Walt Disney Animation Studios’ latest effort, “Frozen,” seems to have broken through the icy slump that Disney has been in for the past few years as a family-friendly movie that has attracted audiences of all ages across the globe.

Mesmerizing animation of snowy scenes and a plot full of twists, turns, and betrayals had audiences leaning off their seats, gaping in awe at the screen. Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, “Frozen” features two sister princesses, Elsa and Anna, who are voiced by Idina Menzel and Kristin Bell respectively. Elsa, the elder sister, possesses the ability to create ice and snow with her hands- an ability that she hides from her younger sister Anna for several years to prevent her from being hurt by the powers that Elsa cannot control. During Elsa’s coronation ceremony, she accidentally loses control of her powers and unleashes an eternal winter upon the kingdom; she subsequently flees into the mountains.

The rest of the movie follows Anna’s journey to find her sister in an attempt to lift the eternal winter spell. Along the way, the young princess is joined by a hilarious talking snowman named Olaf, voiced by Josh Gad, and a rugged mountain man and future love interest named Kristoff, voiced by Jonathan Groff. Olaf, Kristoff, and the reindeer Sven provide comic relief as the plot becomes more intricate, revealing important themes about sisterly love by the end of the movie. Throughout the film, audiences were amused by dialogues from Olaf and enchanted by the catchy tunes of the “Frozen” musical soundtrack playing in the background.

“Frozen” wooed audiences with its lofty and unique themes that have not been utilized by Disney in the past. The focus on familial love between two sisters instead of the typical romance between princes and princesses that is everpresent in most Disney movies aided “Frozen” in enticing and having a larger impact on viewers.

The family movie received an 8.1/10 rating on IMDb and a rare A+ by CinemaScore. “Frozen” also was rated 89% on Rotten Tomatoes with an average rating of 7.8/10, making it the highest-rated family movie of 2013. “Frozen” is currently the second-highest grossing Disney movie of all time with “Lion King” in first place.

The portrayal of two females as main characters was a unique aspect of the movie that received praise from critics and organizations, such as the Women Film Critics Circle. The soundtrack for “Frozen” was also applauded by critics for its Broadway musical nature, and the “Frozen” album is currently at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart along with a Golden Globe nomination in the Best Original Song in a Motion Picture category for Idina Menzel’s version of “Let It Go”.

The movie is also currently in the running for a Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film and has been nominated for ten Annie Awards, tying with Pixar’s “Monsters University” for the most nominations.

The music, unique female leads, and themes of sisterly love mixed in with comic relief all fuse together to create a smash hit movie that has theaters packed with hordes of young children and parents alike, all eager to watch the chilly family film that has warmed hearts across the globe this holiday season.