Here's something a little less "political": Frozen is the best animated feature-length film to have ever been produced by Walt Disney Company. In terms of music, characters, plot, voice-acting, animation, and use of the "Disney formula," it is superior to all other animated films produced by Disney.
Please note that this does not mean that other Disney films are bad - The Lion King is easily a close second and tbh I could see them tying for various reasons (I think Frozen's soundtrack is the best one that Disney has ever produced, by TLK has a more consistent progression of story and plot development, though I think Frozen teaches a more relatable and memorable lesson). I simply believe that Frozen is the best animated film that Disney has ever produced and if you were to compare it side-by-side with any other animated Disney film, it would always rank higher in my books.
The plot is easy to follow and not overly convoluted, the main character (Anna) is extremely likable and relatable, Elsa is one of the most memorable Disney characters to have ever been created, the plot "villain" twist is well-timed and successful, the message is sweet and was not really seen before in Disney (at least not explicitly as it was portrayed in Frozen), the comedic relief is also memorable and actually helps progress the plot instead of just dragging it on, and the soundtrack is easily the catchiest and most powerful collection of music that Disney has ever produced. There's a reason "Let it Go" still manages to receive tens of thousands of views every day on YouTube (it just hit 2 billion a few days ago, actually).
Many people only hate Frozen because of how much of a success it was and the few issues it has are easily overshadowed by the dozens of successes and positive-traits that the film possesses. It's the movie that pulled Disney out of the commercial and creative slump that it had been experiencing during the early to mid-2000s and helped remind people of what Disney was truly capable of. Its success both in and out of the box office is just a small testament to the massive economic, social, cultural, and personal impact that this film has had around the world.
Lilo and Stitch is the best Disney film. It is much better than Frozen (which imo isnt even a top tier Disney movie) and here is a post showing how Lilo and Stitch is superior in every way.
1)
Themes- both Frozen and Lilo and Stitch are explorations of family, and both revolve around a pair of sisters. They are obviously not completely comparable because Elsa and Anna are both adults while Lilo is a child. But the way sisterhood is tackled in Lilo and Stitch is far more in depth. Nani and Lilo have a complicated relationship that includes a lot of fighting and bickering, because Nani is forced to be both her mother and sister, but they both love each other very deeply and realize that they only have each other. This little broken family is further tested when Stitch is introduced. Stitch on the outside is a monster, but is also very lonely and looking for a family. Lilo recognizes this and tries to be the big sister to Stitch in a way parallel to Nani is to Lilo. Its this kind of thematic parallel that adds so much more depth to this film that most other Disney films.
In contrast, there is nothing wrong with Frozen's themes, but they simply extend to "family should love each other no matter what" without much of an exploration what it actually means to be family. Anna and Elsa don't have much of a relationship (for understandable reasons), but its because of this that the film doesn't have as much emotional weight as it tries to.
2)
Plot- Lilo and Stitch has one of the most original plots in any film I've ever seen. As said earlier, it's a parallel concept of two sisters struggling to make their broken family survive, while the character Stitch is also a broken alien looking for a family. The film tackles a lot of everyday struggles- Nani trying to find a job in order so that Lilo isnt taken away, Lilo trying to make Stitch more kind. This is juxtaposed seamlessly with some really fun action and comedy sequences as the aliens try to capture Stitch, serving to lighten up the heavy emotional parts of the film. Lilo and Stitch more slice-of-life than a big overarching quest like most Disney films and this is where the beauty of the movie is.
Frozen has a pretty compelling quest where Anna tries to rescue, and in typical quest fashion, meets some quirky characters along the way. It also has a great plot twist towards the end. But while Frozen has a good plot, it has nothing on the sheer creativity of many other Disney movies.
3)
Characters- the characters in Lilo and Stitch are incredibly human, even the alien ones. Lilo acts exactly how an actual child her age would act. She's loud, hyper, illogical, and she often throws tantrums. But she is also intensely imaginative, clever, and has a huge heart. Nani is no Disney princess- she has too much of a temper- but she's much more
real than most of Disney's female characters. You get such an in-depth look at her struggles as she tries to balance taking care of Lilo with trying to maintain her job and everything. Then you have Stitch, who is simply iconic and really doesn't need an explanation. The side characters of Jumba, Pleakley, Gantu, and Cobra Bubbles are all hilarious in their own unique ways.
In contrast, Anna and Elsa are fairly unremarkable characters. Anna is really nice and friendly, which is great but not particularly memorable. Elsa does have this big internal struggle but her flaws are entirely external (her powers) so her character arc isnt as compelling as it appears. There are a few nice comic relief side characters but they hardly have any actual depth too.
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Humor- To me, Lilo and Stitch is the 2nd funniest Disney movie behind the Emperor's New Groove, which is incomparably funny. While the film is primarily focused on some very serious relationship drama, it is filled with these charming, wacky moments throughout. Lilo herself is hilarious- the weird things she does like taking pictures of the fat American tourists, or designating her doll Pudge the controller of the weather are fantastic moments. Stitch's antics of course are great, and so are everything the alien characters get up to (the whole thing about mosquitoes is one of the best running jokes in Disney films period).
As far as I can remember, Frozen's humor is really nothing special. Just your typical cute characters like Olaf and Sven doing goofy stuff but it came across to me as a bit forced. There's also that musical number with the trolls which was probably trying to be funny, but I suppose it's much harder to get through if you're not a little kid.
5)
Animation- Lilo and Stitch's animation is much simpler than a lot of Disney films from its era, but it is executed much better. The backgrounds are all watercolor, which gives the film a uniquely light, breezy texture. The color palette is such an eye-pleasing combo of blues, greens, and yellow-brown that really brings out the Hawaiian setting. The characters are animated superbly, keeping the imperfections while exaggerating certain quirks in a charming way (see Stitch's various facial expressions). Bonus points for Nani actually being a decent representation of a woman rather than this idealized body image.
There is absolutely nothing remarkable about Frozen's animation. Like most of the Disney 3D films, it has no advantage over the lightness and fluidity of 2D animation, and the character designs are so much worse. The animations for Anna and Elsa are these Barbie-like caricatures of human that you see in all the 3D Disney films.
6)
Soundtrack- Probably a tie here. Frozen has one great song. Let It Go is definitely a stunning, powerful ballad. The other featured songs are just your typical, very cute Disney songs tailored for children but still decent. The overall soundscape of the movie though from what I remember was quite cinematic and definitely fit the Norse landscape.
Lilo and Stitch's soundtrack is fairly different than most Disney films- there's no huge musical numbers, but it also has one great song- Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride- that fits well with the cultural backdrop of the film. Lilo is a big fan of Elvis, so a lot of his songs are used in a pretty charming way and help create the more slice-of-life tone in the movie.
7)
Cultural Impact- Frozen is a solid exploration/twist on Norse fairytales. This is not new at all, but it does execute well. To its credit, it does take a lot of authentic inspiration from Norse culture and mythology, with the clothing, creatures, etc. However, fairytales like this weren't particularly groundbreaking for Disney movies or the audience at the time.
Lilo and Stitch also appears to be a pretty authentic take on Hawaiian culture. You see a diverse society that's trying to keep up with cultural traditions like hula, while simultaneously try to keep up with modern economy. There is actually some explorations of the effects of tourist culture on Hawaii as well. The representation of non-white characters in a non-traditional family is also pretty notable for a film made 18 years ago.
...I have too much time in quarantine