Frozen II, mini movie review

Rating: A

Frozen. I loved Frozen, the first, when it originally came out.  I gave that movie full marks as well.  But as time wore on I developed Frozen fatigue.  The movie was everywhere, especially in the parks.  It's all my nieces seemed to want to watch, and so myself and other members of the family would occasionally slip in Tangled and Lilo and Stitch as well.  (Actually, they do like Tangled.  Don't know how they really feel about Lilo and Stitch, though that's technically my favorite Disney movie. It's so well structured and so forth.)  When it was announced that Frozen was getting a sequel I had mixed feelings.  Glad for a new installment. Not excited for another Frozen wave.

Frozen II takes place a few years or so after the first, not entirely sure the time frame, but the characters are definitely older, as Olaf mentions throughout the film in cute ways.  We learn more about Elsa and Anna's childhood and parents.  We learn about the North and the magic that lies within.  And through all this Elsa hears a voice calling her into the unknown.

Without getting into spoilers, this movie is the perfect addition to the Frozen universe.  Both movies are good and strong in their own ways.  Different.  The elemental magic system introduced is really cool.  And it was nice learning more about Elsa and Anna's family.  All the characters grow in nice ways that compliments who they are as individuals.

There are more songs to be had in this new version.  Nice songs.  The music in the first installment are stronger, more standout-ish, but I enjoyed the music in this new movie as well.  They compliment the scenes they are in.

Overall I appreciate the new tone of this second movie.  Disney doesn't have the best reputation when it comes to animated sequels, the 90's are coming to mind, but this movie is a breath of fresh air.  More adventure, more mystery, but still clearly within the realm we've grown to love.  Though this is a sequel, and Entertainment is overrun with sequels, prequels, and remakes, I respect the originality and fun found in Frozen II.

Frozen II is a great family film to enjoy over this Holiday season and beyond.

MPAA: Rated PG for action/peril and some thematic elements.

Coco, mini movie review

Rating: A

In Coco, the latest offering from Disney's Pixar, Miguel is a boy who finds himself different from his family.  They are all shoemakers, a trade passed on from one generation to the next.  Music is banned.  Many generations back Miguel's great-great-grandfather left the family to pursue music, never returning, leaving his great-great-grandmother to find a way to support herself and her family, the banishment of music the result and the family's love of shoes established.  Miguel is torn between his family and the music that pours through him.

During Miguel's plight, it is also that time of year where the dead come to visit the living.  The day of the dead.  The family ofrenda is all set up, every ancestor displayed lovingly with a photo and favorite offering.  Every member represented except for Miguel's great-great-grandfather, whose photo was ripped.  Miguel believes he's discovered who his long lost great-great-grandfather is, and while doing so, desperate to display his musical talents, he steals a guitar from a tomb, and in so doing finds himself trapped in the land of the dead.  There he finds his family, new friends, and discovers a great family secret.

Coco is a delightful family movie about those who come before and also about what makes us who we are.  I love the music theme that runs throughout with great songs, but also just the love of music that is presented.  As a hobby genealogist I loved the theme of ancestors and family.

The Land of the Dead where Miguel finds himself is a visual masterpiece.  The colors and artistry beautiful.  I loved the spirit guide animals that fly around, and all the other little details that can be seen.

If you haven't seen it yet I highly recommend Coco.  A great family film.

MPAA: Rated PG for thematic elements.

P.S. The Frozen short that comes before about Christmas traditions is really cute.  (Songs could have been better).  Word on the street is that it's getting pulled this weekend due to complaints over it's length, which is a problem, as it's about 21 minutes long.  After 15-20 minutes of trailers that's about 40 minutes of wait time before Coco.  Also, 21 minutes isn't really short.  It's about the length of a full Disney Channel animated episode.  And those sick of Frozen may not want to wait through it.

Window Displays at the Disneyland Emporium

 Right before my trip to France I wrote 18 blogposts that would update automatically while I was gone, and as soon as I left I had this nagging feeling that there was something I planned to talk about, but forgot.

Honestly, I'm surprised I managed all 18!

But then I remembered: The window displays at the Disneyland Emporium.

It's tradition for me, whenever I come to the Magic Kingdom in California, to see the window displays, which represent scenes from various Disney movies, as soon as I come into the park.  The Emporium is the first shop to the left on Main Street USA, and the windows are right at the entrance.  They're hard to miss, unless you're hypnotized by the distant Sleeping Beauty's castle.

When my family visited Disneyland it was the first week in November, and the park was transitioning from Halloween to Christmas, bit by bit, day by day.

And on the first day of our visit all the window displays were covered up, and stayed covered up through the week.  I was disappointed at first, and wondered if I would ever see the new displays, but as we were leaving the park on our last day, November 6th, sky dark and the castle glowing pink/blue, hurrying to buy final souvenirs, and waiting patiently as the nephew and nieces had their silhouettes cut out, my nephew slept through it, I noticed the curtains for the window displays outside the Emporium were finally open!  I could see them.  And everyone else noticed as well because there were huge crowds gathered around to see.

There was one final display that I wasn't able to see because the curtain was still down, so it will remain a mystery.

 There were five displays from five movies:

Frozen, Princess and the Frog, Toy Story, Cinderella, and Peter Pan.

A little of the old and new.

And each display had two scenes they switched between.  A marvel to watch.

 A sunny scene in Frozen changing to an icy scene, with Olaf walking around dreaming of Summer.

 A swamp scene changing to a celebratory Steam boat scene for Princess and the Frog.

 Woody and Buzz lightyear being played with in Toy Story.

 Cinderella having her pink gown changed to blue and then dancing with her prince.

And the scene from Peter Pan, which was my favorite.  The transition from the nursery scene to flying above the homes was seamless.  I watched this transition over and over.  A lot of fun to watch.

So if you ever find yourself at the Happiest Place of Earth, take the time to watch the window displays at the Main Street Emporium.

It's a fun dash of magic.

The Shows at Disneyland and California Adventure

 Paint the Night!  I love, love this new rendition of the electrical parade.  Great use of lights and new technology.  Just overall fun.  And I love the Owl City music they played with hints of the original parade in the soundtrack.  I saw it three times!  And my poor 5 yr. old niece wanted to see it so bad, but she slept through it twice.

 Disneyland Forever is the new show introduced this year for the 60th anniversary.  I liked it, especially the image show they did on the buildings on main street, but I feel the Remember Dreams Come True firework show is a better.

 Frozen Sing Along . . . because there isn't enough Frozen in the park.  I'm still trying to figure out how I managed to see it three times.  It was fun with the family, but I'm on Frozen overload.  And I'm seriously bummed Aladdin the Musical is being replaced by Frozen as well.

 I've seen Fantasmic! so many times.  I even had the music on cassette tape once and wore it out.  Still, with all the times I've seen it, I've never been this close.  You can get meal packages with some restaurants in the park that give you a special pass to different sections.  It was great.  The show is on sabbatical until the Rivers of America is filled in again.  I hope they bring it back!  I'm sure they will.

 World of Color - Celebrate!

Bring back the old show where you choreographed more complete songs to lights and music, and not just Let it Go.

Disneyland . . . let it go.

And Mickey and the Magical Map.

Somehow I managed to see this show three times as well.  3 is the magical number.  But it is a cute show, and I like the songs they choose.

For me no Disneyland experience is complete without seeing a few shows.

17" Frozen LE Collectible Disney Store Dolls + Winnie the Pooh LE Bee Tsum Tsum Plush Set

 These are the limited edition Frozen dolls I went early to the Mall for yesterday.  They were each $119.95, which is a $20 increase from past dolls released from the Disney Store.  Anna and Elsa are 17" with a production of 5000 units each.  Kristoff is 18" with 3,500 units worldwide.

All three dolls are now Sold Out in the stores and online, but you can find them on Ebay for crazy amounts of money.

And yes, I took mine out of the box!!!  A collectors "no, no", but I've been collecting dolls since the 6th grade, and decided then, after much internal debate, that everything I collect will be taken out of the box, because I collect what I love and never plan to resale.

Dolls in boxes are sad.  Have you never watched Toy Story 2?

 What the dolls look like in the box.

 The boxes are designed so you can actually take it apart to examine the doll and then put the box back together.

this is the 3rd release of Elsa.  The previous releases were Elsa as the Snow Queen and Elsa in her coronation outfit. I would have LOVED the Snow Queen doll, but she was released before the movie came out, and only 2.500 units were available.

When I first saw stock pictures of this Elsa doll wearing an outfit from the beginning of the movie I was disappointed, and considered not getting her at all.  She is prettier in person.  My pictures don't even do her justice.  The reinstones and embroidery is gorgeous.  Her skin actually has a purple like metallic shine, which is the same type of shine used on the Tinker Bell LE dolls.

This is also the 3rd release of Anna, the first two releases had Anna wearing her coronation outfit and then her main movie outfit. This Anna is wearing the dress she wears at the end of the movie.

I love it!  I was so excited to get her, and she does not disappoint.  Once again the reinstones and embroidery is gorgeous.  It's my favorite dress of hers from the movie.  So cute.  I would totally cosplay wearing a costume modeled after this design.  That might sound silly, but I'm always looking for modest, cute Halloween costumes.  Her hair even has shiny red material to help it shine.

My only complaint is the skin.  Like Elsa it's shiny/shimmer, without the purple undertones, but it doesn't look right.  It makes it look like Anna has an oil control problem.  I want to get my blotting cloths to fix it.  Tame that t-zone!!  It's a shame.

And Kristoff!  I believe this is the first time he's been released as a LE doll.  The lute is a nice touch.  And I love the embroidery, which makes the doll feel special without going overboard.  And he has hair, unlike last years Prince Phillip who sported plastic hair, which just looked wrong.  I was really close to not getting him, but Anna needs her Kristoff.  P.S., no shiny skin!!

 Certificates of authenticity.

The other two Disney Store LE dolls I own:

Merida from Brave and Rapunzel from Tangled.

 Another item that was released new yesterday was this Winnie The Pooh tsum tsum plush set, which is $34.95 and available for a limited time.

 It has four mini tsum tsum's inside!  So cute.

Piglet, Pooh, Tiger, and Eeyore looking like bees!

My nieces are going to have fun playing with this :0)

The Puzzling Purple Chocolate Head Anna Cake from Disney's Frozen

 I never thought the Disney Store would sell another toy that baffled me as much as the "disturbing to play will" Queen Elinor doll, from Brave, which you stick in a bear, but I've found it: This purple frosted cake with a chocolate man head in a bodice.  It's an added play piece in the new Anna doll set from Disney's Frozen.

I just don't get it, though I'm getting fuzzy memories of seeing it in the movie.

I can't remember!!

Do I want to watch the movie . . . again . . . ?

 I might need to re-watch Frozen just to solve this puzzling mystery.

I'm just not in the mood at present . . .

Regardless, this cake head whatever wasn't particularly memorable, though I think it was in the coronation scene.  Just guessing.

I'll find out in a few months.

Beautiful Cover of "Let It Go" from Disney's Frozen

There's already so many Disney Frozen covers out there, but a couple days ago my brother showed me this new cover song of "Let It Go" and I was floored.  Absolutely beautiful.  This cover is an African tribal version with Alex Boye, featuring One Voice Children's Choir, Lexi Walker as the lead "Elsa."  This is shot at the Ice castle venue in Midway, Utah.  I've got to visit that place.  So cool.

Enjoy

Frozen: Movie Review

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

It seems like the advertising for Disney's Frozen has given the film a "shrouded in mystery" feel.  Unless you watch the Disney channel, confession, you don't really know what this movie is about . . . or that it's a musical!!  (Why does Disney feel the need to hide this?  They did the same with Tangled.  It's a selling point.)

For months movie theater audiences have been treated with an animated short featuring two non-human characters from Frozen: Olaf the snowman and a reindeer.  It was cute and funny at first, until it stopped being cute and funny . . . but that's probably because I'm a movie theater addict.  An interesting approach to advertising, though the trailer says nothing about the movies theme.

I didn't have high hopes going into the theater, but my apprehension was wrong.  Frozen's Fantastic.

Frozen is based on the Hans Christian Anderson's story of the Snow Queen, but like most Disney Fairy Tales this story is loosely based on the original.  I feel the more I say the more I spoil, and not knowing much going into this film was a nice, refreshing change.  I liked being surprised.

I loved Tangled.  LOVE Tangled, the last Disney musical animation based on Rapunzel, but there wasn't enough songs!  Only four main songs with a bunch of reprises.  Mulan, amazing as well, had the same problem with only four main songs.  (Though "I'll Make a Man Out of You" and "I See the Light" are stellar.)

With Frozen we are given eight main songs and one reprise.  Eight!  "Let It Go" is this movies stand out song, sung by Elsa (Idina Menzel).  (Okay, side note, when I found out Idina Menzel, from Elphaba "Wicked" fame, was voicing a character in Frozen my first thought was, "She better sing a song!!"  That was my biggest complaint with the movie "Enchanted," Idina not singing . . . though from a story standpoint it wouldn't work, but if there was ever a sequel . . .) "Let It Go" is such a strong, spirited song with fantastic, gorgeous animation.  A lot of the songs in Frozen are fun, though I must admit that some of the lyric choices made me cock my head to the side a couple times, but overall great songs.

And opening the movie with the choral piece "Vuelie (feat. Cantus)" was brilliant!  The music geek in me was tripping out.  Combining African like chants with medieval tonality was so cool.

The acting is good.  The music fantastic.  Animation great.

A fun family movie just in time for Thanksgiving :0)      

. . . now I wonder how long it will take Disneyland to give the Matterhorn a Frozen theme.    

MPAA: Rated PG for some action and mild rude humor.