My extreme negative reaction to Frances Ha suggests that I might be getting too old for certain kinds of movies.
But apparently there is no age restriction when it comes to loving animated Disney musicals.
Frozen, the latest Walt Disney Animation release, follows closely in the footsteps of 2010’s excellent Tangled in terms of tone and design, but I think I liked this one even more.
That’s partly due to the storyline, which centers on the relationship between two sisters who remind me very much of my own daughters. But it’s also because of the music.
The dawn of computer animation put a temporary end to the Broadway-style musicals Disney was known for in the 90s. Back then, movies such as Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King lived on outside of theaters through the classic songs they introduced.
But as Pixar began to dominate the genre with more sophisticated animation and narratives, the music took a back seat. And that remained the case until 2009’s The Princess and the Frog, a throwback to both hand-drawn animation and the traditional musical. That film is a favorite of mine, both for its visual style and Randy Newman’s New Orleans jazz-infused songs.
Tangled, released a year later, stuck with the musical format but returned to computer animation. It was a comic and romantic triumph but the songs fell short of both the classic Broadway style and the work Newman did on The Princess and the Frog.
That brings us to Frozen, the first film to successfully marry modern animation techniques with classic Disney songcraft. This baby is tailor-made for Broadway — if it’s not onstage in a few years, I’ll eat my hat. The film is even cast with stars from the Broadway musicals Wicked, Spring Awakening and The Book of Mormon, along with Kristen Bell, who more than holds her own alongside those talents.
And every song is a winner. This film could easily own four of the five Best Song slots come Oscar time. I particularly like ‘In Summer,’ in which Olaf the snowman (voiced by Mormon‘s Josh Gad) pines for sunny days, unaware of what happens to ice in hot weather.
But the true standout, by far, is Idina Menzel’s showstopper ‘Let it Go.’ A close cousin to Wicked‘s ‘Defying Gravity,’ also sung by Menzel, this girl power anthem — and its accompanying visuals — made for one of my favorite scenes in any movie last year.
Not a footprint to be seen
A kingdom of isolation, and it looks like I’m the Queen
The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside
Couldn’t keep it in; Heaven knows I tried
Don’t let them in, don’t let them see
Be the good girl you always have to be
Conceal, don’t feel, don’t let them know
Well now they know
Let it go, let it go
Can’t hold it back any more
Let it go, let it go
Turn away and slam the door
I don’t care what they’re going to say
Let the storm rage on
the cold never bothered me anyway
It’s funny how some distance
Makes everything seem small
And the fears that once controlled me
Can’t get to me at all
It’s time to see what I can do
To test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me,
I’m free!
Let it go, let it go
I am one with the wind and sky
Let it go, let it go
You’ll never see me cry
Here I stand
And here I’ll stay
Let the storm rage on
My power flurries through the air into the ground
My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around
And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast
I’m never going back, the past is in the past
Let it go, let it go
And I’ll rise like the break of dawn
Let it go, let it go
That perfect girl is gone
Here I stand
In the light of day
Let the storm rage on
The cold never bothered me anyway
Meet Me In Montauk 
I thought it was interesting that Frozen retook number 1 at the box office this week, certainly a testament to its quality and popularity. And I’m sure you won’t have to eat your hat about a Broadway show coming out within the next few years.
First, I just clicked on the ad underneath the song! 🙂
Now to the music. I agree wholeheartedly with your entire post. What strikes me the most about these songs is just how powerfully PERFORMED they are. Since we have – and listen to – the soundtrack without the stunning accompanying visuals, it’s even more remarkable how effectively Kristen Bell (especially) and the others are acting as much as they are singing these songs. I never fail to choke up at the end of “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” when Kristen’s hopeful anticipation turns to loneliness and sadness. Sheesh, these songs are powerful.
While today’s SOTD is certainly the “showstopper,” it’s not my favorite, which is saying quite a lot about the quality of the film and its music.
Which is your favorite?
“Love is an Open Door,” as performed by Maddie and Daniel, is something to behold, and I, too, appreciate the humor and poignancy of “In Summer,” but the one that makes me sob each time (see above) is my favorite. M
Meanwhile (I started to say…), have you heard the Demi Lovato version of “Let It Go”? I’ll give her credit for daring to sing the same song Menzel has recorded.
I really do find this song quite good. After watching Frozen I was reminded how much I love Idina Menzel’s voice and I believe it is showcased very well in this song. As with all the songs in Frozen this one is no exception to being truly outstanding. This movie should definitely win the golden globe for Best Animated. The only thing I’m surprised about is why this song wasn’t on your list… 😛
Good point, Daniel! The answer, as with the Llewyn Davis song, is that I saw both movies pretty late in the month after I had already compiled my list. Both would have been there if I’d started later.
Ah… that’s too bad.. Which Llewyn Davis song would you have put on?
‘Fare Thee Well’
I was told throughout the day by my family members to go on the blog today, so here I am. The Disney fangirl has arrived 😛 After seeing this movie 3 times and listening to the full soundtrack a ridiculous amount of times, I can safely say that I love every single song written for this movie. They are so well performed (which I think is what makes them stand above the Tangled music for me in some ways- I happen to be a big fan of that music too). While I think some of the critics who call this the best Disney movie since The Lion King are not so well educated on their Disney movies, I do happen to adore Frozen. Also a huge win for a woman director 🙂
I think my favorite song for the moment is Fixer Upper, though they do change all the time. I really love the sense of humor that the Avenue Q music writers have, so I tend to be able to repeat this song without getting tired of it.