Masterful fusion of old and new Disney

Disney’s snowbound animated family film is the closest thing we’ll get to a white Christmas, so it’s a good thing it’s quite lovely, even if it lacks the “wow” factor of Wreck-It Ralph last year.

It’s a curious mix of traditional Disney storytelling with modern comic twists.

How traditional?

Well, there are two princesses, a castle, magic spells and lots of singing (yes, it’s a musical).

But it’s also dotted with more modern gags and memorable characters.

It’s set in a frosty Scandinavian kingdom, where princess sisters Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel) are separated by Elsa’s uncontrollable ability to turn anything into ice.

The plucky young Anna sets out to find her big sis with the help of a rugged mountaineer (Jonathan Groff), his trusty reindeer and a dopey magic snowman (Josh Gad).

Everyone but bratty teenage boys should enjoy this loose riff on Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen fairytale, while little princesses should adore it.

The snowman, in particular, is a lovable lunk and the songs are more snappy than sappy.

A clever, endearing mix of the old and the new, Frozen is a cool family comedy to chill out to.