Um, that's why I watch movies Animation is fine and all, and Frozen certainly had some incredible sequences. But, I want a story.
It had a story. It was the story of two sisters driven apart by circumstance and misunderstanding and reunited through turmoil and ultimately love. What were some of you looking for? Two hours of deep angst and GRAVITAS? It was a freaking Disney movie. "It didn't have a story..." Whatever, guys...
It may not have been Hemingway or Shakespeare but nonetheless i liked it and i liked the characters especially. I'm glad that more and more movies show female characters as equally strong (characterwise) as male characters which is important especially if the movie is mainly aimed at kids. Frozen had such characters which (apart from the songs) is why it did so good worldwide. I'm looking forward to more of this.
I can appreciate what it tried to do, but I just had a hard time getting invested in it. Contrast this to, say, Tangled, which I think is one of my favorite animated movies ever. I will say, though, that I appreciate what Frozen and Maleficent have tried to do...and that's expand the definition of "true love." It's not just Prince meets Princess and they live happily ever after. They've showed us that true love can come in many different forms.
I never cared much for Tangled. Rapuznel was too unrealistic as someone locked up for nearly her entire life, and way too perfect to relate to. Also the songs in Tangled were completely forgettable.
I'll clarify. I did not find the story believable, even my Disney's standards. The relationship between Anna and Elsa is fascinating and works for me in the last act of the film. The rest of the movie feels contrived and the world feels forced. I don't need angst and gravitas. I'll settle for believable and enjoyable. Given that I'm not the target demographic, I don't lose sleep over it, but I cannot pin quite on why I don't enjoy Frozen.
Frozen II: Freeze Colder I liked Frozen a lot (although I'm surprised at how successful it was). It had a great story that managed to deliver the good, old-fashioned Disney magic while expanding the range of characters and relationships that have been traditionally presented. Hopefully the lesson of the movie's success will not be lost.
Then let me ask you: how many sisters do you have? I have four. Given my experience, the only things I found contrived about Frozen were the ice powers and trolls. Everything else - idiot parents, asshole boyfriends, busybody strangers, sisters going from friends to frenemies to enemies and back - were all believable as hell to me.
I have two daughters. Mortal enemies for five years and neither are that old. They actually bonded over Frozen and are 150% fucking inseparable now. I find the relationship between Anna and Else quite realistic. Also quite grateful for this movie. So much more quiet around the house without those two waging war all the time.
3 sisters, 6 younger siblings total, 2 daughters, and most of my best friends over the years have been girls. Hopefully that qualifies me now Hans turn to evil felt contrived. The stupidity of the parents was too much for me to deal with, sorry. I know there are stupid parents (see them every day at my work and I can be one too) but their isolationist attitude just felt forced, in order for the narrative to continue. I don't mind Elsa and Anna's relationship at all. That dynamic works. Christoph is ok, as far being a love interest. The Duke is interesting too. Hans is just a scene chameleon-he doesn't feel like a 3 dimensional character. Let me be clear-I don't hate Frozen. I just don't enjoy it. It isn't for me, and I get that. My daughters love it, and I'm glad they enjoy it. I'm glad Disney is making a sequel because more money in a franchise doesn't bother me. I wish them well, though I'm skeptical of the success because Frozen's popularity really could not have been predicted. As I said, I cannot pin down my disquiet over Frozen. The world does not click for me and I cannot say why. It just is a gut reaction of "That's not working." It feels contrived and forced, and that might just be me. Hopefully 2 doesn't feel that way.
A lot of people do, including kids. This is why North American animation needs to get from behind all of the cutesy pie stuff, and to something other than princesses.
Keep dreaming! This princess and queen already made a billion plus in worldwide box office and is still earning assloads in spin-offs and merchandising. No American animator with half a brain would give up that kind of gelt just to be more grown up. You want something other than princesses. Watch Anime.
Disneyfied heroes. Doesn't count. Disneyfied vikings. Doesn't count. Disneyfied Red Bull Air Racing. Doesn't count. Disneyfied Lego. Doesn't count. If the purpose of the movie is to be "Fun for the whole family," it's the same thing as movies with princesses by comparison to anime. But go ahead and bring on the list...
The purpose of the list is to show Western animation that does not involve princesses. That is all. No comparison, insult, harassment, infringement, irritation, slight, or belittling of anime was intended or implied.
My responses were due to the fact that I saw wider meaning in Shaka Zulu's post than just the specific reference to princesses. Bottom line, it doesn't matter if the western animation has princesses in it or not, given that a vast majority of the time it will still be mainly "kids' stuff" for cultural and legal reasons. Even western animation specifically designated for adults (adult swim, Fox animated sitcoms) is only "not kids' stuff" by virtue of all the gore, violence and sexual references thrown in. They're not necessarily more adult in terms of storytelling, just peripheral content. I told SZ to "watch anime" because the people who create anime live in cultures where there is no "kids' stuff" hang up about animation. Animation is just a technique to tell every kind of story. Even the kids stuff anime is less Disneyfied than stuff you'll get in the west.