"Frozen is the first Disney movie to..." - Comments

I agree with you completely :)

@ castiel's vessel @ hephaestus
But, you see, that's the thing. I understand it's new and that's where a lot of the attention is coming from, but you can't say that Brave or any other Disney movie got even half the amount of the spotlight that Frozen has. For example, when Brave came out, I had to ask about it to get anyone to talk about it. Now, however, with Frozen, all I have to do is so much as look at someone before they're asking if I've seen it before jumping into how it's the greatest movie ever, etc, etc. The most I heard about Brave (and, I don't know, maybe this is just due to where I live, but I didn't see any Tumblr blogs or Facebook pages dedicated to the movie) was my sister saying that she wanted to be Merida for Halloween.

And you can even go further outside and look at all movies in general instead of just Disney. When the second Hobbit came out a little less than two months ago, I was expecting it to be the "life of the party," for lack of a better term. Everything big happened in the second part--meeting Beorn, reaching the mountain, Smaug, meeting the elves, etc.--and the only thing I saw about it anywhere was one small handbag at Hot Topic and one of my Facebook friends getting as excited about it as I was. (I know it sounds like I've gone off-topic, and I have in a way, but it all clicks in my mind. I apologize for not being able to convey things in a more understandable manner.)

I totally agree with you!! Thanks a billion for posting this

The reason it is getting so much praise is probably just because it is the newest release for a princess movie. There's still lots of hype because it's new. That's all it is.

LET IT GO IS ONE OF THE BEST SONGS DISNEY HAS EVER PUT OUT! Anyway, Frozen is different because unlike the other movies this one was a progressive deconstruction of Disney movies.

Haven't seen "Frozen" but I am dying to.
However, nothing you said offended me.
I'm constantly having to defend Disney Princesses against this "weak"/"only want men" stereotype they have. It's pretty maddening.

As I understand it "Frozen' was very different and is the movie that is going to bring Disney back. (It's also going to be a Broadway play.) But I've also heard a few complaints about the movie too, like the language the characters use. (Saying "like", like, all the, like, time.)

I'm really tired of all the hype...I haven't even seen it and my friends are like "you have to! Its so good!" and I really don't care to because its not my type of movie. I do like the song "Let it Go", but I listen to the metal cover more than the actual version so...Its just getting really annoying, really fast.

ya know I agree with you love frozen but mostly because of olaf and sven hahah

It's highly praised because it's the Disney film of the moment. Brave was extremely hyped up when it was released and then again when it was released on DVD. Lilo and Stitch was great and got continued as a series so generally when talking about it, I think of it as a television series and film, instead of an actual film that goes in the cinema and is just that.

The soundtrack of Frozen is beautiful, there is no doubt about that, and I don't see any problem with admitting that. And again, it's being talked about and appreciated because the film is still being promoted and such. Just because it's being talked about and Lilo and Stitch's isn't doesn't mean that it's any better than the latter's soundtrack. Once again, Frozen is the film of the moment and most people will go on and on about it and make it seem like the best film because to them, it would be for this moment. When Maleficent comes out in the summer, if it's any good, it'll be hyped up and seem like the best film ever. It's just what happens, especially when it's a Disney film.

@ hephaestus
Sweetheart, when I said I wouldn't be offended, I meant that. If you wanted to just sit and curse me out, I would take it and be completely okay. I understand that this is sort of a touchy subject because for some people, you being one of them, this movie really does hit home and bring out feelings and emotions that other films don't. If someone were to sit and go through all the reasons Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit were any less than I see them to be, I'd be offended by that as you are with this. It's understandable, and that's just how people are. I knew that it was a possibility that someone would get sore about the things I had to say, and I went ahead and said them anyway. Anything I get thrown back at me at this point was prompted for by my own hand.

Granted, my feelings for my movies are different, in the sense that the themes are different.

It's not that the score is an issue (I guess I just don't quite know how to express that) because I do love it. It is gorgeous, as all other Disney films, but that's the thing--all Disney scores are masterpieces in their own respect, so why is this one so different? Why is the score for Frozen getting praised so much higher than any other Disney movie to date? I can see where you're coming from, since we all have that one Disney song that kind of makes us realize that 'yes, they're right, I shouldn't let these things hold me back and I should do what makes me happy.' Mine, which may sound a little weird, is Jack's Obsession from The Nightmare Before Christmas (which just so happens to be my personal favorite) because at that point in the movie, that's when Jack realizes that yes, he can do these things, too. Though it's later shown that he actually can't, he at least figures out the whole 'I can and should try' aspect. That's helped me--like Jack, though I may make mistakes and be completely wrong in the end, it's best to try and get that curiosity out in the open to see if it's possible. Hell, I've even tried to get people to dress up with me to go see the first two installments of The Hobbit (which hasn't worked out at all, but there's still the last part to look forward to).

But that's sort of beside the fact, back to your other points.

Mulan is viewed as a princess (as far as I'm aware, at least. Granted, I've never seen a Mulan walking around the Disney parks, so that could also be a give-away), so that's why I felt the need to bring up her story. Lilo & Stitch isn't a princess movie either, but it was the themes and story line that had me involving it in this post.

And I don't see a problem with going to a movie to see a sing-along version of said movie. If The Nightmare Before Christmas was still in theaters and had a sing-along version in it, I would be there faster than you could so much as blink. I mean, at this point I honestly wouldn't even need them, but you catch my drift.

Basically, what I'm trying to say but couldn't quite get across, was the fact that this movie is, in my own opinion, just as good as any other Disney movie, and I'm not quite understanding why it's so highly-praised. From my understanding, it's due to the fact that Elsa is put first in Anna's life than Hans. And, really, why is that such an important topic? It isn't the first and it won't be the last, so why is this one getting so much attention to any other female-empowering movie Disney (or any other company) has created?

It's not that I don't love it or anything, it's the fact that I don't understand why so many people are becoming so attached to this film. Well, it's not really that, since I can understand that feeling of attachment to a movie when first viewing it, but the big picture seems the same to me with most female-empowering films, and that's why I made this post. I honestly just don't understand why this one is now everyone's main focus when you only ever heard small snippets of interest from people when any other movie with the same ideology was released. It just doesn't make much sense, how this one movie is the one that's making everyone go crazy (not in the bad sense, I hope you get what I'm saying by that).

I'm sorry to have offended you, but that wasn't my intent. It was more so just a generalized rant about how yes, this is a great movie, but so are other movies that don't get half the amount of attention they deserve.

Okay. As suggested by my theme, I am very much dedicated to the film. And I will defend it.

It does focus on family, and like Airi said, it is a princess movie rather than non-princess. However, I still think you're right on this example. If you think about it, Brave was about Merida and her relationship with her mother. Sure, it is Pixar-Disney rather than just Disney like Frozen.

Again, like the others said, I don't understand why the whole score thing bothers you. It doesn't bother me in the least. Personally, I adore the score. It's fantastic. Especially Let It Go, in my opinion, but that's besides the point. I also think Tangled had a beautiful score, so did Brave, The Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, Aladdin, etc. I think people bring it up because the score surprises them. Sure, all Disney music is beautiful, but I still feel like some people can mention how beautiful one soundtrack is and still love the others equally.

I don't agree with those who say that Frozen shows that you don't need a man for a girl to be happy. Having seen the movie 8 times already, it's completely obvious that Anna falls in love Hans so quickly because she thinks love will solve all of her problems. Then when she is struck in the heart with ice, she reiterates that she needs Hans's kiss to thaw her. The film does not focus on romance though, and Anna ends up choosing her sister over herself and love, which is fantastic. So it doesn't focus on needing a man but it definitely touches it. Mulan did something similar. It focused on her saving her country and her journey, sure, but in the end there was still romance. I don't know. I don't think many princess movies (though Mulan isn't a princess movie) will ever have a less-romancey feel to them. I wish that would happen but its highly unlikely.

I will just say right now that I am a 17 year old boy and will be going to the sing-a-long version with my friends. We are dressing up. We are acting it out. We will be singing.

I'm sorry if I came off as rude, but I honestly feel like Frozen is as good as other Disney movies, if not better in some aspects. Like most Disney movies do, it gives off several themes and messages. Brave taught me to take control of my life and that my family will be there to support me. Tangled taught me to strive for independence and to explore the world. But Frozen means more than those movies to me because it taught me to 'Let It Go.' Elsa goes through the movie hating herself for her powers, similar to the way I've hated myself for being gay. Then when she is exposed, she takes the initiative and says she doesn't care who knows and that this is who she is. This movie taught me not to be afraid of the way I feel, the way I live.

Sorry if I sounded mean. This just means a lot to me.

@ My Eternal Trivium
No, of course you didn't insult me. I would honest-to-God rather get a comment that can actually point things out and make me think a little deeper than before.

I didn't make this to go on a rant about how movies are better or worse based on whether or not the females are independent or not, nor how fantastic a score is. I was only going off of what I've seen and heard because, while I feel it's a good film, it's being taken way to seriously due to the fact that the sisters don't need men. Like yes, that's nice, but so what? It's not the only one, and I'm sick of hearing about how female-empowering it is at this point, as if it were the only one. I've read your feminism rant, and while I'm a complete 180 with my opinions (though I do completely agree with the fact that men are abused just as much as women, and therefore shouldn't be treated as monsters or looked down upon while women raise themselves up and then turn around and expect to be treated like glass figurines), I can sort of agree with this. It shouldn't be important. I probably didn't come off as saying such when I wrote the post, but that was what I was more or less trying to get across. That it's not the first, it won't be the last, and all of the hype should just stop.

I, personally, had never put enough thought into the empowering aspect of Lilo & Stitch until tonight. Before, it was just a really cute movie that actually had some realistic problems that people face (once you take out the whole 'aliens' thing). I'm not the type of person to sit around and go, "Oh, man, she can take care of herself, I'm gonna be like her." I've always been the type to see something and either like it or not. I don't look too deep (I mean, I hardly even go past the surface unless I feel the need to) into movies, books, songs, etc. If I like it, then I like it and that's good enough for me. If I don't like it, then I don't like it and that's that. I don't sit around and try to look at whether or not a movie has injustice or if it has all of it's facts straight. I merely look for entertainment. I'm sure down in my subconscious I'm actually pulling out all of these meanings and 'why did they do this?' or 'how come they added him?' The only time I've ever done that was with Beetlejuice, and even then it wasn't terribly deep or meaningful--it was simple observations.

The only reason I actually tried to find meaning in L&S tonight was because I've gotten sick of hearing about how great Frozen is from every female who so much as walks by. I completely agree--the art and story line are the important aspects. But it's hard to not want to say something about the things that are being said when they're being thrown in your face nearly 24/7.

I don't find a problem with a female needing a male in her life--most every women does at some point. That's life, I agree. I'm not saying they're any better or worse for not having one, but that also isn't necessarily my point of discussion for this post. What I was trying to get across (though I may have only barely hinted at it) was the fact that everyone else I've heard things from has had to go and dive into the whole 'no men' point.

I'm sorry, I've probably gone and confused you and made it seem like I was contradicting myself, but I wasn't meaning to.

@ Airi.
I'm not somehow trying suggest that any one score can be better or worse than another, but I was merely using L&S as an example due to the fact that it was my focus for the previous statement. A lot of the times when I hear others gush about Frozen, they never fail to incorporate how great the score is. I don't understand why it's such a main aspect, really, because, as you said, all of Disney's music is fantastic. It always has been and I doubt that will ever change, so what makes this movie so much better (from what I've heard others say, mind you) than any other Disney movie?

As for the Mulan thing, I wasn't trying to say that it was Pixar (L&S isn't either), but more so bring it into the whole 'this revolves around family, not having a man' aspect. I probably should've brought that up under my first L&S example, but it seemed fine where it was when I wrote the post.

I agree with your take on the animation, however. That's why I didn't bring it up. Every time I do, that's what seems to make people kind of go off on me. There's always this huge ordeal about how it looks nothing like Tangled, and that's basically where I just kind of run out of things to say because they honestly do look so very similar.

I understand that the sing-along is meant for kids, but I'm also basing this off of what I've seen and heard as well. I'm completely okay with a seventeen-year-old girl going to see Frozen for the fifth time with the subtitles along the bottom (because honestly I learned the entire script to The Nightmare Before Christmas and still act out each part in detail every time single I watch it), but--from what I've seen--the kids don't really care if there are words on the bottom. If anything, I feel they're more entranced by what's happening on screen with Elsa's magic and Sven and all of the other characters (not how well it's made or anything, but you know what I mean), not with what she's singing. Some may, I will admit that, but I don't think that's really a key point. There are many movies that have singing (not just Disney) where no subtitles were later added in for it to be put out in theaters. If, for example, The Corpse Bride had subtitles while in the theaters, I would've gone to see it twice a day. Kids, as far as I've seen, aren't the ones gushing about how fantastic this movie is--everyone between the ages of 13 and 24 are. Of course, I'm merely basing this off of opinions and personal experiences, not on an entire world-wide consensus.

And I thought it wasn't a Pixar movie (I understand that they aren't the same company), but when I googled it, all of the sites that popped up told me it was, so I decided to just go with that. Sorry for the confusion, but thank you for explaining. I think I've gone over all of the points you've presented, and I apologize if I didn't.

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Frozen is the first Disney movie to show that sisters and family are more important than guys!

When a lot of people say this, I think they're only referring to the Disney Princess movies. If they are then they are correct, it is the first Disney Princess film to focus on sisterly love than romantic love. But I agree about people forgetting Lilo & Stitch. Unfortunately, that's how it works though. Lilo & Stitch isn't princess so it doesn't get as much recognition. Most people only see Disney as the princess films and often forget the others.

I wish that non-princess movies got as much attention as princess movies did (heaven knows there's a lot of beautiful non-princess movies) but the majority of people just refuse to acknowledge them. :c

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But the score is so beautiful!

I don't see why saying this is bad? Just because someone says that the score to Frozen is beautiful doesn't mean they think the score to other movies is less beautiful or something. I will say Frozen's score is beautiful, does that mean I think Lilo & Stich's score isn't? Of course not. I think every Disney movie has a beautiful score, it's one of the wonders of Disney movies how they always make such wonderful music.

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Well it's the first Pixar movie to show that girls don't need...

Frozen isn't a Pixar movie. I've seen a lot of people say this actually and it confuses me as to why. Pixar isn't even credited on any of the posters so I'm not sure why people keep calling it a Pixar movie.

In fact, a member of Pixar didn't even first pitch the concept for Frozen. The concept was pitched by multiple Disney animators, all who got the idea rejected. One attempt, it did get through and someone suggested using Pixar to animate it. However, that idea was rejected and Frozen was once again shelved. Disney later revived it but didn't turn to Pixar. They gave the movie to Disney Animation Studios. So this is a moot point on both sides because Frozen is, as far as I know, not a Pixar movie at all.

Using Mulan as an example is moot as well since Mulan isn't a Pixar movie, it was made long before Disney bought-out Pixar. Disney and Pixar are not one company, they are two. Disney is just the "parent corporation" if you will. They fund Pixar and distribute their movies, but not every Disney movie is animated by Pixar.

The animation for Frozen is another story entirely. The animation is beautiful no doubt but... It's similar. Rapunzel, Merida, Anna, and Elsa all have similar facial features. Both Disney animators and Pixar animators need to branch out and learn new ways of facial animation so their princesses don't look so similar in future movies.

As for the sing along version... I think you might be forgetting that Frozen is made to please children. Children will love to go into a theater and sing along to Frozen. Children don't care about the animation or the underlying tone of the movie. They care about the songs and the script. So this was probably done not because of the 'hype' over Frozen but to further entertain children (and adults too) in the theaters.

"But the score is so beautiful!"

The Lilo & Stitch score was done by a chorus group from an elementary school, and it's in a different language. Tell me, what about that isn't beautiful?

^My problem with this is that no one who originally said that the score is beautiful was trying to compare it to anything, least of all Lilo & Stitch. At least, not that I'm aware of. So yes, while L&S's score was in fact beautiful, that still doesn't mean anything as far as Frozen's score is concerned. Simply saying that one movie's score is beautiful doesn't mean that the other's score can't be beautiful, more beautiful, or even less beautiful, you just simply implied the latter, or at least... that's what I'm assuming your intent was.

Another issue that I have with your (and a lot of other females') assessments of this movie, and all others of a similar nature, is the whole notion that females not needing males is somehow a sign of empowerment, and therefore a hugely significant reason for praising or just simply talking about a movie, so much so that a lot of other far more important aspects such as writing and art direction are shoved to the side and ignored.

What I'm trying to say is that there are other ways to judge a movie, and in my opinion, these ways are better. Countless numbers of people who have poured their hearts, souls, and technical understanding into a movie that's taken years to make have done so knowing that their work, while seen and heard by those watching, will get quietly swept under the rug and unappreciated simply because so many people are focusing on supposed injustice, justice, or whatever involving females.

But honestly... it shouldn't matter whether or not a female needing a male is an element portrayed in movies, or any other works of art for that matter. It's not a sign of setting females back, nor is it a sign that they can't be strong. A character's decision or trait... that's what it actually is. It has nothing to do with gender. For example, if a character who just happens to be female decides that, for whatever reason (whether the reason is good or bad), she needs to enlist the help of a male character, or needs to just simply cling to a male character in any way, then that's just it. There's no need to dig deeper than that and look for a hidden meaning or evil agenda. Another example is this: if a character is just naturally needy... then they're going to cling to someone or look for a shoulder to lean on no matter the gender.

I haven't watched Frozen, but I have seen and read enough to believe in what I am saying.

And another thing... a lot of females in movies or other works of art are seen as maternal, nurturing and providing for males characters who happen to be down on their luck and in need of comfort and support, yet you never hear men complain about this or call it a sign of inequality for males, showing that they are weak. They don't do that.

Hopefully I didn't come off as insulting or anything like that. I just want to offer a difference in perspective and belief. And with all that said, I do understand if all a person takes away from a movie are thoughts on it's portrayal of women or men and nothing else. Not everyone is in film school and knows how to speak the language of films after all. But still... I wish for bigger and more thoughtful debates than the overused "strong or weak women" arguments. Not everything revolves around females.

Amen well said<3
Lilo and Stitch is amazing and yeah, Lilo was damn young in the movie and her sister got put to become her guardian and you just prove a nice point c:

THANK YOU! Finally someone gets it!

I've heard a few people complaining that the songs weren't complicated, talking about the words, and I don't understand how that's a problem. The target is children. They don't really care if the songs are complicated; I really liked the simplicity of the songs, but hey, that's just my opinion.

Amen. Well said!