Does Frozen deserve the hype?

Recently becoming the highest grossing animated film of all time (with out inflation adjustments), as well as the ninth grossing film period, Frozen has pretty much become a cultural phenomenon and a new Disney staple. It's won a Golden Globe, Oscars, Annie Awards, and tons of other awards I'm sure we're missing. And at this time, there's even talk of it's franchise power, so it's unlikely to go away.

So it's funny with things just settling down and the number of "Let it Go" remakes uploaded to YouTube finally slowing, that I'm finally hearing a really awkward question after all the hype. Does Frozen deserve the hype?

"Really?"

First off, I don't hate this film. In fact I love it. I've seen it on multiple occasions, sung the songs, loved the art, it's just a great film. The real question here is does it deserve the hype surrounding it? With other amazing animated films out there that seemed to go unnoticed, is it fair that Frozen is now the highest grossing of all time?

Well I hate to not give you a straight forward answer, but it's both a yes and a no.

HAPPY SNOWMAN

Now why 'yes'? Well it's obvious, isn't it? Disney finally made a film that had the old spark it once had, while maintaining a fresh look. With the Princess and the Frog (which, for the record, is highly under rated), then Tangled, and now Frozen, we are seeing the birth of what I consider a third Disney renaissance. A return to good movies and cash cow brands instead of what ever the hell Home on the Range was supposed to be.

I mean Frozen just had fucking everything, didn't it? The songs were different and took a different approach to how they worked. They were new, they weren't the same old Disney sound, they went out of what seems to be their comfort zone in music in some of the tracks. And Disney stepping out of their comfort zone is so great because it shows that such a tired old company still has magic left in it. Hell, they even broke the stigma of evil queens and made a queen character who is deep, has a past, and stays a good person at the end of the film. That's not Disney. That's brand new.

There's certainly more I'm not covering that can be dove in to in a different review, but this movie tied in new technology with breath taking Disney designs and art, and it came out as close to perfect as one could hope. Well, maybe not completely perfect...

sad snowman

See now's the part where you're probably going to send me an emotional email. The part where we talk about why this movie might not be deserving of the thousands upon thousands of YouTube videos and gushing fans (Though I will always be willing to accept the Rule 34).

First off, no, I'm not one of those Tumblr Tard Social Justice Warriors that will bring up the idea that the film is racist, that's not what this is about. I'm talking about through it's content, it's company, and the sudden fan army, does frozen deserve it all? Frankly there are some strong points against it. Some say that the story seemed very generic, it was too short, the pacing was a bit off, but generally these are really the only complaints I hear or agree with about the film. I would have to say the story is relatively generic, though the characters' actions and some key points were very much unexpected, so I honestly can't argue much from this point.

Well what about Disney itself? Why would this company mean Frozen might be overhyped? The proof is in the name. Disney. The name is so known I don't even have to explain to you who Walt Disney is, what Disney is or does, because you know! It's probably the most iconic studio name in animated and live-action films. So with a name like that, billions of dollars for mass advertising, a teaser that warms every person's heart, and a story that has no Americanisms in it to keep it under the radar of the international market, it's no wonder that Frozen spread like wildfire. Disney is the king of trend setting and advertising, while any other films (even if they might be technically better) stood no chance. 

unf

What's probably the most astounding aspect about everything surrounding Frozen is these fans that have surrounded it. Though calling the male fans Brozen is a stretch, as well as tacky and stupid, there is a huge fanbase that has sprung up for it. Cosplays that would make the pope look twice, an overflow of remixes and covers of songs (mostly "Let it Go"), I mean it's insane a group of people would devote themselves to a Disney movie. I mean, who does that? Personally, while I enjoy some fan works, this abundance is too much. ESPECIALLY the YouTube videos.

At this point, it seems fans who are still making content are beating the dead, frozen reindeer horse. This is a fanbase not based on an ongoing show with hours of material, a film franchise with expanded universes, or a continuing book saga. This is one based on a 102 minute Disney film. Of course it was a damn good made film, but a short one-shot story none the less. 

In fact, to tell you the truth, I don't see any franchise power in this nor should it happen. Disney is not known for making good sequels, and the Pixar movies don't count. Let's not forget that there is a Cinderella 3 people. Imagine a direct to DVD Frozen 4. That's not something we need.

So, I guess we're back to where we started. Does one, short movie deserve this constant over abundance of hype? Weighing both sides, as well as the content of the movie, I now know the one true answer.

You're God Damn right it does