Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

It's unrealistic to watch animated movies these days and be able to call one better than all the rest - and that goes for Disney movies, too. True enough, each year one animated feature eventually goes on to win an Academy Award, along with several other awards, but for the most part, even the year's most praised film looks just like the last. Only a select few films in the last decade, like Toy Story, Monsters Inc., and Finding Nemo will withstand the test of time and possibly earn a place in the same conversation as Disney classics, like Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast. Still, every now and then, Disney treats animated movie lovers to something special, and to be completely honest, it's been quite a while. This might be a bit premature to say, but Disney has finally struck gold once more (and not just commercially) with a film that has the potential to be one of the greatest animated films every created. That film is called Frozen. Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee write (along with Shane Morris) and direct Disney's Frozen, loosely based on The Snow Queen - a story created by Hans Christian Anderson. The film begins with the introduction of two young children, both princesses - Elsa and Anna. However, Elsa has the power to control the winter elements, ice and snow. After a terrible accident, the girls' parents decide to isolate Elsa from Anna and wipe Anna's mind clean about Elsa's powers in order to protect Anna from knowing the truth. Flash forward several years, the day has come for Elsa (Idina Menzel) to claim her right as the Queen of Arendelle. Now an adult and Queen, Elsa must face the people of her kingdom, all of whom she has hidden herself away since she is unable to control her powers. Unfortunately, her greatest fear comes true after an encounter with Anna (Kristen Bell), who spontaneously decides she wants to marry a visiting prince, Hans (Santino Fontana). Unwilling to give her blessing for the marriage and angry with her sister, Elsa unintentionally unleashes her powers on the entire kingdom, instantly turning winter to summer. Elsa quickly leaves the kingdom and rushes to the mountains, creating her own palace of ice away from anyone and everyone. Feeling responsible, Anna embarks on a quest, along with a mountain-based ice maker, Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), his reindeer, Sven, and a magical snowman, Olaf (Josh Gad), to bring the Queen home. For whatever reason, Disney moved away from the on-screen musicals that provided some of the most memorable soundtracks in film history. You may recall A Whole New World from Aladdin and Circle of Life from The Lion King as being just the tip of the iceberg in a massive library of memorable songs over a variety of films. In all likelihood, Disney simply got sidetracked with spectacular new animation and the realization that 3D implementation had endless potential (which is hardly the case). Regardless, the diehard lovers of Disney classics will be happy that the company has decided to revisit the musical aspect of storytelling. Both Kristin Bell and Idina Menzel simply thrive with their heartfelt, energetic voices, and even though there's very little about the songs in Frozen that stand out, the hope is that Disney will continue with this classic trend. The music, meshed with the story, easily makes Frozen one of the most unique animated features in recent memory. Just when you think you have this story figured out it will absolutely surprise you with its misdirection. Initially, Frozen appears to be a film that will pit sister vs. sister, sort of like a Good Witch of the North vs. the Wicked Witch of the West dynamic. However, that couldn't be further from the truth as there is a serious amount of character inner turmoil and theme-driven action going on here instead. One princess is desperate to protect the world from her own actions, even though she becomes exactly what she hoped to avoid. The other princess is more traditional with her intent to find true love and save her sister, plus the kingdom (and her sister) - both of which she loves to no end. Like the story itself, the characters are also much different than anything you'd expect out of a film of this nature. Every little girl on this planet will fall in love with Anna, the happiest princess you could possibly ever imagine. Kristin Bell is a splendid choice for this role, bringing an enthusiasm to a character that you can't help but adore. She breaks out into song early and often, singing songs including Do You Want to Build a Snowman? and Love is an Open Door. Even Menzel, who is portraying a bit of a tragic character, sings with reassurance in songs that include Let It Go and For the First Time in Forever. The most outstanding premise in this film is the fact that there is no major antagonist. While that is a bit surprising for an animated film, the story goes in a much more thematic direction. Queen Elsa is the closest thing to a villain in this story, but she doesn't mean to be. Her goal is to protect the people she cares about, but fails miserably. As the story progresses, it becomes more about redeeming an individual that has simply lost her way and needs help to find the path back to "the light." To help the Queen, there are a few odd characters that shine in their own unique manner, including a comical snowman, and a moose that loves his carrots. Even though the film progresses in a mostly serious tone, these two supporting characters won't fail to make you laugh. Overall, there's very little not to like about Frozen. It contains an honest-to-goodness message that parents should feel free subjecting their children to. The film is far lighter on the animated violence that has been much more prominent in many films recently. And, the action sequences that do occur are either playful or of the supernatural variety. For young boys, the constant presence of princesses may be a bit tedious, but the girls will absolutely love them. Anna and Elsa might just be in line for the massive commercial success of Ariel and Tinker Bell. In any event, Disney has a monster hit on their hands that will easily thrive on all formats (theater, home video, etc.) for years and years to come. GRADE: A FNDNreview.com