Frozen Fever Parent Guide

If we didn’t already know Frozen was a cultural phenomenon, it is soundly confirmed when the second “movie” in this new Disney franchise can create the buzz of well over 100 major news articles (according to the IMDB’s movie page at the time of writing). Not bad for a little ditty that’s not even 8 minutes long.

Frozen Fever is what we call a “short”, or even (what is probably now considered a derogatory description) a cartoon that precedes a feature film. But this opener to Disney’s live action Cinderella is a tempest in its own tiny teapot. With the original movie grossing north of 1.2 billion, there’s certainly pent up demand from Frozen fans that want more.

Make sure you have the little ones settled into their seats because the action starts fast. It’s Anna’s (voice of Kristen Bell) birthday and because Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel) has missed a few of those in the past, she wants to throw the perfect party for her sister. She’s trying hard to get the cake and festivities just right, but with Kristoff and Olaf’s (voices of Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad) help things are bound to turn out a little different than she expected. However, nothing is as unexpected as Elsa’s impending sniffles, which leave her expelling miniature animated snowmen from her nostrils every time she sneezes. (Uh-huh… I was thinking the same thing…)

Soon there are hundreds of the little snow boogers… er… I think Disney wants us to call them Snowgies, running around and threatening to get in the way of Elsa’s fantastic fête. Of course we all know things will eventually come together, and the kingdom of Arendelle will only be better for its new inhabitants.

The mini-movie met with high approval from the audience surrounding me (especially when Elsa makes a “cold never bothered me anyway” pun), and it offers positive messages about sibling relationships and the value of friends. There is also a new song available on iTunes that’s hoping to ride the coattails of Let it Go. I also expect the Snowgies will become the minions of the Frozen franchise and will most certainly show up in the inevitable sequel—even if the creators are still in denial that such a sequel will ever exist. Building on the old saying “the buck stops here”, when there are over a billion of them charging toward the box office, you can safely bet they won’t stop soon.

Update… 2 hours later:
Disney has announced Frozen 2 is officially on its way.

About author

Rod Gustafson

Rod Gustafson has worked in various media industries since 1977. He founded Parent Previews in 1993, and today continues to write and broadcast the reviews in newspapers, on radio and (of course) on the Internet. His efforts also include writing and researching media in all its forms and observing how it effects society and culture. He and his wife Donna have four children.