A Decade of Frozen: Reflecting on the Enduring Magic

The cold never bothered me anyway.

Ten years ago, Frozen hit theaters. Gifted with magical ice powers, Elsa retreats from the world to keep everyone safe, including her sister Anna. During her coronation, she accidentally uses her powers to turn the world into an eternal winter. It’s up to Anna and her friends to save the world.

How has it already been ten years since Frozen was in theaters? Frozen became a cultural phenomenon, captivating audiences with its enchanting tale of sisterly love, stunning visuals, and unforgettable songs. However, this film has become too popular, overshadowing its story.

Anna and Elsa are sisters who used to be very close. Elsa’s internal struggles with her powers build an (ice) wall between their relationship. While Elsa desires a quiet life, Anna’s bubbly personality cannot be detained.

Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell deliver powerful performances that breathe life into their characters. Menzel's commanding vocals in ‘Let It Go’ have become an anthem of empowerment, transcending the film as a cultural touchstone.

Frozen contains a snowball full of memorable characters. Josh Gad became recognized for his voice work as Olaf the loveable and gullible snowman following this film. Most of Gad’s hilarious dialogue was improvised.

Anna’s adventures with Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) and his reindeer, Sven are more eye-opening than both characters anticipate. Kristoff forces Anna to sit down and think about her romance with Hans (Santino Fontana) whom she has only known for less than a day. You must think about relationships before taking things too far.

The animation in Frozen is incredible. A team of 50 animators spent 132 hours creating Elsa’s signature ice castle. The entire scene is a tremendous work of animation. To make animation accurate A live reindeer was brought in to study movements for Sven.

The film's direction, helmed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, is commendable, balancing the emotional weight of the narrative with moments of humor and spectacle. The directors succeed in creating a fairy-tale world that captivates the audience from start to finish.

When I went on a trip to New York with my high school drama club, we watched Frozen on the bus and we all sang ‘Let It Go!' That was a fun time! Frozen has a list of memorable songs. ‘Do You Want to Build a Snowman’ is another popular song. More songs include, ‘For the First Time in Forever,’ ‘Love is an Open Door,’ and a remarkable soundtrack.

The only subplot that the film could have gone without is Kristoff’s rock family. It doesn’t make sense to the story. Kristoff could have been written more as a loner which is what his character is intended as.

Did you know that Elsa was originally intended as the villain? Everything changed when ‘Let It Go’ was introduced but I can’t help but wonder how different Frozen would be if Elsa was the villain. The alternate concept raises questions about the potential for a more complex and unconventional story.

Frozen was the highest-grossing animated film of all time. I liked Frozen when I saw it but it’s become too overhyped. The film's popular culture has arguably overshadowed its narrative and artistic achievements. Frozen was so overhyped that the characters joined the newest season of Once Upon a Time when the film had only been released for a year!

Frozen has several fans who constantly sing the songs on full blast. I'd like to go back and watch it for the first time again. It’s a pleasurable winter movie along with the shorts and sequels it’s spawned. Frozen will never get old in Disney culture.