Review of Frozen (2013) by Ian H — 12 Oct 2015

Totally reneging on my haterade fueled initial review of this movie. Having watched the first 45 minutes about 20 times in the last couple of weeks, I'm sold. My daughter loves this movie. She's had a cold and this makes her happy.

She dances, and makes this "OOOOOO" face every time we start it up. We went to a wedding recently and the only way I could keep her chill was by playing the video for "Let it Go" on youtube.

She noticed the sound was off but it worked good enough. From a grown up point of view, I'm amazed I haven't grown totally sick of the movie. I know I will, and watching it over and over again as a way to appease my daughter may have created a sort of Disney branded Stockholm Syndrome, but there are some really incredible jokes buried in here.

Somehow, the damn snowman, voiced by the insufferable Josh Gad, has become a highlight of this film for me. I know he's just there because Disney had to have some comic relief for the little little kids, but I love Olaf.

I love that goddamn snowman so much. The song he sings about loving summer is ridiculous and shoehorned in but I crack up every time. Good on you, Josh Gad, good on you. I was initially off-put by the film's setting up a heel turn for Elsa that never comes.

And we've only made it to the end of the movie like once (and that was after skipping big chunks) but I get it now. The really delicious heel turn comes from Hans. It's a pitch black, vintage Disney betrayal, and it sets up the whole heal-your-frozen-heart-with-an-act-of-true-love climax like a charm.

I still think the whole "Let it Go" sequence where Elsa basically turns into a sexed up Carrie Underwood is weird, but outside of that I let this film melt my frozen heart and I gave in.