Frozen (2013) - Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee

Anna and Elsa are two young sisters growing up in a thriving kingdom, with Elisa, the older one, in line to take over the throne from her dying parents.  On the outside Elsa looks poised for these responsibilities but in reality she lives in constant fear due to her secret ability to create ice and show from her fingertips.  While it's a beautiful ability, it's also extremely dangerous, and Elsa is constantly haunted by the memory in which her magic almost killed her younger sister when they were playing as children.  After an emotional Elisa accidentally sets off an eternal winter in this thriving kingdom, Anna must venture into the snow-soaked wilderness to find her sister, who has isolated herself completely, and convince her she can control her powers and is no monster.  Between Wreck-It-Ralph and Frozen Disney's animation department is proving its worth in recent years.  As a matter of fact one could make an argument that Disney Studios has surpassed Pixar in quality originals the past few years, though I'm not sure this is a trend that will continue.  Frozen is one of the better animated films in recent memory that touches on some interesting themes of destiny, willpower, and the all important lesson of being comfortable in your own skin.  Featuring some of the best musical numbers in recent memory, beautiful animation, and strong voice work, Frozen is a entertaining and cute film that should satisfy fans of Disney both new and old.  Without giving it away Frozen is a film that doesn't exactly play into the fairytale status quo, subverting expectations throughout its narrative with a finale that defies what many would expect.  Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee's Frozen isn't a perfect film but it's a refreshing children's fairytale that is far from one-note, being both light and dark while subverting expectations as much as a film like this could hope too.
7/10

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