Frozen

So, we should probably talk about Frozen.

I'd been looking forward to this movie for a very long time, so I am happy to say that it didn't disappoint--at least not much.

Here's the gist with no spoilers. The story is loosely based on Hans Christian Anderson's The Snow Queen. Elsa and her little sister Anna are princesses and best friends, but Elsa has magical-ice powers that are becoming harder and harder to control. After accidentally hurting Anna, Elsa isolates herself in the hopes that she will someday learn to control her powers. She attempts to do this by controlling her emotions ("conceal, don't feel").

Unfortunately, Elsa and Anna's parents die (I promise this isn't a spoiler) leaving Elsa to become queen. At Elsa's coronation, Elsa isn't able to control her emotions and reveals her magical-ice-powers to everyone. The kingdom is shocked; Elsa runs away and isolates herself on the top of a mountain, leaving the kingdom in an eternal winter. The story picks up when Anna follows her, hoping to save the kingdom from the snowstorm with the help of a talking snowman named Olaf, a "rugged mountain man" named Kristoff, and a reindeer named Sven.

Here they all are! Plus Hans (a visiting prince Anna's got her eye on)

One of the things that Frozen does extremely well is it's show-stopping song "Let It Go" sung by Idina Menzel as Elsa. You can watch the whole sequence online here and just be in awe at the beauty. The lyrics are all poignant and appropriate to the situation, the animation flows nicely and only augments the viewers emotive response, and Menzel's iconic voice brings the song remarkable power. While there was certainly nothing wrong with the other songs in the movie, they all do pale in comparison to this one. I read one YouTube comment that described "Let It Go" as "the best three minutes in the film," and that may very well be true.

I'm also a huge fan of the animation in the recent animated films (I'm thinking Tangled and Rise of the Guardians), which I know isn't a popular opinion. There are those Disney purists who long for the days of yore when everything was hand drawn. I feel that; I get it--really, I do. But I don't think the beauty of hand drawn animation discredits that of CGI. But this is off topic. The point is, I thought the animation in Frozen was gorgeous. The characters were fine, but the scenery is what really blue me away (especially in "Let It Go" sequence. I promise I'll stop mentioning this scene soon).

I'd been hearing complaints for months about how the female characters in Disney CGI films were all looking the same. And I can see their point, but it's not making my feminism senses tingle, and I'll tell you why. Here is a picture of Anna and Rapunzel side by side.

Please ignore that it says French_Disney_Princess

They do look pretty similar, don't they? Same big eyes, same button nose, thing lips, white skin, light colored eyes and hair. However, I agree with this dude that, if you're going to criticize these two particular characters for looking alike, then you have to criticize a lot farther than that. One of the points that Erlandson makes is that Disney has a particular "look" for its female characters that includes big eyes, thin lips, and a button nose. Erlandson cites Ariel as the character that popularized this model, and I can see what he means.

Big eyes, button nose, thin lips. Sounds familiar. So as you can see, the problem of Disney's female characters all looking pretty much the same is hardly unique to Frozen and Tangled. It is a wider problem that can only be addressed with time and more culturally diverse movies. Because Disney only recently made The Princess and the Frog, we probably won't see another African American protagonist for a while, but I would be interested to see if a South American princess joins the line up in the coming years. To sum up, the fact that Disney's female characters follow an archetype doesn't bother me from a feminist perspective, but I agree that Frozen hardly adds any diversity (yes, it's the first film set in Sweden, but it's still Europe) to Disney's princess cast.

As for the people complaining that Elsa and Anna look too much alike...they're sisters. It's okay.

Moving on. The storyline was comfortable--good, but not groundbreaking. There was, however, a twist on the "true love's power" trope at the end, which was refreshing. I don't want to give too much away about the storyline, but I will say that my only disappointment was that I wish Hans had been handled differently. That's all I'm saying.

The characters were lovable and charming. Elsa was much more mature than Anna, which showed because of the more complex struggles she had to face and her more practical personality compared to Anna's carefree and "looking for love" mentality. What this means is that while Anna is probably who you would consider the traditional protagonist (she's got a lot of screen time, she's a heroine, and she's got the romantic subplot), Elsa is even more compelling a character.

I heard someone say that Elsa's character and the plot were basically just a revamped "Wicked." The fact that Idina Menzel voices Elsa corroborates this statement, as do several elements of Elsa's character, but I prefer to think Disney didn't just rip off "Wicked"...is that too idealistic? I've never seen "Wicked," but from what I know of it Elsa's story is very similar to Elphaba's, but I think the addition of Anna sends the story in a different direction.

Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf were the other three main characters in Frozen. Kristoff is an antisocial ice-seller who thinks the only friend he needs is his reindeer. He's funny and lovable, but, while the movie definitely has romance, he isn't the main focus or goal at the end of the movie. Instead, Frozen focuses on the relationship between Elsa and Anna. Sounds great to me!

Sven would not make it on my Top Ten Disney Animal Sidekicks list. He's fine, but not given much screen time and I found him much less expressive than Maximus from Tangled. Olaf is the main source of comedy in the film, and his humor can be a bit low-brow sometimes, but the story of the snowman who longs for summer is endearing so I'll forgive him that.

Overall, I really enjoyed Frozen and I can't wait to see it again. I think it did a great job of still having romance, but not having it be the focus of the film. The film even makes fun of the "love at first sight" mentality, which shows a lot of progress from Cinderella and Snow White. Like Brave, the crux of the film is on familial relationships and being comfortable with who you are, showing that true love comes in many forms. I also liked that one of the protagonists (Elsa) has to deal with mature problems, responsibilities, and consequences. 

Go see it! Procrastinate whatever you're supposed to be doing and get yourself to a theater!

Brave

I'm so happy that I got to see Brave this weekend! I usually am nannying and babysitting so I get to have an excuse to see all the new Disney movies (the four-year-old was so confused about why I was balling in Toy Story 3) but since I'm in Virginia with grown ups for the summer I was worried I would have no one to go with. Fortunately, I went to visit a friend of mine who goes to the Naval Academy this weekend and roped him into seeing it with me. He was a pretty good sport about it.

Be Warned, there are SPOILERS!!

Brave tells the story of Merida, a Scottish princess who isn't ready for the marriage and strict rules that being a princess entails. She would rather roam free on adventures and settle down when she finds true love. This creates a rift between Merida and her mother, the queen. Fueled by anger, Merida searches for a way to change her mother (interestingly she doesn't even consider changing herself) so that she can live the life she wants. Merida follows the Will-O'-the-Wisps (blue floating light fairy things) to an old witch who gives her a cake that will change Merida's mother and thus her fate. Merida gives her mother the cake only to find that rather than making her change her mind about marriage, it turns the queen into a bear! Merida and her mother have two days to reverse the spell by "mending the bond" before the queen will be a bear forever!

First of all, let me just say that I didn't get any of that from the trailer. From the trailers I thought Merida was going to have to fight off a huge bear to prove her bravery or something. There wasn't even a hint of the whole mom-turns-into-an-animal plot. That isn't to say I didn't like it, but it did take me by surprise.

What I enjoyed most about Brave is how different it is from what Disney and Pixar normally do. There is no romance to speak of. Merida has no prince or true love's kiss. While the idea of a princess wanting to break free isn't new *cough*Jasmine*cough* the fact that there is no marriage or kiss or hero to speak of is definitely unique. The part of me that loves Happily-Ever-Afters was sad that Merida didn't get her prince, but having a heroine who is strong and brave enough not to need a prince is a happily ever after in its own way. 

Another difference was the distinct lack of animal-sidekick in Brave. Sure, the horse (Angus--brilliant name) was present, but he wasn't nearly as influential a character as, say, Maximus in Tangled. Brave is also Pixar's first female protagonist and their first fairy-tale, which I thought was interesting.

This movie was HILARIOUS! I cracked up throughout the whole thing, but especially right when the queen is turned into a bear. Normally human-in-animal-body comedy doesn't work for me, but for some reason watching the bear mime these prissy, feminine actions really tickled my funny bone. The triplets were also great--three little red-headed devils who can get away with anything.

As for the music, the only thing I can really say is that I don't remember it. True to a Pixar film, this isn't a musical-style movie, so all the music just kind of stayed in the background for me. My friend who saw it with me assured me the music was kick-ass though. I'll have to pay better attention next time I see it--and yes, there will be a next time.

The animation was, of course, lovely. Pixar and Disney are like a Super Team--they make magic. Incredible magic. I fell in love with Merida's hair. I watched the Tangled commentary on the DVD (because, you know, I'm a dork who has no life) where they mentioned that hair was one of the hardest things to animate. You can see why this would be a challenge for Tangled. I feel like in Brave Disney and Pixar were taking everything they'd learned about hair and showing it off--in a good way. Merida's hair was lifelike and vibrant as hell and simply beautiful.

Overall, if you haven't seen Brave yet, go kidnap a four-year-old and watch it RIGHT NOW!

This Means War

No Spoilers! I saw This Means War this weekend. It was...all right. The premise is that two spy friends both fall in like with the same girl and thus compete to woo her. They use every resource they have at the agency to spy on the other and sabotage dates. There is also the peripheral story of a bad guy (who knows what he did? Not me) that the two spies are supposed to be dealing with. They kind of put him on the back burner though, after all, the girl is much more important than our nation's safety. 

The three main characters were Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, and Tom Hardy. I love Reese and Chris, so seeing them was lovely, as Chris rocks my socks off. This is the first film I've seen with Tom Hardy, and he wasn't my favorite character, but it was a romantic comedy so I wasn't really looking for stellar acting anyway. 

This is a good movie for high schoolers. It's not very sophisticated, has some low level humor (a predictable paintball-to-crotch shot, for example), but has a make-out scene that'll still make them feel like they're seeing a grown up movie.

The comedy part of the 'romantic comedy' wasn't present. I hardly laughed out loud at all, instead finding myself more smiling and bouncing. And when I did laugh it wasn't a compliment to the movie. There is a scene towards the end that endangers Chelsea Handler's life that just cracked me up. I just saw it last night, but the details are already starting to get fuzzy--there was nothing gripping about the film. I really didn't care who Reese ended up with, or whether the bad guy got caught, or whether the guys were still friends. 

I feel like I would have enjoyed this movie more if at least one of its aspects was done better. The plot was just all over the place so that no part was fully developed. Like the spy bit, for instance. I was at least looking forward to a bit of action in the beginning, but I found it badly edited, not comedic, and definitely not thrilling. Or they could have made me care about the romance more, but they didn't.

Overall, I wasn't expecting much going in, but I was expecting better than I got. This Means War does not have my recommendation. If someone wants to go see it, you should sneak out and see The Chronicle instead.

These pictures of Reese With Her Spoon are ten times more hilarious than This Means War. You're welcome.

In other news, I get to go home next weekend! Free laundry, here I come!!

In preparation for Lent, my friends and I are baking a disgusting amount of sweets to eat before Wednesday. I have to eat a whole Family Size bag of York Peppermint Patties by myself--wish me luck!

By the way, just in case you are in any way interested in my love life, K has texted me 5 times since Friday. He's determined.

I am listening to Foundations by Kate Nash. There is an awesome dance to the song, choreographed by Kate Jablonski, that you should go watch. It is amazing, unique, and refreshing. I've been watching and rewatching all her videos for weeks because I can't get enough of her choreography. So good!

Meet Amanda

In the spirit of Doing Something I have decided to stop doing nothing. Or at least spend less time doing nothing. This means less time on the internet (Pinterest is my new addiction) and less time re-reading books I've already memorized (*cough*Harry Potter*cough*) and less time watching Friends. It makes me sound kind of pathetic to admit how much of my life that takes away. I spend a disgusting amount of time looking up Big Bang Theory clips on Youtube.

So, I'm doing things to stop the nothing and start the something, even if the something I'm doing that day isn't groundbreaking. It can be simple. For instance, yesterday I sat down and drew. Just to get this out there, I am no artist--by any means. I do quite a bit of doodling (which is largely why I almost failed AP Chemistry in high school) but even that isn't exactly artistic. My doodles mostly consist of pirate ships, smiley faces, hearts, palm trees, the occasional rocket ship, and snails. But I've always admired people who draw and wanted to try even if I couldn't do it well. So here is my FIRST EVER attempt at a human face. Please don't laugh.

For a first attempt, I don't think she's so bad. I think the main problem is her eyes... and bangs...and jawline...okay, so she's not very good. I love her anyway. I've decided to name her Amanda, doesn't she look like an Amanda? Maybe Amanda Finkle. I'm going to keep practicing my drawing until I am able to make something that, while not necessarily good, is at least something I can feel proud of. Although I do like Amanda's lips, they're so voluptuous! Again, please don't laugh. All my drawings before Amanda looked like this:

So I think you can understand why I'm so happy with Amanda.

In other news, I just got back from seeing The Chronicle. Two of my friends went to see The Vow, but my friend Julia and I weren't really into that. Channing Tatum is sexy like none other, but I didn't really need to see the movie. I pretty much could make up the plot myself.

Opening Scene: Couple is happy. Channing is sexy. Rachel McAdams is charming. They are the perfect couple. There is probably a scene of them undressing and getting ready for their 'special hug' time.

Conflict!: Rachel McAdams is hit by a car or something (as I gathered from the preview). She wakes up after accident and UH-OH doesn't remember who Channing, her new husband, is. Sadness ensues.

Filler: Rachel doesn't want to move back in with a man she doesn't know, so she ignores Channing's blatant sexiness and says, "No thanks, I'd rather move back home to my parent's house, thanks." Finally, she agrees to let the sexy and lovable man woo her all over again. Channing is thrilled! We begin to feel hope that the two shall one day be reunited!

Wooing: Channing most likely tries to recreate their past. Their second first date at the same place where their first first date was. Maybe he talks about how he first saw her and the utter fool he made out of himself because he thought she was so lovely. The wooing works. Sort of.

Climax!: Rachel has a panic moment. Can she really love Channing? Who knows! There is yelling. But the sad kind of yelling, with tears and lots of hand gestures.

Resolution: Against all odds, the couple makes up. Maybe they kiss in the rain, or the snow, or they ride off into the sunset, or there is fireworks--either way there is some kind of scenery going down. My guess is rain, cause then Channing's shirt will stick to his body and that is half the appeal of the movie anyway.

Do you see why I didn't watch it? The Chronicle, however, was awesome. I wasn't expecting much going into the film, but was pleasantly surprised. The storyline was excellent. The writers weren't afraid to leave things open; all the ends weren't nicely tied up and there was real tragedy and sadness in the film. It had layers. Did The Vow have layers? No. I don't want to give any spoilers, so the trailer for the film is here. I REALLY recommend that you go see it. I would say if anything it was similar to Super 8, which was also good, but this was better. So. Much. Better.

In other news, I'm watching my roommates make fools of themselves playing wii Just Dance. And one of them is wearing pink, fuzzy pajama pants with happy penguins on them. Can you picture it?

I am listening to Celebrity Status by Marianas Trench.