To sum up: \u00a0what a charming, delightful animated movie. \u00a0I walked out with a huge smile on my face before walking three blocks with my husband to look at San Francisco’s Christmas tree and all the fancy decorations around Union Square. \u00a0On our way back to the Muni, we walked past the Macy’s windows full of kittens and puppies ready to adopt. \u00a0The volunteer I talked to about the joy of rescue cats said that 111 cats and dogs have already been adopted due to the window displays. \u00a0Awesome, right? \u00a0And then I walked into the Disney store and burst into overwhelmed tears.<\/p>\n
Which is me, really. \u00a0That’s what I do<\/em>.<\/p>\n SPOIIIIILERS.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What I liked most about the movie wasn’t actually the relationship between the sisters (which is awesome!) or the somehow non-obnoxious sidekicks (a feat!) or even the Nordic stylings (my Swedish heart was pleased!). \u00a0I just loved loved loved the character of Elsa, who is both villain and victim, queen and repressed woman, violent and anguished. \u00a0I loved her intensity, I loved her anger, and when she strutted out onto her ice balcony after the best song in the movie, I was exhilarated. \u00a0Part of that has to do with Disney animation, of course. \u00a0The ice effects were fantastic. \u00a0And while I really really get the criticism about the ice-dress with the heels and the princesses being thin and big-eyed and so on…that strut after she tells her past to go stuff itself just made me want to cheer.<\/p>\n Also, Idina Menzel is ridiculous as Elsa, she’s just so good. \u00a0Kudos to Disney for choosing a voice talent that (no offense to the excellent Kristen Bell, or Mandy Moore in Tangled<\/em>) isn’t cute and breathy and …yeah. \u00a0Cute. \u00a0Nothing wrong with cute. \u00a0But Elsa isn’t a Disney princess, she’s a Disney queen<\/em>. \u00a0And of course Menzel’s voice is just amazing. \u00a0There’s an echo of her staggering “Defying Gravity” from Wicked<\/em> in Frozen<\/em>‘s “Let It Go,” and I am okay with that. \u00a0Songs of liberation – at cost, with consequences – lift my heart every time.<\/p>\n I don’t usually post videos and then say don’t watch it! but it really deserves to be seen in the movie, in situ. \u00a0That said, if you’ve already seen Frozen, maybe you want to watch it five times like I did.<\/p>\n