Frozen

Princess Elsa (Idina Menzel: Glee) was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and a chill in her will. Creating ice and snow is a great power for a young girl, and she gleefully turns the palace into a winter wonderland for her little sister Anna (Kristen Bell: The Lifeguard). They skate in the grand ballroom, build snowmen by the suits of armor and frolic in snowdrifts under priceless paintings.
    But a careless slip of hand has a painful consequence for Anna. Worried for their youngest daughter and terrified by their eldest, the king and queen isolate them from the world. The gates are closed, staff reduced to a skeleton crew and Elsa locked in her room. Anna roams empty halls alone.
    Someone call child protective services for these poor kids.
    Sailing on a diplomatic voyage, king, queen and ship are sunk by a storm. Promoted from frost demon to queen, Elsa is nervous while Anna is delighted that her sister’s coronation will mean a party and a party means people.
    The sisters prepare for their big day with different goals. Elsa hopes to conceal her frost-curse long enough to take the crown and seal up the palace. Anna is praying to find a husband at the ball, before the palace doors again close her in.
    In a state of nerves, Elsa causes an icy surprise at the coronation ball. As she flees to the mountains, her distress sends the kingdom into a blustery winter. Can Anna find her sister and love in a thawed kingdom? Will Elsa ever learn to control her powers?
    For years, Disney has been at the forefront of Princess-Culture, an insidious movement that’s convinced young girls that finding a true love and a matching ball gown are the most important things in life. While princes and pretty dresses are both lovely in theory, the marketing team that promotes them is creating increasingly vapid entertainment to steal the minds of impressionable little girls.
    Frozen is a great remedy for Princess Culture. Yes, there are princesses, and even a love story, but the focus is the sisters’ relationship. One learns to embrace her power instead of fear it; the other learns that she can be the hero of her own story. It’s a heartening message from the company that taught legions of women that one day their prince will come.
    As the sisters, Menzel and Bell prove that they have a knack for voice work. Menzel’s Tony-winning voice soars in the soundtrack, which features several great tracks.
    Bell infuses her Anna with enough pluck to make her endearing even when she’s making poor decisions. Anna isn’t a fool, just an optimist, and she has no problem trying to fix her mistakes or right wrongs. Bell also has a delightful singing voice that complements Menzel’s belt.
    This cartoon about women has plenty of entertainment for both sexes of all ages, with hilarious moments of slapstick sure to enthrall even non-princesses. If you have a young one, get to the theater this weekend; if you don’t — go anyway. Elsa’s journey from fearful child to powerful woman is a great story for all ages.

Great Animation • PG • 108 mins.