AGAINST “FROZEN”: Gennifer Geer

I find it oddly disturbing to be reviewing movie that came out six months ago, nevermind the fact that it’s almost summer and said movie is titled “Frozen.”
Yes, Disney has “done it again” with its perfect princess fairytale.
However, “Frozen” leaves something to be desired when compared to the high quality of prior Disney musicals.
First, let me start by saying the animation was gorgeous. I won’t be complaining about the image quality. After all, if you have enough time, money and talent, anything will look that good.
By that same logic, enough time, money and talent should also make a good, solid plot.
Alas, not all the rules of Hollywood apply. There isn’t much premise for why the events unfold. The conflict, Elsa’s (Idina Menzel) lack of ability to control her powers, doesn’t make much sense.
Isn’t it a bit convenient that Elsa is the only one randomly born with these icy powers? She can’t be the sole snowflake goddess, particularly if there is enough variety in these abilities for the trolls to have the need to ask whether Elsa was born with them or not.
And where did these trolls get this limited knowledge of frostbitten body parts in the first place? Couldn’t they just direct the King and Queen to that source to learn about controlling Elsa’s chilling tendencies? Wouldn’t that prevent a lot of problems, even save the parents’ lives?
Personally, I theorize the trolls enjoy tearing people apart. I mean, it’s the only way I can explain why those selfish, home-wrecking rocks suggested Anna (Kristen Bell)disband her engagement to a prince for their own awkward suitor who would be better off marrying Prancer, Dancer or Vixon.
Speaking of marrying a dark horse, who didn’t realize Hans (Santino Fontana) was evil? He obviously showed all the signs of being a creep — finishing your lover’s sandwich is definitely something better left for the second date.
However, he’s not the worst villain of the film. The real embodiments of evil here are the ice harvesters. Presumably locally based, this entire community forgets about a little boy and a reindeer and leaves them to be raised by trolls, where he miraculously retained ice harvesting knowledge and developed that as a business without once running into his long-lost family competition.
That being said, I did enjoy the movie the first time, but the buck stops there. I can’t imagine how some people can suffer through 15 showings of “Frozen.” Hearing “Let It Go” that many times alone would drive me insane. The talk show renditions, Oscar performances and hallway sing-alongs are enough exposure for one 3:45 tune without repeatedly viewing it in its natural habitat.
As a part of a musical, the songs lack in cohesion. “The Frozen Heart” feels extremely out of place next to such gibberish as “Fixer-Upper.” I would have liked to hear ethnic Scandinavian undertones in the music more to bring the soundtrack together and emphasize the magic of the setting, like in Disney films “Aladdin” and “Mulan.”
It’s May. Let’s leave the winter behind. And, for the record, I do not want to build a snowman.
FOR “FROZEN”: Rachel Lock

Rewind to 1950.
The newest Disney princess is Cinderella, who all little girls are supposed to look up to and is the epitome of a typical female gender role. She cooks, she cleans, she is an amazing singer, birds are inexplicably attracted to her. The usual. And, of course, Prince Charming saves her at the end.
Fast forward to the present.
Children everywhere are singing the infectious, Oscar-winning song “Let It Go” from Disney’s new, sure-to-be classic “Frozen.”
Finally, Disney has given girls and boys role models who aren’t perfect and who don’t need others to define who they are. “Frozen” teaches that flaws are OK and people make mistakes sometimes.
Princess Anna (Kristen Bell) is quirky, a little awkward and doesn’t end up marrying the first guy she meets. The only love she needs to save her in the end is that of her sister. The movie ends with Anna and Elsa together again, not some pre-mature wedding with a guy she met halfway through the movie. Anna saves herself and the rest of the kingdom without needing a “true love’s kiss” to do the job for her. She constantly shows her bravery and ingenuity throughout the film, while overcoming her mistakes such as her engagement to Hans, or her confrontational manner that caused her sister to accidentally freeze the kingdom. She holds herself accountable for her actions and acts accordingly.
“Frozen” is well-equipped with a cast of unique, lovable characters who liven up the story and make the movie all the more popular. Olaf (Josh Gad) dominates countless spoof pictures and Twitter updates. The entire idea of him is so absurd — a talking snowman who wants to live in summer? What? — which is what makes him so adorable. His innocent view of the world is sure to bring a laugh to everyone — unless you have a frozen heart. To top it all off, all of these characters are brought to life by an amazing selection of Broadway stars.
The animation also plays a part in the magic of this movie. Improving on the similar designs in the last Disney princess movie “Tangled,” the characters appeared more three dimensional and their movements more lifelike.
And of, course, there is the soundtrack nobody can seem to stop singing. It has something for almost everyone to enjoy. The contrast in the voices of the two sisters, Anna and Elsa — Bell and Menzel — was well considered within the songs. Menzel and Bell both bring their own sounds to it and give the songs more life as a result. Each of the nine songs in the movie has a unique feel and vary from the emotional “Let it Go” to the light-hearted “Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People.”
Overall, “Frozen” has a cute storyline and is a fresh, new take on the happily-ever-afters regularly featured in Disney cartoons. It has become widely popular as a result of this. “For the first time in forever,” Disney has not only reached its younger viewers, but has been devoured by the masses of all age groups.