Frozen

Release Date: November 27, 2013

Watch Date: January 28, 2025

“Fearless optimist Anna teams up with rugged mountain man Kristoff and his loyal reindeer Sven in an epic journey to find Anna’s sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf, will the trio find Elsa in time to save Arendelle?”

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   Everyone in our home, besides me, is sick. I don’t what’s happening with this delayed flu season, but I’m not for it. Especially when we’re only a few days away from our son’s 7th birthday, and it’s supposed to snow for the first time this winter. People should be able to play in the snow and attend their own birthday parties, that’s all I’m saying.

   But that was all, actually, a long way of saying when Bob got to finally pick a movie this month, and our 3 year old daughter stared at him and said “The let it go movie!” with her big doe eyes, he didn’t have a chance to say no. There was no option. Frozen was going to happen.

   Now I don’t hate Frozen, I’m not a huge fan of the sequel, or a fan at all, but the original is solid. The only reason it feels like it doesn’t stand up anymore is because these characters have been overmarketed. What was once a Disney movie that felt like a proper musical, and starred people who had been in several musicals, that went against the Disney grain of an evil magical villain, of needing true loves kiss to save the day, of even needing to marry the guy you meet literally that day, has now become something that is printed on every single toy my daughter has, multiple garments, has shorts, has an unnecessary sequel, has a third part coming out to continue what story I can’t even begin to imagine as everything was very neatly tied up in both previous movies, it has it’s own ride, it’s own musical, sing-a-longs. Frozen has almost surpassed Disney. It has become one of it’s biggest cash cows and as a person who lives in a capitalist society I can’t blame them, but I also can’t pretend it doesn’t take away a lot of the magic of the film.

   The only way I can still find enjoyment in this movie is watching it through our daughter’s eyes. This sister pair are role models, they’re sweet, and kind, but they have real struggles, they don’t marry a dude right away, there’s a magical snowman. We sing along to all of the songs. She dances. She knows everyone’s name. It’s her Little Mermaid, or Sleeping Beauty, or Snow White. And to make it better, unlike those movies it’s actually giving her a really strong role model.

   But it’s over done, and I’m over it. Will I eagerly stand in line with her at Disneyland in a few years to meet her favourite princesses? Absolutely. But as a parent, as a consumer of a lot of Disney products, I wish they’d move on to the next thing.

   Still, for the time, before all of the hype, this movie subverted expectations, boasted a killer soundtrack, and did actually live up to the hype it created for itself. There’s a reason Disney was able to blow it up in the way they had and that’s because, fundamentally, it is a fantastic movie. But that doesn’t make it enjoyable anymore.

   Unless you’re three. Or have managed to escape all the marketing. Then, enjoy away. I won’t judge you.