Frozen

[Matt_Black]

I'd take a look on the Disney Wiki. Also, it's spelled "Arendelle", so that may have been messing up your google search a bit.

 

[Hobnail Boot]

Hah yeah that may have been why. I tried the Wiki but didn't find much. I'll just have to wing it from far away shots. Thanks for the help.

 

[AndyLL]

Haven't been around for awhile.

Just wanted to mention that Frozens Japan box office run is even more impressive then its domestic run. It is currently top 5 all time in Japan and has a great shot of being #2. It has an outside shot at beating #1 ( spirited away) in US dollars.

US animated movies just do not do that in Japan.

All-Time Top-Grossing Films (USD)

01 :: $244.0 million - Spirited Away (2001)
02 :: $212.0 million - Titanic (1997)
03 :: $207.0 million - Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
04 :: $188.7 million - Avatar (2009)
05 :: $167.4 million - Frozen (2014) [After 59 Days]
06 :: $165.5 million - Princess Mononoke (1997)
07 :: $164.5 million - Bayside Shakedown: Save the Rainbow Bridge! (2003)
08 :: $163.7 million - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)
09 :: $156.0 million - Ponyo (2008)
10 :: $147.8 million - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
11 :: $142.8 million - Alice in Wonderland (2010)
12 :: $130.7 million - Toy Story 3 (2010)
13 :: $126.7 million - The Last Samurai (2003)
14 :: $125.3 million - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011)
15 :: $125.1 million - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
16 :: $123.5 million - The Wind Rises (2013)
17 :: $120.6 million - Jurassic Park (1993)
18 :: $117.6 million - Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
19 :: $114.9 million - Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
20 :: $111.9 million - Arrietty (2010)

 

[morningstar]

I liked the background/layout work.
Some nice settings and clever design elements.
They did their homework in regards to the Norwegian culture and patterns.

Yes. I'm not sure anything popped as much as the tower in Tangled, but it was very beautiful without screaming, "Look at me!" which is actually a good thing.

I liked the songs for the most part.
Very showy...very 'Broadway-like'.
The 'Let It Go' vocal performance was the standout however.

If I understand you I agree, but it's less to my taste. If anything, my complaint about this song is that it was too much like a music video and didn't fit in with the flow of the story. The piano intro in particular seemed out of place with the rest of the score.

The performance by Idina Menzel was stunning.
Yeah, the imagery used during this sequence is pretty...but for me it was the vocal performance that really shined.
I could easily separate the two elements which made me think the voice of Elsa and the singer were two different people.

And yet I think the song performance was nicely in character. Not just a vocal performance, but acting at the same time.

What i did not overly care much for were the characters and story.
Olaf was also not appealing to me. It just seemed he was there as the typical cute, comic relief character to appeal to the kiddies in the audience.
Oh..and to sell toys/plush of.
If he was absent from the film, it would have played just as well.

Other than some small important functions, such as explaining love to Anna, yes. Actually Olaf from the beginning of the movie (when he didn't talk) was much more endearing.

I can see why people have taken this film to a high level, and why many feel a personal emotional connection to it.
I understood this even before seeing the film, and noted that earlier in this thread in one of my previous posts.
People embrace the film and the character of Elsa because she is a metaphor for those who feel that they cannot be themselves, either in society in general, or with their family/friends.
I totally get that...and i think everyone can relate to this on some level.
Teens and young adults especially ( which probably explains why they love this movie so ).
That is a nice thing..and i am glad this film spoke to them on that level.
For me, it did'nt.
It was a pretty movie to look at...but not a lot of substance. Much like my experience seeing 'Tangled'.
Both are films i could enjoy looking at from a artistic standpoint, but were somewhat 'empty' to me.
Like a brightly wrapped empty box.
Pretty to admire and look at ....but once open, nothing there.

Strange that you recognize that the characters have strong relevance, but your overall review is negative. I also think it's not just Elsa. Anna is the perfect wide-eyed optimist as a counterpoint to Elsa. Hans is very likeable.

And the story was certainly not flimsy. The setup of Anna getting hurt by Elsa's powers and how that continues to motivate Elsa, Elsa's flight, Hans' twist, and the twist on the "love conquers all" ending - these are all strong story elements.

 

[morningstar]

The real problem with Frozen's story (as released) is that the conflict between the two sisters is actually completely resolved as soon as Ana tells Elsa that she needs to use her X-men powers to unfreeze the kingdom.

I realize maybe this comes off as fanboyish, but, umm, Elsa doesn't know how to unfreeze the kingdom. She doesn't have powers. She has a personality disorder. Saying, "Unfreeze the kingdom," is like saying to a person with a mental illness, "Just stop being crazy."

The movie just keeps rolling on, though, for another 45 minutes. If you listen to the (mostly awful) demo songs on the special edition of the soundtrack you can see that the Ana/Elsa story was originally a lot more interesting, with Ana telling Elsa that for the good everybody else it's probably best that she puts the gloves back on. Elsa doesn't take that very well, and whether or not she goes full-on villainess at that point of the story or not, it at least gives the movie an emotional and idealogical conflict that sees it through to the conclusion.

That does sound really interesting, although I have a hard time seeing how they get from there to a happy ending. And it would certainly make Anna's character less likeable. Also conflicts with Anna's basic motivation in the film, which is to get Elsa to open up to her, not be more closed off.

 

[morningstar]

I am interested to see what direction they turn now after this success.
Hopefully not a series of 'cloned films'.
As Bairstow above me noted, 'Frozen' comes off as a 'Tangled' clone to some.
I also had that opinion and still do, even after viewing it.

I don't see how you can say that. Sure, they have very similar animation styles, but that's like saying Beauty and the Beast is a clone of The Little Mermaid. Plots and characters are totally different in Tangled and Frozen. You could find some tenuous parallels. Anna and Rapunzel are both shut-in children, but this aspect is really only emphasized in one song in Frozen. Kristoff's character arc is a bit like Flynn Rider's, from amoral to caring, but it's a central theme in Tangled, whereas it barely affects the plot of Frozen at all. There's no real parallel for Mother Gothel, Hans, or Elsa between the two movies.

 

[morningstar]

I especially find odd the popularity of Elsa over Anna since she comes across as very negative most of the time. Why do little girls love her over the much more fun Anna?

I guess it depends which kind of character you like more: one you want to be like, or one you are like, flawed and scared. Elsa is definitely the more interesting character.

 

[morningstar]

I actually thought olaf was the best use of a sidekick from a Disney film that made sense to the theme of the film. He was symbolic of those girls innocence and love for each other, specifically Elsa's love for Anna. He is the memory and feeling of all that personified into a living snowman. He act's as a bridge between them and eventually brings them back together, had he not shown Anna and Kristoff the way they never would have found elsa, had he not helped Anna when she was freezing and locked that's how she would have gone. I can see how his personality might rub some the wrong way, but when it comes to serving the film he is just a fantastic character.

You get Olaf. He is annoying, but his purpose is to say the simple things that everybody knows deep down, but forgets because of all the complications of life.

 

[morningstar]

And that's a fair point. I wonder if Pocahontas and Hunchback of Notre Dame would be held in higher esteem if they didn't have to follow The Lion King.

I rewatched Pocahontas recently. I recall thinking it was not up to the standard of the Disney Renaissance (Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Lion King). However on rewatching it, there are a lot of really great parts.

 

[EricJ]

I rewatched Pocahontas recently. I recall thinking it was not up to the standard of the Disney Renaissance (Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Lion King). However on rewatching it, there are a lot of really great parts.

I'm geezer enough to have seen Pocahontas and Hunchback in theaters, and, frankly, we hated them even THEN--
Pocahontas was forced to become a hamhanded propaganda film for Disney to sell its Virginia park to the native community, and so made absolutely sure we knew that the Indians were good and Ratcliffe was bad, but that we should really get to know each other before getting unreasonable about "invaders"...
And Hunchback, frankly, was the reason I hated Frozen: Disney's Broadway ambitions were in full swing after Beauty & the Beast, the boardrooms started looking at "stage-ready" movies (with humans not animals), and every scene in the, ahem, ANIMATED movie looked as if it had already been blocked out for flesh-and-blood actors on a stage. I'm sorry, when Frollo or Esmeralda each stand in the middle of the scene for three or four minutes singing their big song, that's not, by Webster's definition, an animated movie.
And ftm, don't even get me started on Lion King (from the screenwriter of Maleficent and Tim Burton's Alice!), and not just because they tried to file the serial numbers off of an anime series they had actually semi-licensed, and call it "Shakespeare" when they hoped we hadn't heard of anime yet either. Katzenberg's come up with some almost contemptuously lame alibis, but that one still takes the cake.

Be honest, the best 90's Renaissance Disney movies only came from John Musker & Ron Clements, and those who caught Treasure Planet on disk have to admit, it wasn't that bad either.

 

[morningstar]

Pocahontas was forced to become a hamhanded propaganda film for Disney to sell its Virginia park to the native community

Wait, there was going to be a Virginia park? Wait, Virginia has natives? I saw Pocahontas when it was new, but I was not so clued in to behind the scenes back then.

and so made absolutely sure we knew that the Indians were good and Ratcliffe was bad, but that we should really get to know each other before getting unreasonable about "invaders"...

Well you can look at it as one of a trend of "politically correct" movies. With Lion King, Pocahontas, and Mulan, you have a streak of non-European heroes. Lion King was moderately preachy about the environment, Pocahontas about colonialism, and Mulan about feminism. I don't think there was any external pressure that resulted in that. I think it was just what the creative people were passionate about at the time.

And I think Pocahontas was rather balanced, really. Not all the English were bad. Most of them were just misled. ("Or so we have been told by the Virginia Company.") Thomas was just a kid; he didn't really want to shoot anybody. Not all of the natives were entirely good. The song "Savages" portrays both sides with basically the same attitude: "They're different from us, which means they must be evil / can't be trusted."

And Hunchback, frankly, was the reason I hated Frozen: Disney's Broadway ambitions were in full swing after Beauty & the Beast, the boardrooms started looking at "stage-ready" movies (with humans not animals)

Ironically, wasn't the Lion King a huge broadway success?

, and every scene in the, ahem, ANIMATED movie looked as if it had already been blocked out for flesh-and-blood actors on a stage. I'm sorry, when Frollo or Esmeralda each stand in the middle of the scene for three or four minutes singing their big song, that's not, by Webster's definition, an animated movie.

But what does this have to do with Frozen, other than it having a number of good songs (which isn't a bad thing)? We have Anna all over town for First Time in Forever, jumping across rooftops for Love Is an Open Door, a whole castle is created during Let It Go. Are you saying there's not enough animation during the musical numbers in Frozen?

 

[Gabe1]

It is funny money
Lion King was 1994 $312,855,561, yet Converted to USD 2014 funds for inflation for box office comparisons it is 498,710,000 give or take, as you can't compare what admission prices were 20 years go

Lifetime Gross: $422,783,777

Now will Frozen continue to earn another 100+ million and still be a strong presence 20 years from now?

 

[EricJ]

Wait, there was going to be a Virginia park? I saw Pocahontas when it was new, but I was not so clued in to behind the scenes back

Yyyep--To quote Eisner's words, they "thought they would be welcomed with open arms". (FTR, the Boy Scouts eventually bought the land, last I heard.)
If you're wondering what happened to Disney America, the "Williamsburg-swatter", most of the concept art was later repurposed into DCA 1.0

But what does this have to do with Frozen, other than it having a number of good songs (which isn't a bad thing)? We have Anna all over town for First Time in Forever, jumping across rooftops for Love Is an Open Door, a whole castle is created during Let It Go. Are you saying there's not enough animation during the musical numbers in Frozen?

No, we have a collection of Annas singing in front of a door, teen Anna dancing around a hallway of portraits, Anna & Hans climbing around balconies, a troll garden that's already blocked out for the New Amsterdam with a chorus of extras, a big snowy mountain of no distinct background scenery to solo against, and an ice palace interior that looks like it was already taken from the stage set, complete with climactic Act I intermission.

...Yes, I am.

 

[Matt_Black]

I realize maybe this comes off as fanboyish, but, umm, Elsa doesn't know how to unfreeze the kingdom. She doesn't have powers. She has a personality disorder. Saying, "Unfreeze the kingdom," is like saying to a person with a mental illness, "Just stop being crazy."

Well, I think "stop having powers" would be the closer analogy for the first part.

But yes, I think Frozen can be read as an allegory for dealing with mental illness. In the scene where Anna confronts Elsa, replace the glove with a bottle of medication, and the scene still works exactly the same.

 

[Sped2424]

It is funny money
Lion King was 1994 $312,855,561, yet Converted to USD 2014 funds for inflation for box office comparisons it is 498,710,000 give or take, as you can't compare what admission prices were 20 years go

Lifetime Gross: $422,783,777

Now will Frozen continue to earn another 100+ million and still be a strong presence 20 years from now?

Another 100 million plus most likely not, but staying power 20 years from now? I think so, especially if the phenomenon of the song let it go proves for anything.

 

[Matt_Black]

Be honest, the best 90's Renaissance Disney movies only came from John Musker & Ron Clements, and those who caught Treasure Planet on disk have to admit, it wasn't that bad either.

I disagree. Hunchback was awesome (though 90% of that is due to just how friggin' amazing Tony Jay was as Frollo), Hercules might be my personal favorite (it's a better modern Superman movie than the actual modern Superman movies), and Tarzan held on to Disney's #3 money-maker spot behind Lion King and Aladdin for over a decade; even now, it sits at a none-too-shabby #6.

And Treasure Planet was THE BOMB, yo. If there's any movie they need to re-release in 3D, it's that one.

 

[216bruce]

I disagree. Hunchback was awesome (though 90% of that is due to just how friggin' amazing Tony Jay was as Frollo), Hercules might be my personal favorite (it's a better modern Superman movie than the actual modern Superman movies), and Tarzan held on to Disney's #3 money-maker spot behind Lion King and Aladdin for over a decade; even now, it sits at a none-too-shabby #6.

And Treasure Planet was THE BOMB, yo. If there's any movie they need to re-release in 3D, it's that one.

Yep. What he said.

 

[EricJ]

Just as I've heard Beauty&Beast fans say they love the movie but, strangely, never mention ANY other scene besides the Golden Ballroom, I've heard loyal Hunchback fans say they love the movie but never mention any other scene besides Hellfire. Uh, there were 78 other minutes in the movie, you know.

We now bring you back to the thread of Frozen, Let It Go, and "the ending was all about the sisters!"

 

[Matt_Black]

Just as I've heard Beauty&Beast fans say they love the movie but, strangely, never mention ANY other scene besides the Golden Ballroom, I've heard loyal Hunchback fans say they love the movie but never mention any other scene besides Hellfire. Uh, there were 78 other minutes in the movie, you know.

No, people usually give high marks to the opening, as it's one of the best opening sequences in any Disney animated film, for my money.

 

[Sped2424]

Just as I've heard Beauty&Beast fans say they love the movie but, strangely, never mention ANY other scene besides the Golden Ballroom, I've heard loyal Hunchback fans say they love the movie but never mention any other scene besides Hellfire. Uh, there were 78 other minutes in the movie, you know.

We now bring you back to the thread of Frozen, Let It Go, and "the ending was all about the sisters!"

My favorite scenes from hunchback (it is one of my favorite films)


You make a pretty big consensus about it's fan base without much proof.
Also this is my favorite scene from Frozen