Reviews:
A113 Animation: 10/10
To cut back to the chase, Frozen is a triumph: a musically thrilling, narratively gripping, gleefully enthralling feat of animated excellence. Its the best Disney film since The Lion King and, yes, it is the best animated film of the year.
Den of Geek: 5/5
The biggest compliment I can thus give Frozen is this: somebody watching it is going to feel the same way about Disney's latest that I felt over 20 years ago when I first saw Beauty And The Beast. At its peak, Frozen is Walt Disney Animation Studios firing with everything, demonstrating why it's emerged in recent years as the most interesting mainstream producers of feature animation (with terrific features such as Wreck-It Ralph, Tangled, The Princess And The Frog and Winnie The Pooh). And this is very much a Disney film, the kind you feel nobody else could make. It's a fairytale, but co-director Jennifer Lee's screenplay manages to modernise it, whilst never losing the feeling of tradition. There's no cheating here - it's the story itself that's been made more relevant, rather than any gimmicks attached around it.
This is the best Walt Disney Animation Studios movie in a generation, and the best family movie - by a considerable distance - of the year. It's an astounding piece of work, and the kind of film that we'll still be buying on whatever's replaced DVD in 30 years' time.
Digital Spy: 5/5
Everybody remembers their first Disney film. The most remarkable thing about Frozen, the fairytale adaptation that has been in the works for more than half a century, is that it feels like your first Disney film all over again, with all the dizzying joy and emotional power that implies. Eschewing the traditional boy-girl core story in favour of the relationship between two sisters, this is Disney Animation Studios' strongest outing in years. With heart and wit and powerhouse songs in spades, it has the feeling of an instant classic.
Frozen is an exhilarating, joyous, human story that's as frequently laugh-out-loud funny as it is startling and daring and poignant. Hot on the heels of the 90th anniversary, it's impossible to imagine a more perfect celebration of everything Disney is at its best.
Population Go: 5/5
Frozen is the best Disney animated movie since the 90s. Yeah, I am going to have to jump on the bandwagon here. 2011, 2012, and most of 2013 have been extremely poor when it comes to its animated offerings, so I am glad to see that the genre is not completely bone dry. Frozen blends a tightly paced and wonderful plot, gorgeous animation, memorable characters, and show stopping songs and creates a film so good that it gives me hope for the future of the studio. I liked Frozen so much that I now have to rethink how I will rate my favourite Disney movies. Frozen is truly one of the greatest animated/family films to come out in recent memory and I am now excited to see what other tricks Disney has up their sleeves.
Examiner: 5/5
Frozen is a Disney musical in its finest form and an instant classic that isnt just great for this holiday season, but for any time of the year. If youre a Disney animation fan, then youre going to want to see this. If you are the casual Disney fan, youre going to want to see this. If you are not a fan of Disney at all? Well
then
youre going to want to see this.
Awards Circuit: 4/4
Another film lives up to the hype and then some. Frozen is one of the years best films and should walk away with the Oscar for Animated Feature.
CinemaBlend: 4/5
Big animated movies are under crazy pressure to teach kids the "right" lessons, but Frozen wears that pressure lightly, putting much more focus on its gorgeous animation, its insanely catchy songs and its well-earned emotional highs. Especially as Disney turns toward revamping older princesses like Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella for live-action dramas, it's a pleasure to see the studio go back to what they've always done well and prove they've still got it.
IGN: 9.3/10
Top to bottom, Frozen is a delight. The writing is witty, the voicing is excellent, the story is nuanced and the songs are some of the best since Beauty and the Beast. It's a throwback to a wondrous time in Disney animation, and just a ton of fun.
Crave Online: 9/10
Despite occasional, welcome commentary about the backwards themes of Disney Princess movies past, Frozen is a sincere addition to the canon, with lovable performances, gorgeous animation, impressive songs and an unusual take on a familiar type of story, one that thrills at all the right moments, but not for the reasons that were used to. I suspect it will thaw the iciest cynic and cool the most heated detractors of the Disney fairy tale genre. Frozen really is a beautiful and unique snowflake
reminiscent of the rest, but really, theres nothing quite like it.
Indie-wire: A
Over the last few years Disney Animation has solidified and with "Princess and the Frog" and "Tangled," have refocused on the classic fairy tales that fueled both golden eras of Disney Animation. "Princess and the Frog" was genuinely magical, but it often felt like the audience was resistant to the old school animation, and "Tangled" was an attempt to make those classic tales multi-dimensional, which worked (mostly), but was somewhat sabotaged by forgettable songs and occasionally clunky plotting. With "Frozen," the lessons learned from those previous movies have been sharply utilized. "Frozen" feels like classic Disney animation. If someone had announced "Frozen" as the studio's follow-up to "Beauty & the Beast," no one would blink. It's that good.
And this film is an incredibly strong addition to that lineage, one full of genuine magic and awe, where ice castles can materialize out of wintery air and snowmen can dream about hot weather. As far as animated movies go, it doesn't get that much better than "Frozen." It's a new Disney classic.
HIT FIX: A
Confidently written and positively spilling over with charm, "Frozen," co-directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, belongs on a shelf right there next to "Beauty" and "Mermaid" and "The Lion King" as one of the most effective expressions of the Disney ideal as possible. For some reason, though, if you were to look at the marketing for the film, it would be hard to figure out exactly what film it is, something that seems like a strange disconnect based on just how good the movie is.
The Scene Magazine: A-
People who are fans of classical Disney musicals should find a lot to love in Frozen, and considering how many generations grow up on these pictures, there are plenty. What makes this film notably special is how it focuses on the relationship of two sisters: one in fear and the other trying to understand why shes scared. Its an emotional tale filled with Broadway-bound tunes and it is obvious the amount of care put into it. Despite Buck being a long-time animation veteran and Lee being fairly new to the field (her only previous credit is co-writing Wreck-It Ralph), the two work well together and its actually that combination of classic and new that makes Frozen work. This is certainly going to be spun in the players of many families for years, joining the ranks of the other Disney productions that have remained popular through the decades. The possibility of me feeling even more positive about Frozen on repeat viewings is also likely. Walt Disney Animation Studios has been on a tremendous roll lately and this continues their current streak of success.
Kitsap Sun: A-
'Frozen' mixes music and animation to create a soaring holiday delight.
Screen Crush: 8/10
I left Frozen convinced that this was a major new page for family entertainment. Then again, Im the same guy who was convinced The Princess and the Frog was going to usher in a widespread fervor for Nawlins jazz and Creole culture. If Frozen is merely a mild success like Princess, the message is clear: Disney should stick with temperate climates.
Honeycutts Hollywood: 8/10
Walt Disney Animation is back from the dead.
The Upcoming: 3/5
Frozen drags a little when it gets close to the end, a little self-indulgent in its age-old pretense that a happy ending isnt necessarily forthcoming. However, it picks up its pace quickly enough with pulse-quickening emotional drama and an unexpected sacrifice that, for a moment, seems very uncharacteristically harsh but thankfully, true love can seemingly melt even the hardest of hearts, and this tale of sisterly love is certain to send the frostiest of audiences away smiling.
Slant Magazine: 2.5/4
Beyond allowing Disney to release a film that's apt for the holiday season (and one that, to boot, is notably secular), it's never clear why Elsa could summon the tundra in the first place, just as it's anyone's guess why Arendelle's theme music sounds African in nature. But what matters most is something that would surely please Disney-princess-fatigued moms: These sisters, both queens in their own rights, are doin' it for themselves.
Forbes
Frozen is a wholehearted embrace of that musical legacy, even if its partially in service of the Broadway show that this film is destined to become, as well as an unapologetic re-embrace of the fairy tale genre. The film pushing the fairy tale princess story forward rather than mocking it or bathing in nostalgia. Frozen is not just a new animated classic but a turning point for the Mouse House. Walt Disney Animation has spent the last decade attempting to define what it represents in the shadow of Pixar and Dreamworks. With Frozen, Disney has made good on the promise to keep moving forward. It has reignited its own towering relevance by admitting what it does better than anyone else and once again doing it better than anyone else. It does iconic female-centric fairy tale adventures with terrific songs. Thats not the only thing a Disney animated film can be, but its what separates Disney from Pixar, Dreamworks, and and all the rest.
Frozen is both a declaration of Disneys renewed cultural relevance and a reaffirmation of Disney coming to terms with its own legacy and its own identity. Its also a just plain terrific bit of family entertainment.
Hollywood Reporter (SPOILERS!)
Shrewdly calculated down the the smallest detail in terms of its appeal factor, this smartly dressed package injects a traditional fairy tale, Hans Christian Andersen's The Snow Queen, with enough contemporary attitudes and female empowerment touches to please both little girls and their moms. Energetic, humorous and not too cloying, as well as the first Hollywood film in many years to warn of global cooling rather than warming, this tuneful toon upgrades what has been a lackluster year for big studio animated fare and, beginning with its Thanksgiving opening, should live up to box-office expectations as one of the studio's hoped-for holiday-spanning blockbusters.
Disney has loaded on the TLC to make sure this becomes one of its big ones.
Variety
But this always enjoyable tale of mysterious magic, imperiled princesses and square-jawed men of action proves longer on striking visuals than on truly engaging or memorable characters. With the family crowd pretty much to itself this holiday season, Frozen should generate considerable box-office heat, if not quite the same level of critical and audience affection that attended the superior Tangled and Wreck-It Ralph.
The Wrap
This is the best animated musical to come out of Disney since the tragic death of lyricist Howard Ashman, whose work on The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast helped build the studios modern animated division into what it is today. And while Frozen may provide some new outfits for young princesses-in-waiting, its a movie that inspires inner strength to go with those outer ruffles.
Toronto Sun
Some of these are good movies that will earn Oscar noms for best animated feature -- and you just have to love those minions in the Despicable Me movies. But Frozen is a breed apart, for its classical fairytale roots and for what it means to the Disney tradition that began 76 years ago with the debut of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on Dec. 21, 1937.
Neon Tommy
Disney has officially won over our hearts again with its new movie "Frozen," a fairy tale based off of "The Snow Queen" by Hans Christian Anderson.
Networked Blogs
Disneys animation has been on a roll and with having won an Annie (Animation Award) last year forWreck-It-Ralph, they are going to be giving Universals Despicable Me 2, a fight for the title of Best Animated Feature. I have not seen animation this beautiful since the hand drawn Snow White, and using modern technology in animation, Disney is once again leading pack. You wont need your gloves, Frozen will melt your heart.
Inside the Magic
Disney built expectations high when suggesting Frozen is the greatest Disney animated event since The Lion King. I cant say Id push the comparison quite that far, but their 53rd animated feature film is indeed a very good one. With likable characters, memorable songs, and gorgeous scenery this movie is emotional and relatable, with just a handful of crucially cringe-worthy moments that thaw the overall satisfaction it delivers.
Sasaki Time
The film comes together beautifully. There is no story lag and the movie keeps moving forward. The animation is beautiful and the snow looks alive and at times acts as a character in the movie. The directors knew when to hold things back and let those big moments soar! They also were not afraid to take some unexpected twists and turns here. Again I will not spoil these for you! I want you to be as surprised as I was when these moments happen!
If Frozen is any indication of where the Walt Disney Animation Studios stands then this is the studios at its peak! Frozen is a movie that feels classic with contemporary themes as well as music to create an unforgettable movie experience that will bring you back to see it again and again!
Badass Digest
Frozen is a throwback to the quality of the 90s Disney animation renaissance, but with a very modern feel. It straddles the classic and the current in a way that will delight Disney geeks of all stripes, and its wonderfully girl-powered story melted the heart of even a Disney cynic like me.
Flick Filosopher
Oh my goddess. Where did Frozen come from?
Release Dates:
Argentina - January 2nd 2014
Australia - December 26th 2013
Belgium - December 4th 2013
Brazil - January 3rd 2014
Bulgaria - November 29th 2013
Cambodia - December 5th 2013
Canada - November 27th 2013
Croatia - November 28th 2013
Denmark - December 25th 2013
Estonia - January 24th 2014
Finland - December 20th 2013
France - December 4th 2013
France (Paris) November 20th 2013
Germany - November 28th 2013
Greece - December 19th 2013
Hong Kong - December 19th 2013
Hungary - December 5th 2013
Iceland - December 13th 2013
Ireland - December 6th 2013
Italy - December 19th 2013
Japan - March 14th 2014
Lithuania - January 3rd 2014
Macedonia - November 28th 2013
Malaysia - November 28th 2013
Netherlands - December 11th 2013
New Zealand - November 28th 2013
Peru - December 25th 2013
Poland - November 29th 2013
Russia - December 12th 2013
Serbia - December 26th 2013
Singapore - November 28th 2013
Slovenia - December 5th 2013
Spain - November 29th 2013
Sweden - January 31st 2014
Taiwan - December 27th 2013
Thailand - December 5th 2013
Turkey - January 17th 2014
UK - December 6th 2013
USA - November 27th 2013
Vietnam - December 13th 2013
Get a Horse:
Get a Horse is short film that plays before Frozen and follows Mickey, his favourite gal pal Minnie Mouse and their friends Horace Horsecollar and Clarabelle Cow as they delight in a musical wagon ride until Peg-Leg Pete shows up and tries to run them off the road. Tom McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter lauded the short film as "one of the wittiest and most inventive animated shorts in a long time". He particularly points out that the film "begins as an early black-and-white Mickey Mouse cartoon but then bursts its boundaries into colour and 3D in marvellously antic ways that call to mind the stepping-off-the-screen techniques of Buster Keaton's Sherlock Jr. and Woody Allen's The Purple Rose of Cairo. It's a total winner." Scott Foundas of Variety agreed, labelling the film as "utterly dazzling".
Final Thoughts:
Ive read every word of the script when it leaked (I couldnt help myself!) and Im completely confident this will be a classic and sit right alongside Disneys best. After listening to most of the songs I can already tell that the music in this is going to be a big step up from Tangled. Speaking of songs, Disney really went for it when trying to get dem feels out of you. Let it go and For the first time scream broadway and golden era Disney. Actually, the whole movie has a very emotional/personal undertone to it. When it wants to it can lay on the drama thick. This is another case of the trailers not representing the movie well at all just like Tangled. Surprise! Surprise!
Whilst the characters and humour seem very Tangled - Frozen seems to be a little more dark and definitely pulls at your heart strings more often than Tangled did. Now I completely understand why some critics were comparing this to Beauty and the Beast - it has very similar themes. The sister relationship dynamic also helps the movie differentiate itself from past Disney princess movies, they surprisingly have a decent amount of depth to them. Another thing that surprised me was a very refreshing plot twist that I didnt see coming. Maybe itll be more obvious when I watch the movie, but when reading the script it kinds threw me. Its harsh, but I wouldnt have had it any other way! So whos ready for the second Disney renaissance? Move over PIXAR, it seems like Disney has re-taken the animation throne. Enjoy the movie. That is all!