Frozen: the amateurish review

It's been a while since I watched a Disney movie in the cinemas. Just earlier this week, I watched the highly anticipated Disney animation Frozen for the second time. And let me tell you: it's been quite some time that a movie made me genuinely laugh and smile (either that, or the type of movies I watch are seriously depressing).

I watched it without high expectations - I haven't even seen the theatrical trailers, either - and knew nothing of the plot whatsoever. From only looking at the posters I expected some generic story about an evil ice queen, thawing the town/land/kingdom of eternal winter (Narnia, anyone?) and having an underdog save the day. But boy, was I way off. Spoilers from here on out, people!

Like most Disney animations, I expected nothing less of the characters being able to break out into a song at any given moment. The songs were so immensely happy I found myself literally grinning from ear-to-ear. Some songs even gave me the chills.. Idina Menzel's voice acting as Elsa was so spot-on that it actually scared me. And I mean that in the best way possible.

Apart from the perfection that is Christophe Beck's scores, there is the plot. No plot is perfect, of course, and Frozen is no exception. However, after watching the 90-minute animation, you eventually forget the minor plot holes and find yourself praising over the beautiful moral of the story instead of nit-picking the fact that Elsa's dress isn't actually ice so how-could-she-possibly-make-it kind of thing.

Speaking of Elsa, she may have just been my new favourite Disney character. Why? Because she's a badass. Ok no, in all seriousness though, I have only one word to describe her: misunderstood heroine. Alright, so that's two words.. Hush now. For those who have seen the movie (or the trailers), you'll understand me when I legitimately thought that she'll turn into a stone cold biatch as the movie progresses. Here we have Princess of Arendelle, struggling to cope with her "icy magic". She wasn't cursed but rather born with it. Whether it's genetic or what, we'll never know. But it doesn't really matter, does it? Here is a perfect example of brilliant pacing! Anyway. As a child, Elsa accidentally hurt her sister Anna with her powers and a series of events involving self-isolation follows soon after. Cue the song "For the First Time In Forever" where Anna expresses her excitement of opening her then "shut tight" gates of the castle.

lost her parents during her teens, she was never taught on how to control her powers. Thus leaving her vulnerable and scared of her own abilities. So when Anna pushed her too far during her coronation night, which lead her to uncontrollably unleash her powers and harming civilians, I totally understood! I feel you, Elsa gurl. What happens after struck me: Elsa flees and retreats to her handmade ice castle whilst Anna runs after her, hoping to resolve the accidental icy winter. And guess what? They didn't need men for that. I love it!

Sure, there was that cutsie Kristoff and Hans but they didn't rely on them for "true love" or a kiss to awaken them from deep slumber or whatever it is that seems to happen a lot. In fact, this movie was like a big middle finger to the renaissance Disney films - these two sisters were able to survive without them, because the real true love they had was each other. Best.

So I thank you, Disney, for showing the kids of this generation that you can't marry someone you just met because that's ludicrous. Thank you for adding a refreshing twist to your movie 'formulas'. I look forward to the next vague one-word title feature films.

I don't even know

The premise is that the eldest sibling gets the most pressure. He/she has to set the right examples to the other siblings, be a good role model and everything else that requires to be the "perfect child". But what happens if he/she "screw up", in the eyes of his/her parents? Hypothetically speaking, the parents would now look to the other child and subconsciously instill pressure to be what the elder sibling wasn't. Hypothetically speaking.

So that premise flies out the window. It is the youngest that is faced with high expectations. And I happen to be the last out of three kids.

Fortunately, till this day, I have never really received the downside of being the youngest. Especially thirteen years younger. It's always been easy: I get called 'cute' most of the time, I never got into fights with my siblings and of course, I get all the attention in terms of being spoilt. Now I get plentiful of attention, but more of a... 'closely-monitored' attention.

See, my siblings and I don't live under the same roof. We're actually thousands of miles apart. So I consider myself an only child sometimes. Everything was ok (as listed above) just until recently. Maybe it's been happening way before I noticed it but now that I'm pretty much idle on most days, I'm starting to realise this icky thing called pressure sneaking in. And it's not even the good type.

My siblings' behaviour recently is also a catalyst to the crawling of the poison. Without having to explain the details (or else I'll be here for days typing it out), long story short: my parents are heavily disappointed. So disappointed to the point where I can feel the drag in the room. Their disappointment lightens up as they realise that they have one daughter left that could possibly make up for what their two other children did, or didn't do. Eighteen years of having it easy finally caught up to me.

From academic choices to boyfriends to something as little as reading the right books are being scrutinized. I appreciate the concern from both of my parents and I understand wholly where they're coming from. They feel that they've messed up somewhere along the way in raising my elder siblings and so they only want the best for me. But they shouldn't have to live through the regret of every parental choice they had to make with them.

I don't blame my parents, I really don't.

Accurate

"You know that feeling?
When you're just waiting
Waiting to get home, into your room,
close the door, fall into bed,
and just let everything out that you kept in all day.
That feeling of both relief and desperation.
Nothing is wrong.
But nothing is right either.
And you're tired.
Tired of everything, tired of nothing.
And you just want someone to
be there and tell you it's okay.
But no one's going to be there.
And you know you have to be strong
for yourself, because no one can fix you.
But you're tired of waiting.
Tired of having to be the one to fix yourself and everyone else.
Tired of being strong.
And for once, you just want it to be easy.
To be simple . To be helped. To be saved.
But you know you won't be.
But you're still hoping.
And you're still wishing.
And you're still staying strong and fighting,
with tears in your eyes.
You're fighting."