Frozen 2 (2019)

It’s been 6 years since the residents of Arendelle were first rolled out to the world, and within this darker sequel, Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck present us with a bewitching development of Anna and Elsa; two women who entered the world and got conjured into the Disney zeitgeist quicker than you could say “Do You Want to Build a Snowman”.

Elsa (Idina Menzel) and her sister Anna (Kristen Bell) are enjoying each others company once more. However, an angelic voice keeps the magical queen up and a mission to an enchanted forest could give her the answers she wants. So, with Anna, her reindeer-loving boyfriend Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) and snowman Olaf (Josh Gad) in tow, the truth could spell big changes.

The opening of this sequel and the notion of Arendelle keeping its proud flag flying is swept away not even 10 minutes after being proclaimed, and this general zippy attitude does have you feeling that the story is just speedily going through the motions. That is until the mighty sisters have to prove themselves by achieving tasks in separate ways.

The strength of the film is down to the guts and glimmer of Anna and Elsa. The former has relatable charm and the latter contains a conviction to doing good. These royal siblings possess a warmth and believable bond, which helps the less than magnificent story out. They are like a bridge, with either side complimenting the other in times of strife and Jennifer Lee’s screenplay clearly knows the characters inside and out, so we feel like we do too.

‘Frozen 2’ does lack a villain, which I know isn’t always necessary but there are occurrences where you feel that missing presence, but in other films where no major villain would be a severe weakness, this Disney follow-up is never totally ruined by that, in fact it ensures that the togetherness of Elsa and Anna are the interesting focus; their journey to do the right thing for all is pushed to the foreground.

I guess Olaf is the closest to a nuisance you can find. Children may very well still enjoy his shtick but I for one would happily see him melt into oblivion. He’s an irritant sidekick who can’t shut his mouth. Worse than my rant, is the fact that this time he’s a character that doesn’t serve any purpose to the plot, he just trundles along making quips and being annoyingly redundant.

As with ‘Frozen’ the songs shuttle by in the first quarter, making you think the musical aspect is left behind but this time around there are some tracks in the third act; a couple which tingle with heartfelt vigour, such as Show Yourself. Into the Unknown is an uplifting soul-searching song for belting out to the heavens, it may not recapture the mania of Let it Go but there is a satisfying sparkle to this that I much prefer. Lost in the Woods is a number which will have you feeling that the magic forest has caused an acid trip, as it can only be described as an out of place 80s power ballad music video that is 3 minutes too long.

Location-wise, the setting is more mystical as the story shifts from ice kingdoms to a more Nordic feeling; a wooded environment pulsating with ancient sorcery and elemental stones that appear like the atmosphere presented in ‘Brave’. The animation is drop dead gorgeous though, the misty sweeping leafy or fiery vistas are a sight to behold as are the visuals of Elsa and her gifts, which if you can overlook the seemingly variable manner in how she manifests skills to save herself, then you’re bestowed the wonder of cold swirls and skating majesty in a thrillingly turbulent sea sequence.

Sisters do it for themselves and the pitch-perfect vocals of Bell and Menzel absolutely cement the fact that the sequel only holds up as fascinating and fun because of their connection and moreover you’ll find yourself rooting for and cheering them on no matter how old you are.

7.5/10

Anna (2019)

‘Leon: The Professional’ director Luc Besson hasn’t come up with something good since the first 20 minutes of ‘Lucy’, will another film with a four lettered name in the title be the return to form he needs or should ‘Anna’ be sent to the gulag?

At a Moscow market, Anna (Sasha Luss) is picked up by a model scout and jets off to Paris. Though it soon becomes clear she’s working for the KGB and under tutorage from Olga (Helen Mirren) she racks up the kills, but this grabs the attention of CIA agent Leonard (Cillian Murphy) and Anna is stuck in the middle of two opposing sides.

A film with a strong female lead is thankfully becoming more the norm but there’s something about this film; which stars a strong and combat ready woman, that doesn’t feel like it would be empowering. Luc Besson instead hands his film a near constant male gaze with Anna serving kicks and spills but also serving as a figure to be gawped at. The skills of this Russian pro are evident but you can’t help but feel they’re overshadowed by the fact she’s dressed up and mostly down to flaunt flesh and look sexy whilst dispatching numerous henchmen.

If ‘Anna’ had been released 15 years ago, then 2004 audiences would likely be more receptive. It would be a better, more explosive spy flick but as it is, here in 2019, the movie sits like off-brand vodka. It’s a film with nothing original; there’s nothing in her take-downs or style that we haven’t seen before, even with the sleek Vogue gloss mirroring her modelling looks, this story is less than fresh.

An early restaurant brawl does neatly showcase Sasha Luss as a capable and kick-ass lead and it is the point in the film where you sort of feel the narrative and action is getting into its groove. That thought is short lived however, as it soon reverts back to fairly lame spy thriller tropes and generally it screams like Besson thinks his script is cleverer than it is; the annoying time jumps and twists are not anything to write home about. Only an INXS song injects a lively section of energy and their bop punctuates through a ridiculous but enjoyable montage.

Luss does grace the screen with a believable strength and she proves to be a model, not just with killer heels but killer moves too. The coldness to her expression is very Russian and there’s no denying she’s cool and hot but not even her convincing whip-smart assassin tricks, proven further in an embassy escape, can save this film from being cheesy and only mildly entertaining.

Dodgy Russian accents, overly sexualised visuals and a run of the mill screenplay make this a tepid watch, one that keeps Besson on trend of producing poor movies and at this point his EuropaCorp brand should be re-titled You’reOverCorp.

4.5/10

 

Frozen (2013)

Frozen is a brilliant animation and like with every animated film nowadays there is something the designers and drawers have focused on to grand effect. CGI supervisors and other key animation wizards for films like Rapunzel with her hair or Finding Nemo with water, have utilised one sweeping look to stylise their film and in this case it’s snow and it looks amazing. It’s cold and white and chilly and serves as a crystallized backdrop to a story of sisterhood, identity and love.

The sister duo of Anna and Elsa is charming and sweet with an emotional start and separation to kickstart the story, it only soars from here in terms of fulfilling the depths of a story where the man/prince isn’t the hero but the princesses are heros to each other and that love is enough and that’s a nice idea if not a tad simple. Comedy comes nicely from a snowman crafted from Elsa’s childhood and his daft sidekick routine is oddball and funny, Sven and his loyal iceman Kristoff serve as handy guides and possibly more and then Hans who can be a coin with both sides. The film is firmly a family affair though with sisters doing it for themselves, Anna as happily being strong, awkward and motivated. Elsa who once she escapes the pressure revels in freedom, liberty and power, you just know the two together can be an unstoppable force.

The songs are scored, written and performed amazingly and are so darn catchy, it’s a film that has a clear stage sound and it’s no surprise Frozen is being turned into a Broadway show. The only problem is all the songs feel too crammed nearer the first half of the title and the troll number is one to forget.

Disney have done it again and created another powerful story with fun elements for generations to enjoy.

8/10