Is Frozen overrated?

[Dominicboo1]

Any popular film can be considered overrated.

Is it a typical princess story? No. It isn't. The film is rooted in the familial love of two sisters. I have yet to see a film with such strong female leads where the plot is not centered around a man. That alone makes it ASTOUNDING! The prince was peripheral and Kristoff was basically along for the ride. Of course Sven and Olaf were popped into the story to lighten it up and to give kids something to grab onto. Not only does it pass the Bechdel Test, the fact that the film grossed $1,272,346,009 worldwide sends a signal to the entertainment industry that mainstream films don't have to be tailored to teenage boys. Overrated? That's an incorrect prism to view this film's success.

The story has its spotty bits and plot holes. And the musical element kind of ends half-way through. That was strange. There seems to have been a lot of reshaping while they were making the movie, but it's still quite enjoyable. Much more so than the snoozefests of Brave or Cars 2 or, dare I say, Monsters University. I think everyone had higher expectations for Monsters U, but they just played to the kids the whole time. It wasn't bad. It just wasn't anything special. Well, aside from that sly ending.

As for Frozen's songs, I enjoyed Let it Go, Love is an Open Door and In Summer. Those three are quite strong. Apparently strong enough to inspire a Broadway musical adaptation.

So, overrated? Sure. What entertainment property or entertainer really deserves that kind of money and fame? None in my opinion. I'm just happy that, if it had to happen, it happened to a film like this. Great story, wonderful characters and an empowering, progressive theme.

My RT review from last year: A solid contribution to Disney film history. It also passes the Bechdel Test with flying colors. I just wish they'd discard the waifish waistlines in favor of creating some realistic or full figured heroines for once. 4 out of 5 stars

That's an interesting way of looking at it! I have to agreee, and I guess I liked a lot because I act like Anna acted in the first half of the movie...hoping to meet "the one" and I probably would've fallen for Han's proposal too honestly....

 

[Drtooth]

As far as Underrated and Overrated go:

Any popular film can be considered overrated.

Quoted for truth. ANYthing popular is considered overrated. There's a difference between overrated and hype backlash.

As far as underrated goes: I'll say that the minority of underrated kid's films that are actually good tend to get a cult following and tend to be vindicated by history. Films like Paranorman and Iron Giant...which, as far as the mainstream audience is concerned, are underrated... but it has a justifiably large amount of love from animation fans. But a lot of relatively unloved animated features are actually quite awful. Like I always say, sure... we can whine about the fifth party CGI studios now... but what about stuff like We're Back: A Dinosaur's Story and Thumbellina? Impossible to defend without a Nostalgia filter... and even as a preteen I thought Thumbs deserved two Thumbellinas down... minus "I'm Mad" of course...

 

[jvcarroll]

That's an interesting way of looking at it! I have to agreee, and I guess I liked a lot because I act like Anna acted in the first half of the movie...hoping to meet "the one" and I probably would've fallen for Han's proposal too honestly....

I so agree with that, but my dating history is spotty at best.

 

[jvcarroll]

As far as Underrated and Overrated go:



Quoted for truth. ANYthing popular is considered overrated. There's a difference between overrated and hype backlash.

As far as underrated goes: I'll say that the minority of underrated kid's films that are actually good tend to get a cult following and tend to be vindicated by history. Films like Paranorman and Iron Giant...which, as far as the mainstream audience is concerned, are underrated... but it has a justifiably large amount of love from animation fans. But a lot of relatively unloved animated features are actually quite awful. Like I always say, sure... we can whine about the fifth party CGI studios now... but what about stuff like We're Back: A Dinosaur's Story and Thumbellina? Impossible to defend without a Nostalgia filter... and even as a preteen I thought Thumbs deserved two Thumbellinas down... minus "I'm Mad" of course...

ParaNorman deserved a lot more praise. I have hopes that Boxtrolls might bring home a trophy at next year's Oscars. It looks beautiful!

I always think Iron Giant fared better than it actually did. Audiences and critics loved it, but it fizzled at the box office. It's a wonderful film.

 

[mr3urious]

ParaNorman deserved a lot more praise. I have hopes that Boxtrolls might bring home a trophy at next year's Oscars. It looks beautiful!

I expect it to be somewhat better seeing as it's coming out in late September, which happened to fare really well for Hotel Transylvania. Plus, it has no competition to speak of.

 

[Drtooth]

ParaNorman deserved a lot more praise. I have hopes that Boxtrolls might bring home a trophy at next year's Oscars. It looks beautiful!

I always think Iron Giant fared better than it actually did. Audiences and critics loved it, but it fizzled at the box office. It's a wonderful film.

Paranorman was released too soon before Halloween in August. And August isn't exactly when movies tend to do well unless they're surprise sleeper hits. Though if it was released closer, it would have had to contend with Hotel Transylvania, anyway. Then again, it seems the film was destined for cult status.

Iron Giant was wronged because it came in an era when cheap, crappy animated features were starting to pop up from every company that wasn't Disney, and unfortunately got lost in that shuffle. Blame the likes of...well... those two films I mentioned earlier. I cannot stress how Thumbellina sucked.

Sucked... Thumbs... Ah say, Ah say, that's a JOKE, son.

 

[beatnikchick300]

I finally saw Frozen (my mom got it On Demand). While I don't think it's bad (it's cute, and has likable characters, and good animation), it does have some flaws that people overlook (I thought there was too much singing, and while the songs weren't bad, a couple of them could have been cut, and you wouldn't have missed anything at all). The fanbrats still drive me crazy though (the next person to say "OMG, the first Disney movie to show girls they don't need a man to save them!" I'm going to tie down and force to watch Mulan and Brave on a continuous loop for 24 hours).

 

[Drtooth]

Yeah, but Mulan did wind up getting a guy at the end anyway.

I applaud them on not making a movie with a sneering, ugly old crone villainess, furthering the ugly bad, cute good thing. Heck, doesn't even really have a villain, actually. I'd love to see it based on that alone.

 

[jvcarroll]

I finally saw Frozen (my mom got it On Demand). While I don't think it's bad (it's cute, and has likable characters, and good animation), it does have some flaws that people overlook (I thought there was too much singing, and while the songs weren't bad, a couple of them could have been cut, and you wouldn't have missed anything at all). The fanbrats still drive me crazy though (the next person to say "OMG, the first Disney movie to show girls they don't need a man to save them!" I'm going to tie down and force to watch Mulan and Brave on a continuous loop for 24 hours).

I call shenanigans on that last comment. Mulan had to pretend to be a boy in order to achieve her goal. It's not her fault and she turns the culture of the time on its head. Just saying, male influence abounds in that motion picture. Also, what scene in Mulan does she speak to another female character in a conversation that doesn't have to do with men or a male? It seems simple enough, but very few films have that. Frozen has it in abundance!

You do have a point with Merida. Her character shines. However, I'd never subject anyone to seeing that beautiful snoozefest more than once. Bleugh. Also, she doesn't really accomplish very much in the film. There's really only the internal journey and it's mostly of her own making. The message is really muddled in that movie.

Frozen has both. I was also impressed with the lack of pressure for the female leads to get married. THAT is a first for a Disney animated film. The problems of the sisters in Frozen do not originate from them. That comes from the intolerance of their culture and just plain bad parenting. It's not only a good "girl power" film. It's a self acceptance film that's good film for everybody.

 

[beatnikchick300]

Yeah, but Mulan did wind up getting a guy at the end anyway.

True, but he didn't need to save her (she saved him...twice). And I think it seemed he ended up attracted to her because of her bravery and strength, not her beauty (in fact, as was sometime brought up in some of my LGBT lit/media classes in college, he seemed attracted to her before even knowing she was a woman). So, there's that.

I call shenanigans on that last comment. Mulan had to pretend to be a boy in order to achieve her goal. It's not her fault and she turns the culture of the time on its head. Just saying, male influence abounds in that motion picture. Also, what scene in Mulan does she speak to another female character in a conversation that doesn't have to do with men or a male? It seems simple enough, but very few films have that. Frozen has it in abundance!

The comments I'm referring to never even bring up the Bechdel test.