Movie Review: "Frozen"

Hey movie fans!

Liza is slaving away in the kitchen, and our expensive HD Smart TV is showing a video of a fireplace.. that can mean only one thing... Hmong New Year!  That's right, Hmong New Year, when families around the nation get together, light a Menorah and tell everyone what they're thankful for. It's a great time of year.

And the week of Hmong New Year also means, the start of the Holiday Movie Season! Normally a time for a couple big films, some Oscar Hopefuls, and some family films. In this case, Disney's latest leap into non-pixar cartoons, "Frozen." based very (VERY) loosely on "The Snow Queen" by Hans Christian Anderson.

In a nutshell, the story is about two princesses. The older has been blessed/cursed with the ability to make things cold. (Think, Iceman from the original X-Men) The problem, her power is growing beyond her control, and the only way to calm it down is for her to be in control of her emotions. The other sister is full of fun and adventure, and has grown stir crazy stuck in a house, unable to have guests, with a sister who is cut off from her. When the older, sister is crowned Queen, she become upset, looses control, and freezes the entire kingdom. Fearful of what will happen to her, the Queen retreats into the wilderness, leaving it up to her younger sister, along with a charming ice-seller, to convince her sister to come back, and thaw out the kingdom.Things actually get more complex from there, if you can believe it.

Despite the complex plot, "Frozen" does a good job of keeping the action, and the plot simple and moving. Some of the characters are extremely simple, and the timing is a big too convenient,  but this is a family movie we're talking about. To be honest, while there are a lot of plot developments, most of them are so cliche ridden, you can see them coming from far off. But the most surprising element in my mind, is a lack of a strong, overarching villain. I mean, Disney Villains are often time the best part of the cartoon. But in Frozen, we have a story that's more about the love of two sisters, and the feeling of trust, than it is about defeating some bad-guys plot. It's refreshing,  and shows that you don't need to follow the same exact formula every-time to make an entertaining story.  Now, before anyone who has seen it can call me out, there is a bad guy in the movie, but he's not very strong, or overarching. In fact, he's little more than a plot device to make the third act seem a bit more thrilling.

The cast is made up of some of your standard tropes, but all done with the standard Disney Charm that makes them so easy to like. If there was a standout, I would have to say it was Josh Gadd as the Magical Snowman, "Olaf."  Full of great comedic lines, and imaginative uses of his snow body, he steals most of the scene's he's in. The best twist, as a snowman, he only have a slight idea what "Summer" is, so he helps the group try to bring it back, not realizing what that means to for his fate...

Of course, you can't have a Disney Film now without a musical. Indeed, many of the songs are really well done, and I really enjoyed a couple. Like most Disney Films, all the singing stops once the real plot kicks in, so they have to cram a lot of singing into the first half of the film.

If you can afford it, I really recommend seeing it in 3D. It has some of the best effects I've seen in a while, and I really enjoyed the constant "snow" effect. Not that you'll lose any of the plot in 2D, but it really makes it more fun. I'm told by multiple sources that the short cartoon at the beginning is amazing in 3D. (Sadly, I missed it due to the woefully slow concession line.) on that note, also stay for a bit more after the credits.

Parents, there are some violent aspects to "Frozen." While the emotional characters make the movie stronger, they also make the scenes where violence takes place more intense. Children may become a little emotional at times. But other than that, this is pretty G-Rated, with no deaths. Just hold your child's hand, and tell them everything is going to be OK. (Well, unless the kid hates spoilers.) \

I really recommend "Frozen" for this season, not only to families who are looking for something to do while the kids are out of school, but to anyone who is looking for a nice fun time. (In case anyone needs a scale, I like "Tangled" and thought "Frozen" was better. )\

Well, I'm off.  The fireplace in my TV is nearly burned down, and Liza's Apple Crisp is ready to go in the oven. I'm afraid I'm going to have to work on Hmong New Year tomorrow, but my work will provide my with the traditional Hmong New Year Turkey and Gravy, and Liza and I will light the Menorah on Friday.

Till next time.. would someone please get me preview tickets for Hobbit or Anchorman?

Happy Hmong New Year!

Ron Edens

Movie Review: "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"

(Editors note: I have to apologize for the quality of this podcast. I was sleeping, and trying to be more conversational, but my words and my brain were not working together when I spoke. So, I say a lot of nonsensical worlds in this review. In short, sounds pretty silly. So, if you want to listen, feel free, but be prepared for some silliness. )

Hey movie fans!

You know what that music means… it’s time for the second annual hunger games movie!

But first… and apology… earlier this week, I posted on my blog I would have three movie reviews this time… but that’s not the case.  I skipped out on Vince Vaughn’s “Delivery Man,” because my girlfriend was sick… and because everyone says it’s just awful…  and I did see Disney’s Frozen, but that’s not going to be released until next Wednesday, so the studio has asked me to hold me review. Seeing as they are nice enough to keep giving me movie tickets, that’s fine with me.

So, onto this week’s movie.. “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.” This is the second film in the franchise based off  “The Hunger Games” series by Suzanne Collins. I have actually read the first two books, and I liked the first movie, so I was really looking forward to seeing the second film.

The story picks up after the climax from the last film, with Katniss, played by Jennifer Lawrence, and Peeta, played by Josh Hutcherson, being celebrated for their victory in the games. But, as the last film implied, the games were just the beginning. Katniss is haunted by her experiences in the Games… and despite her feelings for Gale, played by Liam Hemsworth, she has to pretend to be in love with Peeta.

I know, it sounds super teen soap opera, and to be frank it is.  But the love triangle is only part of the story… because Katniss act of defiance has inspired others.. and rebellion is starting to build against the oppressive government.

Much like the last film, “Catching Fire” is full of good drama, and action. By widening the story beyond the games, we start to get a better feel for the oppressive and cruel world Katniss lives in. This is no bella-clone, perfect in every way, and desired by all. Katniss is a very hard to like person, who seems genuinely conflicted not just about her feelings for Gail and Peeta, but also about her feelings about what to do about the growing rebellion.

Drama and emotions aside, it takes a lot longer to get to the action in “Catching Fire,” and when we do, there’s not as much as the previous film.  This sequel is more about building the story, and the drama than the last, and making us wait for the action to build.  The action that does exist, however, is mostly well done, able to again convey the danger, and the confusing nature of the battle.

On that note, parents expect to see much of the same violence, and death as you did in the last film. This is not a film that teaches kids that violence is OK. Quite the opposite, it teaches the strength needed to stand up for those weaker than you.  But it also shows just how disturbing violence can be, and even takes great strengths to show the emotional toil it has on a person.

Before I finish, I want to make a quick note about the films co-stars. I imagine they were all brought in to satisfy the need for star power… but to be honest, all of them do a great job in their roles, adding depth to the story. Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffery Wright, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, even Amanda Plummer all make strong contributions. 

Wrapping up;  Even without as much as we saw in the first film, I actually enjoyed Catching Fire a little more.  The plot is better, and more detailed, with even more tension and suspense. The threat this time is more than about just Katniss, or Peeta, it’s the future of these people. I recommend it fully.

Next week… Disney’s Frozen. And While I’m not going to give away too much, I will say, I love Josh Gadd.

Big Movie Week!

What is this, Summer? I have 3 movies set up to watch next week!
One involves Fire...
One Ice...
One.. Vince Vaughn...

Might need to review all three in one review!


Ron

Next week...

No review this week... but next week there's three! So... you guys think I should do all three as one podcast?

Ender's Game

(I'm going to preface this review with a little statement. This Week's movie is based on a book by an author who, while being recognized as a influential figure in science fiction, also has some social views I consider to be wrong. I'm not going to detail them, but if you are curious, a simple search on the internet will give you all the information you need on that. I also know that by seeing this movie you are helping to give money to said person who holds these views, and has spoken publicly about them. That all being said, my review is based on the movie I saw, and not he book, or the man behind it. So, in addition to the question about the movie itself, one may question if they should support this film due to your beliefs. If you decide not to see it due to those beliefs, I completely understand. My review, however, exists outside of that. )

(now, on with the review)

Based on the classic science fiction story, "Ender's Game" tells the story of a world threatened with annihilation, and the boy who may be it's only hope... at least that's the story on the surface. The hero of the story is a young boy named "Ender" who may have the skills, and mindset needed to lead humanity against what out leaders call, our biggest threat. As the story progresses, we see Ender develop in skill, and in leadership, but as he grows, he learns to question those very leaders who have selected him to save humanity. If that sounds like a rather vague plot description, know that anything more may lead you to more spoilers than you want in a review.

Like many great science fiction stories, "Ender's Game" is about more than just the lasers, and aliens and space ships. It's a question about humanity itself, and the extremes we are willing to go though. To be sure, there are a lot of high set piece special effects, but they serve to enhance the story, rather than to overshadow them. Without the plot, the visuals are stunning, but they meaning is lost. As you can imagine, the plot puts Ender, and us, in positions where there are no clear cut answers.

The cast of "Ender's Game" does a well enough job, if they are a bit wooden at times. The best performances come from the leads, Asa Butterfield, as Ender, and Harrison Ford as Col. Graff, the man who believes Ender is the boy who will save humanity. Butterfield portrays Ender's mix of confidence, and loneliness well, while Graff keeps us guessing as to where his true motivations lie, and how far he's willing to go. Ford seems like a great choice to me, as I, like many movie goers, have been conditions to like Ford's characters. these two help bring out the best in every scene they are a part of, and help keep us emotionally involved.

I mentioned the special effects before, but I did want to mention how good they are. I saw the film on Imax, and while maybe it's not as impressive as "Gravity" it does help to showcase the action. The action itself was also quite good, although most of it was held back until the very end. Again, the special effects are there to aid the story, not to be the main focus of the movie.


Parents, there is some violence in this film, but it's nothing compared to what we see in most teen oriented action movies. Even more impressive, in my mind at least, is the fact that the we see constant reminders of the impact of said violence. There are no explosions that kill scores of people that we simply forget about,and no  fights to the death that are just chances for action. This is a film that's more about violence, and it's impact on a child, than a film that showcases violence. If your pre-teen wants to go see the film, I urge you to go with them to see the movie. After it's over, sit and talk with them about the dilemmas that are central to the film.

 Many of the greatest Science Fiction stories are about much more than just simply space aliens. They are stories about us, and our fears. They're given bug eyes and mutant powers to make them more entertaining to us, but they help instil in us a real challenge to look at the world we live in in a different light. "Ender's Game" follows in this tradition admirably, both entertaining, and enlightening.