This movie held me in keen anticipation ever since the start. It's a brilliant movie which is simply so intriguing and adventurous. Quite frankly I'm surprised this movie isn't more popular than Frozen, the most overrated movie of 2013.The animation was fantastic. The drawings were superb and realistic (except for the fact that the troll looks more like an anteater). The only flaw-if you could call it that, was the English dub (since the original movie's in Russian). It was done rather poorly, and the lip movements didn't match the words at all. It may seem like a big deal, but after ten minutes into the movie, it won't matter, trust me, you'll be took caught up in the story.I didn't understand one thing in the beginning though. If Gerda's dad was such a great wizard, why didn't he fly away on some arctic bird (or a magical carpet or whatever), instead of using a wagon and get his family and himself to safety, even if he wasn't powerful enough to face the Snow Queen on his own?Also, didn't the Snow Queen kill off all the wizards? (except for Gerda and her brother Kai) So how did the flower lady give life to a plant, the ivy?Another thing was that Gerda was very, very lucky to have met so many people on the way who ultimately helped her reach the snow queen. Talk about luck. It seems like the only reason those people were in the movie as sub-plots were to help her. The first people gave her a sledge, next she got a reindeer and after that she even got a boat that took her directly to the Snow Queen's castle. Of course, Gerda's a nice polite girl, but my, she's sure got a lot of karma on her side.I may just be nitpicking though. This movie's amazing, and you should definitely watch it!

Not great by all means(the animated adaptation of the story from the 50s is much better), but a more than acceptable version of one of Hans Christian Andersen's best stories. In detail it sticks much more faithfully to the story than Disney's Frozen did, though that film had more polish and magic from personal opinion, and it has that mysterious and poignant spirit of the original story if not its darkness, understandably. Some of the story here did have a slightly rushed nature to it pace-wise, maybe part of the reason for some skim-the-surface character development, the characters are very recognisable and have personality but lack dimension(rather archetypal in a way)in places. The dialogue also can sound cheesy and not as flowing as it could have done. However, much of the story does work, the latter parts of the film do pack a powerful punch, it always did engage me at least and there is some nice messaging. The heart-warming and tense parts are done well as well. The animation is very well done, it doesn't try to do too much and it looks completely natural from the smallest details to bigger effects like snow fall and the lake reflections. Everything moves smoothly and the colours are very lavish and atmospheric, the characters look good and match their personalities fine. The music added a lot to what was going on, the scoring was beautifully melancholic, hauntingly powerful and any tense parts to the music were done very rousingly and enough to make you bite the nails. The voice acting is more than serviceable with everybody playing with heart and commitment, with only Gerda's voice actress having occasional unevenness, big emphasis on occasional because she did do a good job. Overall, not a definitive version, though it never intended to be and I wasn't expecting to be either, but a good one. The original story is a classic and while with some obvious foibles The Snow Queen(2012) does very little to disgrace it. 7/10 Bethany Cox

This is a nice adaptation with style and ability.It is not in par with Disney stuff but clearly above the average.Voices in French are not perfect and the script is sometimes lacking but animation is good and the overall story is solid. There are clearly delimited stages with their own graphic styles but an overall graphic unity midway between 3D and a fairy tales book.It avoids the ever-joking bias of many current days animation productions and remains faithful in spirit to an European tale.This is promising debut for Wisart Animation studio, and a nice leisure for the whole family starting age 6.

an old story. new technical tools. and a nice film who has only basic sin to be in shadow of too many and admirable versions. the Andersen work has, in many parts, the classic ingredients. but it has not soul. no real emotions, no touching moments, only a troll and a weasel. the travel of Gerda is only a sketch, the end - not real convincing and the promise of new part seems all only a commercial show. and that is problem - the need of Wisard studio to impress, the huge ambitions to be accepted on West market and the sacrifice of profoundity of story for a impressive but superficial show. a nice film, off course. but it is not enough. its great virtue - to remember the lovely version from 1957 by Lev Atamanov.