Frozen

Magenta Panther

Magenta Panther

Well-Known Member
DisneyFan 2000 said:
As for the critics disappointed by the lack of a classic villain... Sure, I'll give you that point, there was the opportunity to make the Snow Queen truly evil.
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See, that's what bugs me the most about this so-called loose adaptation of the Snow Queen. Instead of a cool (pun intended), awesome new wicked queen...we get a misunderstood princess. Meh.
 
Disneyfanman

Disneyfanman

Well-Known Member
Saw it a second time, this time in 3D. The 3D was beautiful, but I don't know if it added anything. I can tell you though that I loved it even more on a second viewing. I would place this and TS3 as my favorite Disney films of the last decade. It just feels like they got everything right. I hope that Disney is rewarded for their effort here. I have read that some folks are upset that they significantly changed the source material or that there isn't a truly evil villain. I get all of that but couldn't care less about it personally. It, for me, was absolutely wonderful. My advice is, if people are unsure, to give Frozen a chance. Put it on Broadway. Stage it at the theme parks. And for goodness sake have Idina sing "Let it go" at the Oscars. Yowza.
 
sponono88

sponono88

Well-Known Member
Disneyfanman said:
Saw it a second time, this time in 3D. The 3D was beautiful, but I don't know if it added anything. I can tell you though that I loved it even more on a second viewing. I would place this and TS3 as my favorite Disney films of the last decade. It just feels like they got everything right. I hope that Disney is rewarded for their effort here. I have read that some folks are upset that they significantly changed the source material or that there isn't a truly evil villain. I get all of that but couldn't care less about it personally. It, for me, was absolutely wonderful. My advice is, if people are unsure, to give Frozen a chance. Put it on Broadway. Stage it at the theme parks. And for goodness sake have Idina sing "Let it go" at the Oscars. Yowza.
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I was fortunate to be at the D23 presentation this year when Idina came on stage and sang Let It Go live. That was the first time I had ever heard the song so I didn't fully appreciate it the way I do now (after it's been on constant repeat on my iTunes!).

I wasn't a very big fan of Tangled or its music so I wasn't sure what to expect from Frozen.. after watching it last night, I think it far surpasses any animated movie I have seen in the last decade. The "Let It Go" sequence is beautiful in both music and animation -- the way it's all put together is a big showstopper that gave me chills and was a pure joy to watch.
 
Sped2424

Sped2424

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Looks like this film is headed to be a critical and commercial success, already beating some of tangles previous scores which is a pretty big deal. Makes me wonder what theme park tie ins are now going to begin happening. If anna and elsa are meeting in Norway, their wait times are going to implode soon. I know there is a halt on all imagineering at the moment but I think this movie is very suitable for an attraction. Based of the vast landscapes and plot points they have a lot to work with, but I know nothing will come of it! Just some wishful thinking! GAH I just haven't been this impressed with a disney film since, well forever! The music is definitely what took this film from great, to classic. Its just the core of every classic disney film, the music has to be on that level and I think both princess and the frog and tangled just didn't meet the heights soundtrack wise that frozen did! Also I ain't exaggerating when I say that the deleted songs are amazing!
 
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Sped2424

Sped2424

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
englanddg said:
More Spoilers











That was a great twist. The last 1/3rd of the movie was really good, I thought. Something I would have like to have seen (and I think would have kicked the plot up another notch) is if Elsa had gone alittle more into the "Dark Side". Years of repression and isolation and her embracing of her powers, I thought it would have set up the character not to want to isolate, but want to dominate. To vent years of pent up frustration on others.

They almost went there when the two bowmen attacked her...but, I would have liked her to be a bit more...well...evil. Not Maleficent evil...there's still a kind heart, but it's frozen. That way, she's actually more sympathetic, since you know WHY she ended up that way. Rather than just coming off as helpless and depressed.

I know this would have fundamentally changed the character, but I think it would have made the ending dynamic (undying love of her sister) more poignant, and the final scene even more powerful.

I also wish they'd at least TRIED to explain why she had those powers. They could easily have tied that to the trolls. Maybe, while building a snowman with her sister as a child while the family camps, a freak snowstorm traps her, or she gets buried in an avalanche. A wise Troll hears her pleas for help, and "gifts" her the power to keep her alive. Her distraught parents are amazed when the Ice Vendors (and a young Kristoff) find her...BAM opening of the movie right there!
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I actually like the fact that they never explain why she has powers, elsa was just born like that just as the trolls asked "Born or cursed?" ties more into the theme of acceptance of who you are. I think her character was much more dynamic because she wasn't venting or placing her anger on anyone else, elsa is overly critical of herself she much like many people I know let her own fears dominate and control her from doing pretty much anything. So much so that she ends up hurting the people she cares about the most her sister, I mean she even missed her parents funeral because she was afraid of hurting others, to see the expression on her face when she can't comfort anna is mortifying. What's more sympathetic than someone who has huge difficulty embracing what they view as different and having the possibility of out casting them if anyone were to find out? Depressed yes but helpless? Not so much!
 
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Sped2424

Sped2424

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
RandomPrincess said:
Saw it and LOVED it! My 4 yo DD loved it too! She's not a big princess movie fan when she wants to watch a movie it's Wreak It Ralph, Cars or Nemo but she really liked Frozen and asked when we could watch it again. Of course Olaf was a big favorite but she seemed to get some of the "message" of the movie as well. That Elsa wasn't bad or mean but she needed help. She was singing to Let It Go during the credits.

I LOVED it too. I was scared it had been over hyped in it's greatness to the point I would be disappointed but I really liked it. I think this is the first Disney movie to have such a huge emotional impact on me since I was a preteen watching The Little Mermaid and agreeing with Ariel "Bright young women, sick of swimmin', ready to to stand".

Elsa (maybe since I was an older sister who had to grow up to soon) I really identified with her.

The song with the ice harvesters really invoked the Roustabouts song from Dumbo for me.

I was pretty much tearing up the whole childhood part of the movie. Do you wanna build a Snow Man had me.

All the songs were great in context of the movie. I'm still upset they have Jonathan Groff and he didn't get a real song. I'm assuming some of his possible songs ended up cut since they wrote about 30 songs for the film over the production.

Spoilers ----

Love that the sister save each other in the end. Love that people tell Anna she's crazy for wanting to marry someone she's known for a day. Love that the sister save each other and the act of "true love" wasn't what you expect. Some how they managed to make a fairy tale that seems fresh, modern and classic at the same time. They also did it without winking at the audience or mocking classic Disney.
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That's my favorite part too finally Disney redefined that true love goes more than just your significant other, its your family and friends you cherish too! Best of all, not once is anna rescued by anyone other than herself! She breaks her own spell and curse all on her own, she gets revenge on hans (who I still don't know why he is marketed around the kids toy like he is someone nice!) and she learns to take things one step at a time. Also she wakes up like I do so I think she is basically amazing.
 
Sped2424

Sped2424

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
RandomPrincess said:
Entertainment Weekly seems to like Frozen. They have a bunch of little articles and blog posts. The latest is ranking the 9 songs in the movie (they love the music). The descriptions maybe spoilers -

9. “Frozen Heart”The movie’s opening number features a chorale of harmonizing ice harvesters (obviously the best kind of ice harvesters) singing about how much they love chopping up ice. We never see or hear from these hefty fellas again, and because the song is basically a giant warning about the dangers of frozen things, I give it last place because of heavy-handed foreshadowing (and because I forgot it’s even a song).
8. “Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People”Why even cast Jonathan Groff in a musical if he only gets to sing for 51 seconds, half of which involve his Willard Scott “reindeer voice”? I suppose it’s always dreamy listening to Groff sing anything, even for a nanosecond, but damn if I didn’t wish he got a tenor power ballad. (P.S. What’s with the parenthetical?)

7. “For the First Time in Forever (Reprise)”Elsa and Anna’s big confrontation song is also an epiphany song, and the two couple perfectly for a vocal explosion of character self-realization and divas in counterpoint. Kudos to Kristen Bell for even trying to get a belt in edgewise while Idina Menzel chant-riffs all over the place.

6. “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?”Sixth place for this charming little prologue will probably upset some folks, but the only good part of this song is the last verse. Sorry about it. For what it’s worth, it’s heartbreaking and super super sad, but unfortunately it doesn’t particularly beg for repeat listening, and certainly not above the next five.

5. “Love Is an Open Door”This sickly sweet declaration of romance between Anna and her shady-speedy fiancé Hans is goofy and giddy. The scene in the movie is loaded with laughs, but on the soundtrack, it’s a bright blast of fresh air amid some of the slower numbers. Knowing Bobby Lopez’s humor, I imagine that the song’s over-the-top so-in-love enthusiasm is a self-reflexive joke in and of itself, sort of like Enchanted. Or, like, Donny and Marie.

4. “For the First Time in Forever”Ah, the “I wish” number for a new generation. Bell easily sells the first half of this song with the angelic optimism of a Disney princess and the confident vibrato of a Broadway ingénue, and it’s hard not to love her or what she brings to the princess roster. (Show me Belle or Mulan singing the lyric “Don’t know if I’m elated or gassy, but I’m somewhere in that zone.”) When Menzel joins in, the magic in Bell’s soaring notes, well, flies. This (along with “Let It Go”) is the top-of-your-lungs shower song you’ve been dreaming of since “Part of Your World.”

3. “In Summer”Chalk third place up to Josh Gad’s infectious comic charm, which is conveyed even without seeing the shenanigans onscreen. Though I’ve always equated Gad’s vibrato to a Tickle Me Elmo undergoing tapotement massage mid-earthquake, the Book of Mormon vet’s unique sound works particularly well for snowman Olaf’s big song. The lyrics are fun and frothy (you can tell the Lopezes had a ball writing this one), and the casual ominousness (“I’ll be doing whatever snow does in summer”) is just hilariously dark.

2. “Let It Go”Yes, this song should technically be No. 1. Demi Lovato’s cover is fine, but she barely does justice to the impeccable vocals of Menzel, whose Tony-winning voice is bespoke for this lofty song (as the composers told EW). Part “Defying Gravity,” part “I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore” (which, I guess, is technically still “Defying Gravity”), Elsa’s big number is an incredible anthem of liberation, matched by the animators’ spectacular visuals when she shirks her responsibilities and builds a mesmerizing crystalline palace. I dare you to listen and not feel chills.

1. “Fixer Upper”Say whatever you want, but the trolls’ number is hands down the best song in the movie: the de facto “Be Our Guest” and the jubilant group number that’s going to win over the adults in the crowd as well as the kids. I don’t know if it’s the random characters (like sassy-mouthed Baby Troll), the melody that harkens back to the great Disney classics, or the fabulously random gospel break at the end. I simply can’t stop listening to this song; there’s nothing to fix about it.
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Fixer upper might be one of the funniest songs in the film. Infectious tune for sure! I love the turn around how anna becomes the fixer upper! And by the way I aint see no ring! That part killed me
 
DisneyFan 2000

DisneyFan 2000

Well-Known Member
Magenta Panther said:
See, that's what bugs me the most about this so-called loose adaptation of the Snow Queen. Instead of a cool (pun intended), awesome new wicked queen...we get a misunderstood princess. Meh.
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I definitely know where you're coming from. Over the years I've had a lot of fun growing up to the evils of Ursula, Scar, Jafar, Frollo and so on. Thing is, we have plenty of these. Frozen is the first time that I can recall that Disney nailed the antagonist and made a "middle-ground" kind of villain interesting. This has always been Pixar's area of expertise and to see Disney have a successful crack at it is refreshing. The closest they've managed to come to this kind of character before was in Brother Bear (with Kenai's brother) and lets face it, he wasn't even close to interesting. Just my opinion and again, I can definitely see why you'd be disappointed. I'm sure we'll see future fairy-tale adaptations that tackle a straight-forward villain. :)
 
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RandomPrincess

RandomPrincess

Keep Moving Forward
I like the way villains are portrayed, it's more realistic.

You have the fear monger who comes looking for a problem and immediately turns on Elsa when she shows powers. He makes everything bigger and more overblown then it is. "She attacked me!" , "You slipped on ice".

Then you have Hans who seems nice and charming but really has his own agenda. These are the types of villains you are more likely to meet in real life. the person who pretends to be your friend but isn't.
 
Magenta Panther

Magenta Panther

Well-Known Member
RandomPrincess said:
I like the way villains are portrayed, it's more realistic.

You have the fear monger who comes looking for a problem and immediately turns on Elsa when she shows powers. He makes everything bigger and more overblown then it is. "She attacked me!" , "You slipped on ice".

Then you have Hans who seems nice and charming but really has his own agenda. These are the types of villains you are more likely to meet in real life. the person who pretends to be your friend but isn't.
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I guess I'm not really looking for real life when I watch a fantasy film. Certain elements of it should relate to real life, of course, or we, the audience, couldn't identify with what's going on, but...I prefer a really awesome, elegant, fearsome and even beautiful villain to a wussy princess, I guess. Now that's not to say that such a villain couldn't be redeemed at the end in some way - example: Darth Vader. But in the meantime it's so much fun to see them wreak havoc...as long as they do it with style, of course.

Here are screencaps of the 1957 Russian animated film "The Snow Queen":

snow-comp-41.jpg


Now THAT'S what I'm talking about. Think of something like this, plussed a million times by Disney animation. That's what I was hoping for...
 
RandomPrincess

RandomPrincess

Keep Moving Forward
Magenta Panther said:
I guess I'm not really looking for real life when I watch a fantasy film. Certain elements of it should relate to real life, of course, or we, the audience, couldn't identify with what's going on, but...I prefer a really awesome, elegant, fearsome and even beautiful villain to a wussy princess, I guess. Now that's not to say that such a villain couldn't be redeemed at the end in some way - example: Darth Vader. But in the meantime it's so much fun to see them wreak havoc...as long as they do it with style, of course.

Here are screencaps of the 1957 Russian animated film "The Snow Queen":

snow-comp-41.jpg


Now THAT'S what I'm talking about. Think of something like this, plussed a million times by Disney animation. That's what I was hoping for...
Click to expand...
What I had to get passed was this is not the Snow Queen - The story has nothing to do with the Snow Queen. Elsa can make snow and ice with her hands that is the only thing that is even similar to the Snow Queen. You have to take it as an original story, which it basically is.
 
Animaniac93-98

Animaniac93-98

Well-Known Member
Disneyfanman said:
93 million (5 day total)! It blew past every prediction.
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BOM predicts the movie could make more than $250 million domestically before it's done, which would make it Disney's biggest animated hit in a long time.

If the movie's final total is at or above $280 million, it will be Disney's biggest hit since Lion King even when adjusting for inflation. :eek: (this is based on revenue, not # of tickets sold).
 

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