There are a few other male archetypes in the Disney world: it’s mostly a
choice between heroes and buffoons, and some are both. Kristoff is a
hero who’s a bit of a buffoon; he’s an awkward and sometimes, a grumpy
loner with a reindeer for a best friend, who reluctantly helps Anna. He
does possess some of the important characteristics of a Disney hero:
he’s roughly handsome, strong, and protective of Anna when necessary. I
wonder what boys make of the stereotypical Disney heroes who are
good-looking in a jutting jaw kind of way, muscular in a brutish sort of
way, and humorous in a childish sort of way. For example, here’s what
Kristoff says to Anna when he learns she’s going to marry Hans, the guy
she barely knows: “Have you had a meal with him yet? What if you hate
the way he eats? What if you hate the way he picks his nose…and eats
it?” (While I suspect this line was added for the benefit of the boys in
the audience, many girls probably also found it funny.)
And yet, we all know the allure of a good story, the power of
identification– whether it’s a little girl who wants to be powerful,
build an ice palace and look like a princess, or a boy who wants to be
handsome and strong and conquer a brutish snowman named, Marshmallow. I’m
trying to be grateful that this movie has at least moved beyond the
fairytale ending and celebrates the power of two girls and their
sisterly love. However, I can’t help but wish for the day when both girls and boys (women and men) will be portrayed as complex, positive, and fully-realized characters in the highest-grossing movies of all time.
'Perhaps, as with Tangled, Disney are trying to hide those fairytale roots to attract young boys' -Empire Magazine
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