海角大神

Is 鈥淔rozen鈥� the next Disney classic?

The newest animated offering from the studio, which hits theaters today, takes its inspiration from the Snow Queen fairy tale by Hans 海角大神 Andersen. 鈥淰eronica Mars鈥� actress Kristen Bell voices Anna, the younger daughter in the royal family of Arendelle. 鈥淲icked鈥� actress Idina Menzel is Elsa, the older sibling, who has the power to conjure up ice and snow. After her powers get out of control, Elsa flees and Arendelle is plunged into an everlasting winter. Anna, with a mountain resident and reindeer at her side, sets off to try to find her sister and free Arendelle from the grips of snow and ice. Actors Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, and Alan Tudyk also lend their voices to the film.

In an era where Disney princesses are often criticized for sending negative messages to young children, Bell spoke in an interview with MTV about how she feels Anna is different from many of the previous Disney heroines.

鈥淚 always loved Disney animation, but there was something about the females that was unattainable to me,鈥� she said. 鈥淭heir posture was too good and they were too well-spoken, and I feel like I really made this girl much more relatable and weirder and scrappier and more excitable and awkward. I'm really proud of that.鈥�

So will 鈥淔rozen鈥� join the celebrated Disney pantheon? Early reviews have been superlative, with TheWrap calling the film 鈥渢he next 鈥楤eauty and the Beast,鈥欌�� referring to the 1991 film that is still the only Disney movie to have been nominated for Best Picture in a year when only five films made the cut.

鈥淲ith 鈥淔rozen,鈥� they鈥檝e got something that should please both sides,鈥� TheWrap writer Alonso Duralde wrote, referring to the Disney marketing team who want to sell princess costumes and those who want Disney heroines to be less damsel-in-distress. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about two beautiful sisters in a castle, yes, but it鈥檚 also about learning to embrace your own power and to overcome the fear of your own abilities鈥� the tunes are terrific鈥� it offers characters to care about, along with some nifty twists and surprises along the way.鈥�

Forbes writer Scott Mendelson was also dazzled by the film, writing that the movie is 鈥済loriously animated, wonderfully acted, and refreshingly feminist[.] It also contains some of the best 鈥楧isney songs鈥� ever.鈥�

Meanwhile, Hollywood Reporter writer Todd McCarthy found 鈥渢he screenwriter's insistence upon putting banal and commonplace teen Americanisms in the mouth of Anna鈥� annoying but otherwise thought the movie was 鈥渆nergetic, humorous and not too cloying鈥� and calls it 鈥渁 pleasure.鈥�