“Frozen”—the new animated film from Disney—didn’t make it on my original list of films to watch.  I didn’t see any of the three recent releases, however, and felt like I needed to see one film on the big screen (two of the three never made it in wide release nearby, and the other failed at the box office so left before I could see it).  So, it’s technically not a “Christmas” film although it is a winter film, and is destined to be holiday classic.

The film is based on Hans Christian Anderson’s tale “The Snow Queen” and tells the story of two princess sisters, Anna and Elsa. Elsa, the older, possess the ability to freeze the things she touches or to create snow and ice out of thin air. Elsa and Anna play one night, making a snowman and sledding around, but Elsa loses her balance and “zaps” Anna with a freeze to the head, knocking her out.  Her parents rush in and make their way off to some distant helpers who bring Anna back around.  However, they are warned, if Elsa had hit her sister’s heart instead of her head, they wouldn’t be able to save he as easily. (Yes, kids, this is called “foreshadowing.”)

Their parents lock Elsa up—and lock up the gates to the kingdom—trying to help her control her feelings so she doesn’t freeze everything she touches. It gets worse as she gets older, and we see Anna longing to see Elsa again because they used to have so much fun together.  They eventually become teens, and mom and dad head off for a long trip over the water. This is Disney, of course, so the kids are orphaned.

Which gets us to the main plot of the story, Elsa is to be crowned queen.  The gates to the kingdom have to be opened.  With people flooding in, Anna meets the man of her dreams—a bloke named Hans who is number 13 in line for his kingdom—who asks for her hand. Elsa, after being crowned, refuses to give her blessing and in the action that follows allows her anger to get the better of her creating winter in the dead of summer.  Elsa flees, and Anna pursues figuring Elsa would never hurt her, giving control of the kingdom to Hans.

Along the way Anna meets Kristoff and his reindeer Sven, and they run into Olaf, a snowman.

I hate spoilers, so I’m not going to say anything else.  Disney surprises in this film, which is great.

Even though no Christmas tree or manger was in sight, this one gets:

You should see this one in the theater if you have the chance this Christmas season.  And I suspect it will be a Christmas favorite for years to come, and I know it will be in our house.