Frozen

Just when I was starting to worry about Disney's success and the overall quality of this year's animated features, along comes Frozen, a complete knock out from beginning to end.

Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel) are as close as two sisters can be. That is until Elsa's power to freeze everything accidentally hurts her sister. She locks herself away from her sister for years, only to be seen by her sister during Elsa's ceremony of becoming queen. After panicking and causing more destruction, Elsa takes off to the mountains, locking out everyone and inadvertently causes her town to become a permanent Winter wonderland. Anna is determined to reunite with her sister and get her to break the icy conditions with the help of Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), his reindeer, and a jolly snowman named Olaf (Josh Gad) whose biggest dream in life is to experience the Summertime.

The music in Frozen is so catchy and wonderful it's one of the few movies with a soundtrack I would listen to from beginning to end. Every character gets a chance to belt it out, some noteworthy voices include Kristen Bell's and Josh Gad's. But the real knockout performer is Idina Menzel as Elsa who really knocks it out of the park with "Let it Go", the movie's peak of songs. It really represents everything Frozen is about and it's the music the academy should be taking notes on.

I really enjoyed all of the characters and their dynamics as well. You've seen versions of these characters before but these feels especially unique and heartwearming. The dynamic between the two sisters and the love they share for each other is shown in similar but contrasting ways; one wants to push the other away for her safety, the other wants to reunite for her safety. There's some good messages about true love in here as well depicted with Anna's shortlived engagement with another prince (whose intentions turn to be less then noble). And though Olaf's character seems to be just comic relief based on the previews, his later scenes will melt your heart as well.

Frozen is a beauty from the inside out. The animation is so stunning and involving you feel like you're in the snow with the characters. The movie has great humor with Anna's quirkiness and awkward tendencies to say everything wrong. And Olaf's pluck and joy is pitch perfect comedic relief as well. Frozen even manages to warm the heart with the bond of sisterhood. This isn't a movie with a ton of villians to overcome; it's acceptance with the differences of those that you love. Frozen is magic.

Grade: 4/4