Idina Menzel. Nuff said.
.....Okay, okay, I'll give you a few MORE reasons why "Frozen" has transcended from being just another Disney movie, to become a worldwide phenomenon, grossing $1 billion worldwide, and the accompanying soundtrack is the first album to sell 1 million copies in 2014 (not even Beyonce's "Beyonce" has done that, or Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Lorde, or Lady Gaga).
So, where do I start? There's alot to dig in to, so I might as well start with the casting choices! Like I said, Idina Menzel basically guarantees some kick ass singing, as well as some empowering songs in the vein of "Defying Gravity". Then we have other Broadway stars like Kristen Bell, playing the role of Anna (who she honestly seems to be a perfect fit for), and playing Kristoff we have Jonathan Groff. And come on, who doesn't love Josh Gad as Olaf, our adorable snowman (and main gimmick to pull in viewers for the film!). And one more time: Idina Menzel as Elsa...you honestly couldn't find a better match.
Now let's move on to another obvious aspect: the music. While the Robert/Kristen Lopez duo make charming, sublime, hilarious, and opera-like show-tunes (the best by far being the Oscar-winning "Let It Go"...man Idina Menzel can still wail her ass off!!), it's Christophe Beck that really steals the show. With his original score being the background music, he aptly captures the emotion and aesthetic of each scene in the movie with truly full-formed and hearty arrangements. They're grand enough to cause just enough shivers down your spine, but Beck's score never assaults or overstays its welcome. The same thing can be said for the Lopez's songs themselves, which can derive from ordinary conversation (the reprise of "For the First Time in Forever" and "Love is an Open Door"), or add further color to an already magical scene ("Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" and "For the First Time in Forever"). Then of course, who doesn't love those trolls singing "Fixer Upper"? Indeed, all parties involved with making the music for this film were en point and never failed to satisfy. True, none of their contributed material is earth-shattering, but considering how much animators have tried to be progressive or unique in the past few years, more times than not we just end up with a stale dish. "Frozen" is the proof that sometimes you just have to go with what you know.
The time for progression, then, comes with the story line. In fact, if I do say so myself, I would assert that it's because of the simple, yet effective plot, that "Frozen" has become such a worldwide phenomenon. When I first saw it, I commended that it contains the right amount of schmaltz, it's never too corny or too underdone; just like the middle bear's pot of pourage, it's juuuust right. There's an adequate amount of character development across the board, the pacing is perfect, the conflict and resolution are well-formed and executed. Sure, this isn't the first time we've seen parents die in a Disney movie ("The Lion King", anyone?), and magical powers? Been there, done that. But what's unique about "Frozen" is that Elsa's powers were not naturally evil, nor did she ever intend to be. She wasn't corrupted by greed, jealousy, or lust, it was her simple inability to be confident in herself that led her astray. And while the common theme of "love conquers all" rears its head once again in an animated film, the twist is that Elsa had to reconnect with her own sister, Anna, to lift the burden she had thrust upon Arendelle, and ultimately save her kingdom. It wasn't a true love's kiss that saved the day, it was the simple act of love (which, believe it or not, there is a BIG difference, and it was about time Disney pointed that out). But continuing on with the whole love issue: you know you were hootin and hollerin when Elsa rejected Anna's blessing for her marriage to Hans with the retort "You can't marry a man you just met". Snow White did it, Sleeping Beauty did it, Cinderella did it, but nope, this is where Disney finally calls bullshit and states that you actually need time to develop true feelings of love for your significant other, which Anna clearly did not form yet (and later we saw that Hans never loved her).
But enough about love, we also see a certain amount of emphasis placed on the strong female in "Frozen". Elsa's a badass on her own, but Anna? She fearless! Yeah, she did need Kristoff's help to get her to the North Mountain, but not once was Kristoff placed above Anna in terms of strength or power. Same with Elsa: she could hold her ground in any situation she faced (except in the obvious spot where she lost control of her powers and froze her kindgom...). Sure, we've seen the strong female presence in "Brave", but it's nice to see this pattern being upheld over a year later! Then another thing I noticed was that "Frozen" is a perfect family film, and can certainly entertain all ages, but not in the classic way that animated films do so. There's pretty images and funny characters to entertain the little kids, but believe it or not, adults can find this film funny, too, with its social satire and quick wit, not crude, sexual humor or an abundance of violence. Plus, the movie revolves around themes that everyone can relate to, the biggest being confident with yourself, but also finding love in your own time, and not relying on others to bring you happiness.
Now returning to the obvious: "Frozen" came out at a time where all around the world, we were experiencing record low temperatures and were feeling pretty frozen ourselves, so the timing for this movie just couldn't have been better. Once again, Olaf the snowman is the quintessential element that really ties everything together with his ironic humor and sheer innocence.
So yeah, the songs are catchy, the score is beautiful, the characters are engaging, and the whole production team brought lush animation and a culturally enriching set-up to ensure that "Frozen" would be wholesome fun for everybody, whether they be part of a family or not. It's a near-perfect enterprise that rightfully has made its way into the hearts of billions.
How Disney's going to top this...that I do not know.
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