Frozen
- Collector's Edition (2013/Disney
Blu-ray w/DVD + Digital HD Copy)
Picture:
A/B Sound: A/B Extras: C Film: B+
Frozen
is
the 53rd
animated venture for Disney Studios and (give or take unadjusted
dollars and the type of animation involved, but not including Pixar
releases) its most successful animated film to date. Earning Oscars
for both Best Original Song and Best Animated Feature Film, coupled
with the fact that it has earned over 1 billion dollars worldwide
proves that Disney still has what it takes to make an instant
classic.
Disney
goes back to its roots (doing what it does best), centering the film
on princesses. Frozen
takes
place in the kingdom of Arendelle, where we are introduced to a pair
of happy, child princess; Anna (Kristen Belle) and Elsa (Idina
Menzel). As the children frolic we discover that Elsa has very
special powers; having the ability to create snow and ice from her
hands, something Anna enjoys very much. Suddenly an accident occurs
(after Elsa slips), blasting Anna frozen with ice. Anna is whisked
off by the King and Queen to the forest trolls who have the magic to
heal Anna. The father troll heals Anna and removes all memories of
the event, as well as her sister's magical abilities. The troll
warns Anna that her powers are wondrous and beautiful but come with
great responsibility; and it will be her own fears that will be her
undoing. From here the King and Queen shut the gates to the castle,
locking Elsa away from the world in order to protect her. Anna,
however, is left confuses as to why her sister and best friend no
longer wishes to play with her. A rift grows and eventually Anna
gives up on the friendship with her sister.
Years
later the castle springs to life as it is now Elsa's (being the
eldest daughter) time to be Queen. Her coronation is the event of
the century with dignitaries coming from far and wide and while Elsa
paces in fear that her powers will be revealed, Anna rejoices in
finally getting to see the world and possibly a suitor. Not long
into the event Anna hits it off with a Prince Hans (Santino Fontana)
and knows he is THE ONE! Anna runs off to tell her sister of the
news, but an argument breaks out over how Anna could be so quick to
fall in love with a man she just met. In the heat of the argument
Elsa's emotions erupt and so do her powers; freezing the ground and
surrounding fountains in front of her guests.
The
evil Duke (Alan Tudyk) sees this as his opportunity to oust Elsa and
give himself a chance to take over the kingdom; and quickly declares
Elsa an evil sorceress. The Duke demands her capture, but before a
sword can be raised Elsa runs off freezing the bay in her hurried
emotional state; in turn plaguing the kingdom with indefinite winter.
Anna convinces the kingdom to let Elsa be and she would go after her
to make things right. On her departure Anna asks Hans to watch over
the kingdom while she is gone, so the evil duke does not have chance
to take control.
As
Anna sets out to save her sister and the kingdom she meets a host of
zany, lovable characters to help her along the way. One is Olaf the
talking snowman (Josh Gad) who is the wackiest of the bunch, then
there is Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) the woodsman, and a (non-talking)
reindeer named Sven. All are more than willing to help Anna, but no
one has asked or knows what Elsa wants.
The
film was excellent! Not the best Disney film to date, but harkens
back to recent classics like that of Aladdin,
Beauty & the Beast, and The Lion King.
This is most likely related to the fact that the creators not only
utilized the princess archetype, but concurrently took a page from
the Broadway show book as the importance of music again took center
stage. The art, the energy, and the music are what make Disney magic
and Frozen
managed
to reignite our hearts and imagination; even if it took a bit of ice
to do so.
The
technical features of this Blu-ray release are top notch. The DVD is
also included in this set, but that is more of an old
school
freebie that is a toned down version of the epic Blu-ray. The
picture is a 1080p AVC Encoded, MPEG-4, 2.35 X 1 Widescreen image
that is astounding from beginning to end as it is balanced, vibrant,
and rich with texture. This is perfect demo material that will bring
your home theater system to life; again the balance between light and
dark in a snow blanketed landscape is amazing, this on top of a spot
on, deep textures that make a lively presentation. The sound is
equally impressive as the 7.1 DTS-HD lossless Master Audio (MA)
surrounds you throughout in a remarkable mixdown from the Dolby Atmos
11.1 mix in select theaters lucky enough to have that system this
early that screened the film. The musical numbers are boisterously
jaw dropping and throughout the film the panning effects, mixed with
succinct dialogue, and atmospheric ambient noises make the entire
experience a pleasure. Again, Frozen
is of
true demo quality.
My
main gripe would be with the extras, which are not as great as they
could have been. I suspect a more spectacular 3D release I on the
horizon, but for now the extras include:
In
the end, I believe Frozen
will
be ranked among the greatest Disney classics. It has its instant
success of course, but I think future generations will be introduced
to this film time and time again. Frozen
makes
for a good use of the saying A
timeless classic.
-
Michael P. Dougherty II
