Escape to the Frozen Tundra at El Capitan
Falling Snow and Ice Carving Usher in Cool Characters of New Disney Movie
As an East Coaster missing white Christmases, I was refreshed by and reminded of my cold, crisp carefree days of childhood in Virginia on my recent outing to the animated feature Frozen, showing in 3D at El Capitan. The theatre is decorated complete with an indoor winter wonderland of snow drifts and sparkling curtains of icicles and real falling snowflakes.
Living up to its legendary reputation at the best movie palace anywhere to see a Disney movie, El Capitan delivers a wondrous wintery experience in the theatre with its pre-show ice sculpting exhibit featuring former Ms. America Dominique Colell, bundled up stylishly in a dazzling white parka, along with her fellow blond-beauty accomplice, wielding chain saws and chisels. The pair transform a block of ice into one of the film’s beloved characters, the clownish snowman Olaf, whose blissfully ignorant song, “In Summer,” his lament for warmer days, is one of the early highlights of the movie.
Olaf (Josh Gad) is the sidekick of Anna (Kristen Bell), who rolled him into a playmate as a young girl, and whom her princess sister Elsa Idina Menzel), brought to life with a wave of her hand when they played as children. That was before Elsa learned that her powers to create Olaf, along with all sorts of frozen creations of snow and ice, were not just fun and games but a curse that could doom her and her kingdom.
A local witchdoctor of sorts tells Elsa’s royal parents to hide their daughter’s gift, and he removes the memories of Elsa’s powers from her sister’s memory. In the Disney moment, as I have come to call it, the parents perish at sea; and so the two girls are left orphaned, with Elsa retreating to her room to keep her secret hidden, and her sister is left lonely, albeit safe.
Enter a handsome prince, an oafish ice salesman and his reindeer companion, and an conniving, greedy tradesman from a neighboring city, and chaos is unleashed and the charming kingdom of Arendell turned to a winter wasteland.
As with all Disney stories, all is resolved with a happy, happy ending. With a delightful soundtrack of songs and an exciting array of 3D visuals, including a spectacular ice fight and one scary abominable- iceman-type monster, the forecast for Frozen is lots of fun for the whole family . Playing at El Capitan through Jan. 5, 2014.
