The kingdom of Arendelle has two princesses,

Elsa and Anna. The former distresses

Her parents with powers she cannot control,

Which conjure up ice from the depths of her soul.

When Elsa hurts Anna, they visit a troll.

 

The lead troll heals Anna but fools with her mind

To leave memories of ice powers behind.

The monarchs shut Elsa up, locking each door

And don’t give her access to sis anymore,

While Anna’s confused why things aren’t as before.

 

The two girls grow up, and the king and queen die,

Leaving Elsa alone to conceal her cold lie.

The day when Queen Elsa is due to be crowned,

A whole flood of royals and guests is inbound.

Unlike Elsa, Anna is thrilled they’re around.

 

When she meets Prince Hans, it is love at first sight.

No, literally, they seek marriage that night,

But Elsa is skeptical and won’t permit

A marriage so rushed; Anna’s flustered a bit.

In front of a crowd, she makes Elsa lose it.

 

Her powers revealed, Elsa heads for the hills,

Building castles and singing a song that gives chills.

The people are fearful for snow’s falling fast…

In summer and who knows how long it will last?

So Anna rides off through the wintry blast.

 

She meets smelly Kristoff, a man who sells ice.

He becomes Anna’s guide, though she has to ask twice.

Encountering wolves and a living snowman

Named Olaf, who craves summer days and a tan,

They head up the mount with not much of a plan.

 

When Anna begs Elsa to stop the storm now,

Her sister freaks out, for she doesn’t know how.

By accident, Anna is struck in the heart,

So Elsa, still fearful, makes Anna depart.

In Anna, Kristoff sees a chilly change start.

 

They go to the trolls, who raised Kristoff with pride.

They say Anna’s heart will soon freeze from inside.

She needs some true love, which means Hans (so they think);

She just needs a kiss to come back from the brink,

But Hans then comes out as a liar and fink.

 

Although he brought Elsa back home in a chain,

He wants them both dead so that he can now reign.

Leaving Anna to die, Hans tries killing her sister,

But Anna steps in, knowing Kristoff’s her mister,

And freezes rock solid since nobody kissed her.

 

Her own sacrificial love brings Anna back

And helps Elsa see love is what she may lack.

This aids her control so that people don’t fear,

And Anna loves Kristoff, who’s rough but sincere.

The doors are now open, and skies are all clear.

____________________

 

Last year’s Frozen was an unforeseen megahit that eventually surpassed Toy Story 3 as the highest grossing animated film, and it just recently dropped out of the global box office top 10. A welcome return to the musical princess genre for which Disney is famous, Frozen perhaps fed the hunger that family audiences had for new but familiar quality. It’s certainly a great fairy tale with gorgeous animation, catchy music, and (mostly) likable characters.

All that being said, I can’t help but point out some issues that detract from it and make its gargantuan success a tad puzzling. The actual storyline is innovative in its inclusion of two princesses, but Anna is a much better realized character than Elsa. I can sympathize with Elsa’s fear of herself, but that’s about it. All the characterization is given to Anna, while Elsa seems pretty directionless. What was she doing in that castle she constructed, just wringing her hands in worry? And the ultimate resolution is too rushed: just “love” and boom, she has perfect control over the powers she spent a lifetime repressing.

I also take issue with the character of Hans. The filmmakers tried so hard to make him seem like a nice guy that his sudden reversal was too out-of-nowhere. I mean, if he wanted to kill Elsa anyway, why didn’t he just let the Duke’s guards shoot her instead of valiantly rescuing her for no reason? I like the story, but I was expecting some different directions. Perhaps Hans could have been left as a good guy and paired with Elsa. I would have preferred that kind of reversal. I liked Anna’s sacrifice at the end, but it did remind me somewhat of the finale of Pokémon: The First Movie. I also thought that Anna may have hidden warming powers to offset Elsa’s, but no. Oh, well, maybe in the sequel.

After the previous two paragraphs, it might sound as if I dislike the film overall, but that’s not true. It’s a flawed tale but one I still very much enjoy viewing. Anna and Kristoff make a good pair, and though I was prepared to be annoyed by Olaf the snowman, I actually liked him more than I’d expected. The CGI animation is absolutely gorgeous, setting a new high for non-Pixar films.

Plus, the music is first-rate, even if it’s not from Alan Menken. The first song about ice is rather forgettable, but “Love Is an Open Door” and “For the First Time in Forever” are both excellent starting numbers. When I first heard the Oscar-winning song “Let It Go” on YouTube, I knew I had to see this movie. It’s Disney’s best song in years, and I’m sure most have seen at least one of the hundreds of parody videos out there for it. My VC also very much liked the “Fixer Upper” song by the trolls, even if they seem like an afterthought as characters.

Frozen may not be up there with Disney’s Renaissance classics of the ‘90s, but it’s not the worst (The Princess and the Frog didn’t make my list). It’s memorable, quality family entertainment. Let’s hope Disney will take the hint and not let the princess genre die.

Best line: (Olaf, singing) “Winter’s a good time to stay in and cuddle / But put me in summer and I’ll be a… [pauses in front of a puddle] …happy snowman!”

 

Artistry: 7

Characters/Actors: 7

Entertainment: 9

Visual Effects: 10

Originality: 6

Watchability: 8

Other (aforementioned issues): -4

 

TOTAL: 43 out of 60

 

Next: #186 – The Way

© 2014 S. G. Liput

148 Followers and Counting

 

(This one is best sung to the tune of “You Can Fly”)

 

Wendy and Michael and John

Like to listen, play, and fawn

Over tales of Peter Pan,

Who won’t grow into a man

But always stay a boy

With his youth as the source of his joy.

 

Their father can’t stand the thought

Of these silly games they’ve got.

Since she is no more a pup,

He insists his girl grow up.

But when parents go out,

Peter and Tinker Bell sneak about.

 

Once Peter’s shadow is caught,

Wendy starts to talk a lot.

When she mentions loving mothers,

Pan wants her for him and others

Back in Neverland

And she won’t have to grow up, as planned.

 

Tinker Bell’s envy is plain,

But her protests are in vain.

With some faith, and trust as well,

And some dust from Tinker Bell,

The kids are soaring high.

They can fly! They can fly! They can fly!

 

Soon they arrive there and—Look!

It’s the pirate Captain Hook,

Who feared throughout the isle,

But he fears a crocodile.

Hook despises Pan,

For the lad once cut off Hook’s left hand.

 

After a couple close calls

From falls and Hook’s cannonballs,

Wendy goes to see mermaids;

John and Michael lead parades,

But soon the boys are caught

By the Indians; happy they’re not.

 

Wendy and Peter behold

Hook’s next evil plan unfold:

He has nabbed the chief’s own daughter,

Placing her in rising water,

But Pan does outsmart

Hook and Smee, and the croc plays its part.

 

After the Lost Boys and Pan

Revel with the Indian clan,

Wendy quickly feels ignored,

But her value is restored

When she decides to sing

Of the joys that a mother can bring.

 

Hook uses Tinker Bell’s spite

Against Wendy to, one night,

Learn of Peter’s whereabouts

And to kidnap all his scouts,

While leaving a surprise

To ensure that his enemy dies.

 

Tinker Bell saves Peter Pan,

Who flies off to stop Hook’s plan.

First, he frees his captured friends,

And the company defends

Against the pirate crew;

Pan and Hook have a duel overdue.

 

Once Pan has bested the crook

And replaced ol’ Captain Hook,

Back to London they’ve a trip

On a flying pirate ship,

And Wendy’s parents see

Being young’s not a bad thing to be.

________________

 

Walt Disney had hoped Peter Pan would be his second animated film after Snow White, but, though he had to wait about fifteen years due to legal issues and World War II, his animation and storytelling had merely improved over that time to make Peter Pan yet another children’s classic (and incidentally Michael Jackson’s favorite film). There are plenty of small details that make it timeless, from Hans Conreid’s distinctive voice as both Hook and Mr. Darling to memorable scenes like the children landing on the face of Big Ben.

Like Pinocchio, I don’t always think of Peter Pan as a musical, but its melodies are certainly distinctive. While “The Second Star to the Right” and “You Can Fly” are the most memorable, little elements of the score are instantly recognizable, including the crocodile’s tick-tocking theme to the low tune heard when the Indians are introduced. It’s true that the portrayal of the Indians in the film is outdated, stereotypical, and potentially offensive, but, for good or bad, the deep-voiced “How!” remains an enduring line from the film.

There are a number of changes from J. M. Barrie’s original stage play, such as deleting the clap-if-you-believe-in-fairies audience participation in favor of a bomb left by Hook and foiled by Tinker Bell. Still, it’s one of the best of Disney’s original lineup. Peter Pan is a nostalgic visit to Neverland that never gets old.

Best line: (Peter Pan; classic as they come) “Second star to the right and straight on till morning.”

 

Artistry: 5

Characters/Actors: 8

Entertainment: 8

Visual Effects: 8

Originality: 6

Watchability: 6

 

TOTAL: 41 out of 60

 

Next: #203 – The Iron Lady

© 2014 S. G. Liput

135 Followers and Counting

 

When you wish upon a star,

It can kindle things bizarre.

Like a puppet made of wood

Becoming real.

When Geppetto, cheerful yet,

Made his youthful marionette,

He pronounced his puppet good

And played with zeal.

 

When he wished he had a boy,

To delight in and enjoy,

One Blue Fairy came that night

And filled his wish.

Jiminy Cricket is assigned

So Pinocchio will mind;

He will teach the boy what’s right

And what’s wrong-ish.

 

On his first day out to school,

Young Pinocchio’s a fool;

He’s tricked by a fox and cat

To take the stage.

He performs to quite the crowd,

But to leave is not allowed.

He’ll make his boss rich and fat,

But in a cage.

 

That Blue Fairy, kind and wise,

Comes to him, but he just lies.

Though his nose extends and grows,

She helps him out.

When the puppet’s free to roam,

He is stopped while running home.

Fox and cat again impose

To change his route.

 

He instead wastes time a while,

Acting bad on Pleasure Isle,

But he’s shocked to learn the cause

Of where friends go.

When boys act their worst, alas,

Each becomes a poor jackass.

Though Pinocchio withdraws,

He’s filled with woe.

 

Back at home, Geppetto’s gone;

He is hungry, cold, and wan

Inside Monstro, a great whale

Who causes fright.

In the sea, Pinocchio

Is devoured by Monstro.

Puppet and creator hail

And reunite.

 

Though they both are in a scrape,

That small puppet plans escape.

On Geppetto’s raft, he makes

The beast lose its meal.

On a beach, the group is spilled,

But Pinocchio is killed.

Yet he offered what it takes

To now be real.

_________________

 

Pinocchio is a true classic and is widely considered to be Disney’s greatest masterpiece. You’ll find that not all of Disney’s older films are on my list, notably Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Snow White was chosen as the best American animated film by AFI and is lauded by critics today as well as when it was released, but it’s just not my cup of tea. I have no issue with fairy tale movies, the scenes with the dwarves, or the exciting end, but Snow White herself is entirely too bland, the voice acting is often grating, and the film drips sugar. I think it’s gained most of its accolades solely because it was the first full-length animated film.

In contrast, Disney’s next film Pinocchio offers some saccharine moments but is a vast step forward in character development, entertainment, and animation quality. Pinocchio himself has an actual character arc, and the villains he meets are all colorful and frightening in different ways. The beginning is overtly child-centric (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing), but the end is impressively thrilling, and everything that comes between succeeds in confirming to all bad little boys that they should listen to their parents and consciences. Considering this was only the second animated film released, Disney’s animators pulled off some beautiful pictures and amazingly fluid scenes, from the opener with all the cuckoo clocks to Pinocchio’s walk through the underwater world of Monstro.

I don’t usually think of Pinocchio as a musical, but it does have some charming ditties, including “Give a Little Whistle” and the ever-classic “When You Wish upon a Star.” I especially enjoy Pinocchio’s performance of “I’ve Got No Strings,” which predates The Sound of Music’s puppeteering version of “The Lonely Goatherd” by over twenty years. The songs aren’t on the level of Alan Menken or the Sherman brothers, but they’re memorable nonetheless.

Disney put his indelible stamp on the project and certainly “Disney-fied” the material, leaving out some darker elements from Collodi’s book, such as Pinocchio and Lampwick being tormented to death as donkeys or Pinocchio’s killing of a certain talking cricket. Though, there’s still a good amount of smoking, including by children, that wouldn’t fly nowadays. One interesting thing my VC pointed out was the film’s frequent focus on the posterior as the “butt” of several jokes. It’s certainly tame, but I wonder if back then that was perhaps the only way to “push the boundaries,” so to speak. Either way, it’s something I had never noticed before.

For all the praise I’m heaping on this film, it may seem odd that it is as low as it is on my list. It’s an undisputed classic, but I simply enjoy watching other films more. I can applaud a movie for its artistry and trailblazing, but this list is ultimately based on how I like films overall. It probably deserves better, but regardless, I admire Pinocchio as a milestone in animation that is quite watchable and enjoyable.

Best line: (the Blue Fairy) “Now, remember, Pinocchio: be a good boy. And always let your conscience be your guide.”

 

Artistry: 9

Characters/Actors: 9

Entertainment: 6

Visual Effects: 10

Originality: 7

Watchability: 5

Other (I just like other films more): -6

 

TOTAL: 40 out of 60

 

Next: #219 – Journey to the Center of the Earth

© 2014 S. G. Liput

119 Followers and Counting