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When looking back at the fifty-two previous feature films from Walt Disney Animations, the vast majority would perhaps refer their favourites to be during the Renaissance era in the 1990s and those made during the early days of Disney. Their latest, and fifty-third, animation Frozen continues perhaps the second Disney Renaissance and implements the true, enchanting magic of Disney that we have not seen for a long time. Based on a Hans Christian Andersen’s tale, whose other work has been adapted by Disney before - The Little Mermaid, Frozen possesses the identical traits to the greatest eras of Disney animations. In fact, excluding Pixar, it has become easily the greatest animated Disney feature that has practically everything we would expect of it: heartwarming characters, beautiful story, breath-taking visual effects, energetic songs and most importantly - heart that leaves an important, moral message.
The main aims of Disney animated films over the years have been to not only showing magic, but emotionally experience it. Frozen implements the fantastical, fairy tale-like enchantment that we have not seen from Disney in a long time. To a certain extent, the film not only revives traditional Disney magic but pays homage to it. For example, the castle of Arendelle resembles the actual Disney castle in Florida. The enchantment centres from there and its surroundings enhance it. In addition, Frozen may be for a different generation, it possessed the same type of energetic songs that have been so successful for Disney over the years, especially “Let It Go” which is perhaps the greatest song in Disney animation since “You’ll Be In My Heart” in Tarzan. Similarly, Frozen was filmed in 3D animation, opposite to the majority of past Disney animations. The effects enhanced the magic with its sublime detail of particularly snow, ice and water. On a technical level, if there’s anything that Frozen has taught us, it’s that Disney magic still lives with perhaps the opposing style of animation - 3D.
Other aspects of Frozen which has made it a superb Disney classic is the heartwarming characters, who each resemble characteristics to those from the past. Anna is a traditional Disney Princess, particularly like Belle with her energetic passion and loyalty to her family as well as Ariel, with her instant romantic connection to Hans. Anna’s older sister Elsa, the Snow Queen, takes a slightly little adjustment to supporting characters within Disney narratives. Her unique ability of creating ice and snow with her hands was the audience’s first impression of what the film was going to be about and yet, it is that which brings the two sisters together. Possessing power is normally a Disney antagonist’s passion but in Frozen it shifts away from that and becomes something different by going more personal. Furthermore, Olaf the Snowman is a humorous and delightfully original supporting character. It became an interesting concept of a snowman’s desire to live in the summer, and the creativity of that side of the plot worked. Olaf resembles those characters, particularly in the Disney Renaissance era who became side-kick material to the protagonist, such as Genie in Aladdin, Timon & Pumbaa in The Lion King, Mushu in Mulan, Phil in Hercules. In that sense, Olaf provides a new meaning to certain Disney supporting characters with his personal ambitions yet pays homage to them.
Although we have seen delightful Disney animations in recent years, none of them compare to the true Disney magic that Frozen possessed. All of the greatest classics have left the audience with important messages and Frozen certainly does that - love is the ultimate healer and the best way to defeat hate is to love. In that sense, it is a heart-melting treasure for both adults and children. Nevertheless, Frozen is the type of film that even Pixar need at this moment and it could be the first Disney animation (excluding Pixar) to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Picture.
10/10
