Before I start my review of this film, let me say that I didn’t think I was going to like it. The preview that I have seen of this film had several things against it: The first is the living snowman, who looks like he could seriously Jar-Jar up the place. The second is the dialogue sounded too modern. Characters say things like: “Oh this is awkward, not your awkward, but my awkward. Wait…what?” The preview even played one of my current favorite songs: “Harlem” by New Politics, and I still didn’t want to see this. The preview is supposed to make me want to see the film, and played one of my favorite songs. What does that say about this film?

Needless to say, I was not looking forward to seeing Frozen with my kids, even though my daughter really wanted to see it. She posted on Facebook saying “I think I am the only one that hasn’t seen Frozen“. I was pretty surprised when I found there are scenes of Frozen that I enjoyed immensely.

The film is a surprising runaway success, and it feels like it was…planned that way. Disney has had its ups and downs in the past few decades. There was that huge boom in the early nineties that was due to the huge hits of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and the Lion King. It took a dive after Pocahontas, and there was a few animated movies that I personally like, but Pixar sort of cornered the market for Disney animation after Toy Story. In fact, I have a theory about the relationship between Disney and Pixar. Pixar almost went independent a few years ago, but then Disney bought them at the last minute. Since then, Pixar has produced mediocre sequels and bad originals like Brave. I have a theory that Disney bought Pixar and then asked them to purposely make inferior material while they produce hits like Tangled, Wreck-it Ralph, and now Frozen.

Frozen is based on a story by Hans Christian Anderson, just like The Little Mermaid. You think Disney was trying to get something going again by taking more material from the popular Danish author? I totally think so. The Source material was a story known as “The Snow Queen”, and I am not certain how faithful they were to the material. Since it is Disney, I’m going to say…no.

The story begins with two sisters, who live in some old Danish village. Elsa was apparently born with the power to make snow and ice, but she injures her sister Anna one day. Anna is healed of her injury by these weird troll things, and Elsa tries to spend her adolescent years attempting to control her power. Unfortunately, the day Elsa is crowned queen is when she completely loses control of her powers and throws the entire kingdom into perpetual winter.

The film has a lot of typical Disney stuff like Broadway musical numbers, princesses, and things that Disney practically has done to death. I will have to say that Frozen has a lot of overly-complicated story elements that aren’t needed, and there is a big plot twist that seems completely out of nowhere or expected, depending on who you ask.

I won’t spoil the big reveal, but I will say what Frozen does well. First, the character of Elsa and her struggle to stay in control, as well as the dysfunctional relationship with her sister is done so very well. Elsa’s song “Let it Go” is very well done and is deserving of its Oscar, and it is the second reason that I like this film. Why did the preview that I saw emphasis this? I cannot deny that these numbers had an emotional effect on me, but there were elements that worked against Frozen.

I believe that I have already stated some of the elements that don’t work for Frozen. Surprisingly, it wasn’t Olaf the living snowman, or the modernized dialogue. It is unnecessary and overdone plot elements that work against the film, but this film’s success have shown that people are willing to overlook them.