Frozen (DVD REVIEW)

Frozen

DVD Review by Kam Williams

Headline: Oscar-Winning Animated Film Arrives on DVD  

            Given the toll the polar vortex exacted on the continental U.S. this winter, I think plenty of people can relate to the frigid predicament of the people living in the fictional kingdom of Arendelle. Disney’s Frozen is an animated adventure loosely based on “The Snow Queen,” a classic Hans Christian Andersen fairytale first published in 1845.

            This delightful musical won the Oscars for Best Animated Feature and Best Song (“Let It Go”). It stars Kristen Bell as the voice of Anna, the young princess who takes it upon herself to save the day after her sister, recently-crowned Queen Elsa (Idina Menzel), inadvertently plunges Arendelle into a permanent winter before disappearing.

            You see, Elsa was born with a superpower similar to Batman’s adversary Mr. Freeze as well as the character Sub-Zero in Mortal Combat, namely, the ability to freeze things in an instant. Complicating matters is the fact that Elsa, empowered in the wake of their parents’ demise, had just put the kaibosh on her sister’s plans to marry handsome Prince Hans (Santino Fontana).

            So, Anna, accompanied by an anthropomorphic snowman (Josh Gad) and a rugged mountain man (Jonathan Groff) with a trusty reindeer, embarks on an epic journey in hope of finding her sibling with hopes of not only reversing the curse but of reconciling their differences. En route, Anna and company are afforded ample opportunities to belt out a tune when not proving their mettle in playful plights of peril.

            The enchanting picture is as memorable for its eye-pleasing luminescence and sentimental soundtrack as for its female-empowering resolution. To its credit, Frozen puts a novel spin on the hackneyed nursery rhyme plotline which has the prince arriving in the nick of time to save the damsel-in-distress.

            A touching tale of sisterhood with a priceless message about blood being thicker than an ill-advised crush.

Excellent (4 stars)

Rated PG for action and mild rude humor

Running time: 102 minutes

Distributor: Walt Disney Home Entertainment

Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Extras: Deleted scenes with introduction by the co-directors; original theatrical short; The Making of Frozen; Let It Go music videos; and D’frosted: Disney’s Journey from Hans Christian Andersen to Frozen.

To see a trailer for Frozen, visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jw-AeaU5WI    

To order a copy of the Frozen Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack, visit: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00G5G7K7O/ref%3dnosim/thslfofire-20