn't feel that it was very well developed by the end, in my opinion. Not that it's ruined, or anything, they just didn't expend the screen time (rightly so) to develop it out. A short blurb on how Tangled did it right, in my opinion, being how the relationship developed throughout the movie, but they didn't rush it to the end. In the final bit of narration, Flynn talks about how he spent the next years (months, at least, but I believe it was years) pursuing, which I thought was very realistic.
Well, this seems to have gone unexpectedly stagnant! If you've got any other thoughts on Frozen, chime in, by all means. I do have another question, though: How many of you have seen the fan theories circulating around the Internet? And what do you think of them?
ReplyDeleteHey there again, Bluebelle!
DeleteI'm back to swamp the topic with replies! :D
Assuming you refer to the possible inter-weaving of the Disney Princess universe, I have been hearing about it here and there for awhile, but some Googling shows that it has picked up quite a bit since last I heard of it. What do I think about them... I think they are fun theories, but would be surprised if they actually played into any canon. Of course, it seems that Marvel/Disney have really popularized the inter-weaving of separate stories these last few years, so who knows, maybe it will spread to the Princess-verse. I kind of don't want them to do so, for reasons similar to why I wouldn't want to see a Frozen 2, but if they did it well I could see it be pretty awesome!
Yeah, I've definitely seen a surprising amount of activity from the fandom (does Frozen have a fandom?) I love the idea that Frozen and Tangled are connected, though. And I, personally, accept it as canon. ;) The idea that their parents ship is the shipwreck in The Little Mermaid just made me sad, though... And The Little Mermaid was never one of my well-liked Disney movies.
Delete