"Frozen"

Based on the trailers, “Frozen” seemed to be just another one of those annoying animated movies kids drag their parents to the theater to see. Yet viewers have and will continue to be pleasantly surprised by the humor, catchy songs and family values in Disney’s newest film.

“Frozen,” based on The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Anderson, is set in the quaint kingdom of Arendale. It features two heroines - sisters Elsa and Anna, the only remaining royalty of Arendale.

Elsa, voiced by “Wicked” Broadway star Idina Menzel, is the older of the two sisters and is preparing to assume her role as queen. However, she possesses magical ice powers that she struggles to control, causing tremendous inner fear. Elsa locks herself in her room in efforts to protect those around her, especially Anna.

Anna, Elsa’s spirited, playful and awkward younger sister, provides contrast to Elsa’s solemn character. Voiced by Kristen Bell, known for her role in the television series “Veronica Mars,” Anna quickly becomes an audience favorite as she displays her clumsy disposition and strives to reach her older sister.

When Elsa can no longer tame her powers, she runs away, leaving the kingdom to Anna. Anna feels it’s her responsibility to find her sister and make things right again, so she sets out on a blistering journey through the mountains. Along the way, she meets Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), ice trader and mountain man, his reindeer Sven and Olaf the snowman (Josh Gad), all of whom aid her in her search.

Beginning the film with scenes centering around the main characters as young children tugs at the heartstrings of every audience member. The kids’ big eyes, small hands and childish mannerisms have females displaying the universal sign of adoration (i.e. “awww…”).

Anna and Hans (Santino Fontana), a handsome and fine man she meets at the coronation ball, sing a catchy duet together titled “Love Is an Open Door.” They sing about how they’ve finally found someone they can relate to (each other) and how they are so alike. Coupled with their quirky actions, this song produced several hearty laughs. Close-knit harmonies written in the chorus make it appealing to the ear. The song has more of a rock vibe than most songs found in Disney movies, but I loved it nonetheless.

Jamie Sparer Roberts’ (casting director) decision to cast Menzel as the voice as Elsa was a mixed one. At times, I was really happy with the casting. Elsa has an independent personality and Menzel succeeded in portraying that. However, there were times during songs that her singing voice seemed too harsh for a Disney princess. Menzel’s voice is edgy and occasionally it just didn’t fit with Elsa’s character. It was noticeable during “Let it Go,” the song Elsa sings as she decides to stop holding back her powers.

The animation in "Let it Go" is breathtaking. Disney did a masterful job of painting the lyrics of the song. Thousands of fine ice crystals cover an elegant ice staircase Elsa creates. Ice shoots skyward, building an intricate ice structure. An ornate chandelier forms at the crest, hanging at the top of the elegant ice palace. Elsa’s presence, creations and new dress exude power.

As I watched the first teaser trailer for “Frozen,” my primary thought was, that snowman is going to be obnoxious. To my surprise and delight Olaf, the oddly shaped snowman, made me the obnoxious one as I noisily laughed in my seat. Not only did he make witty comments right and left, the irony of a snowman who longed to experience summer was well-played. Olaf’s solo, “In Summer,” was one of the highlights of the movie with lines such as “my snow up against the burning sand, probably getting gorgeously tan in summer” and “just imagine how much cooler I’ll be in summer.” “The Book of Mormon” star, Josh Gad, definitely delivered well as Olaf, providing comic relief throughout the entire film.

To add to an already entertaining film, Disney threw in a fun cameo appearance of Eugene Fitzherbert (Flynn Rider) and Rapunzel in the middle of the number, “For the First Time in Forever,” as well as a hefty plate of colorful chocolates from the home of Vanellope Von Schweetz in "Wreck-It Ralph."

“Frozen” isn’t just entertainment, either; Disney teaches valuable lessons through the story. Two that stood out to me were 1) the value of family, especially sisterhood, and 2) be yourself. Both of these principles are important for all of us to learn, no matter the age.

Because of its uplifting messages, humor and music, “Frozen” reaches people of all ages. The characters are relatable, providing opportunity for connection from many audience members. I recommend it to everyone - no matter who you are, it’s worth the money to experience this movie. “Frozen” may be packed with snow and ice, but viewers are sure to leave with a warm heart.

The Last Word: A Must-see Disney classic

P.S. Sorry, the formatting is slightly off at the end. Not sure what happened.

"Cars 2"

 

While I was watching a friend's toddler boy a few weeks ago, we watched "Cars 2" together.  I was actually interested in the movie because I hadn't seen it yet.  However, it wasn't quite what I expected...

The premise of the movie is that Lightning McQueen is challenged to participate in a series of races between racers from all over the world.  Though the viewer is updated on what's happening in the races, the majority of the movie follows Mater.  Mater finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time early on in the movie, and from there he finds himself involved in top secret work with high-up criminals and secret agents.  But it's Mater, so he's clueless about everything going on around him.

I'm not a huge Mater fan - I think he plays a better sidekick than lead role, so I didn't particularly enjoy this movie.  Sure, there are some humorous lines and scenes, but it wasn't enough to make me want to watch it again.  I'm sure kids will like it, but if you're a grown Disney fan like me and like to keep up on all of the animated movies, then don't waste your time on this one.

The Last Word:  Mater's movie; not Disney's best

"Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters"

Click to enlarge

The Percy Jackson movies are based on the book series written by Rick Riordan that tell of half-bloods, children born of a Greek god and a human.  They stay at Camp Half Blood for safety, but in this particular installment, their safety at the camp is compromised.  Percy and his friends Grover and Annabeth, as well as his newly discovered half brother, Tyson, set out on a journey to find the Golden Fleece - the only thing believed to be able to solve their problem.

I read 4 out of the 5 books in the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series several years ago and I must say that this movie has motivated me to finish the series.  Hollywood pretty much ruined the first book in the series, The Lightning Thief, but this one was - thankfully - way better.  There weren't nearly as many cheesy aspects like I thought there were in the first one.  They followed the book much better than they did in the first movie, too.  There were a few big things that weren't in the book, but I was able to overlook them because they kept with the spirit of the book.  The acting improved and the special effects were pretty awesome. (I bet it would've been even cooler in 3D!)  To me the characters were more likable in this movie - enough that I'm a Logan Lerman fan now. :) Overall, for those who have read the Percy Jackson books, I'd say it's worth the money to see it in theaters.  To those who haven't read the books: read them - they're really good! - and then go see "Sea of Monsters!"

The Last Word: Big improvement; worth it for Percy Jackson fans

"Safe Haven"

"Safe Haven" is another movie that was originally a Nicholas Sparks novel.  Since the movie is somewhat of a mystery, I can't say a lot about the plot.  Basically, the movie is about a mysterious young woman, Katie, who ends up in the small beach town of Southport, North Carolina.  She's reluctant to make friends and really get to know anyone and she hides dark secrets about her past.  Katie gradually lets her guard down and becomes attached to Alex, the owner of a small local market, and his two children.  Life seems to be looking up, but eventually Katie must face the horrors of her past that brought her to Southport in the first place.

 

 

I knew that this was a Nicholas Sparks movie when we decided to watch it, so I expected it to be all romance and relationships.  Boy, was I wrong!  At least half of the movie is really suspenseful because it deals with her scary back story.  I'm not accustomed to more intense movies, so it really kept me on the edge of my seat.  Even with Clearplay on, I closed my eyes several times!  There were a couple of scenes that Clearplay didn't edit because they were important to the plot, even though they were a little gory.  But then it cut out the kissing scenes!  It was a little frustrating for someone who watched it thinking it was a romance movie.  On the plus side, I thought the acting was good - the scary character was really believable and Josh Duhamel and Julianne Hough both did well with their roles.  And it had a happy (although really bizarre and unexpected) ending. :)

The Last Word:  Suspenseful romance, much more intense than other Sparks movies

"The Amazing Spider-Man" (and update)

The layout/design of my blog has been messed up for quite a while now, but I've kind of fixed it....it's fixed enough that I'm going to start posting reviews again! :)

Recently I had the opportunity to watch "The Amazing Spider-Man" on Clearplay.  "The Amazing Spider-Man" tells the story of Peter Parker's childhood, how he becomes Spider-Man, and the challenges he faces along the way.

I've never seen any of the other Spider-Man movies to compare it to, but I enjoyed it!  It was pretty intense compared to the movies I usually watch, but I liked how it kept me on the edge of my seat.  I thought the acting was great, especially from the leads - Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone.  As an added bonus, Andrew Garfield is fairly attractive in my opinion. ;) Though some parts were pretty predictable, there were also several unexpected twists that kept the storyline intriguing.  I recommend this movie if you enjoy action films.  If you get motion sickness easily, then be careful watching this!  (We watch our movies projected onto the wall in our basement, so it's not for the faint of stomach.)

Clearplay did a pretty good job of editing in this movie.  I was rather frustrated because it cut out the kissing scenes. :/ But it did do a good job with the swearing, as usual.  As we watch more PG-13 rated movies on Clearplay, I'm starting to realize that you can't really avoid everything that makes a movie PG-13, like dark themes.  I probably still wouldn't want kids watching some of these movies - even if they're filtered through Clearplay - for that reason.

The Last Word:  An intriguing action film

"Dear John"

"Dear John" is about a US soldier, John, and a college student, Savannah.  The story begins in spring of 2001.  They meet in Charleston, South Carolina when John is on leave and within two weeks, they have fallen in love.  When John has to go back, they decide to write each other as much as they possibly can and tell each other everything.  But like Savannah says in the movie, "a lot can happen in 12 months," and things change.  I can't say anymore without giving it away, so you'll have to watch it yourself to find out the rest of the plot!

In some ways, "Dear John" wasn't what I expected.  The first half matched my expectations and I enjoyed the first half a lot.  But in the second half, things get somewhat complicated and confusing.   The ending also wasn't very satisfying - it was similar to the way "The Vow" ended.  You could infer that it's a happy ending, but I prefer for it to come to a better conclusion.  On the bright side, the acting was really good - I love both Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried.  They're really good at portraying real, genuine characters.  "Dear John" is a pretty sad movie, so don't watch it if you want something really uplifting.  But it is very thought-provoking...so basically, you just have to be in the right mood to watch it.

One of my favorite things about this movie was that watching it renewed my gratitude for those who serve our country.  It follows John on several of his missions and it shows the emotions that those brave people go through.  At times, it was heart-wrenching.  I'm so thankful for people who are willing to give their time and sometimes their lives for this country. 

We watched "Dear John" on Clearplay, since it's PG-13.  Clearplay did a pretty good job of editing the bad stuff out.  There weren't any problems with language.  There was a little blood because John fights in the war, but it wasn't too bad.  Clearplay did a good job of cutting out the inappropriate scene, as well.  I always get a little nervous when I can tell it's about to happen, but Clearplay always pulls through. :)

The Last Word:  Sad & thought-provoking romance with some unexpected turns

Clearplay DVD Player / "The Vow"

Before I write about the movie, it's important to know  that we recently purchased a Clearplay DVD Player.  Clearplay creates filters for basically every known movie out there that are able to edit out language, violence, sex, etc, so you can watch good movies without all of the bad stuff. :) It's a great idea, and so far it's working pretty well.  My only complaint with our DVD player is that the second time we used it, it started to have little glitches.  It would briefly stop the sound like it was going to edit out a word, when we knew it wasn't supposed to.  I've read some reviews on Clearplay DVD Players now that say that they break quickly and are cheaply made.  I wish I would've known that before we bought it!  Hopefully it will work for years to come....we'll see!

The first movie we tried on Clearplay was "The Vow," starring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum as Paige and Leo.  In "The Vow," Paige and Leo are newly married and are deeply in love.  When they get in a car accident, Paige suffers from severe brain trauma and loses the past five years of her memory, including all memories of Leo.  Leo must then find a way to make Paige fall in love with him again.

 

With Clearplay taking out all of the bad language and sexual material in this movie, I loved it - so much that I watched it twice before we had to return it!  Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams do a GREAT job acting, as well as the rest of the cast.  Their love is so real and I admire the way they treat each other.  Leo is kind and always gentlemanly.  They're so cute together!  At first, I wasn't pleased with the ending.  I wanted it to keep going and complete the story better.  But as I thought about it, the rest of the story is implied and the ending is fine.  "The Vow" is an emotional movie - it made me cry more than once.  (Although, it's generally not hard for a book or movie to make me cry...)  It was heart-wrenching when Leo asked, "How do you look at the woman you love, and tell yourself that its time to walk away?"  As a viewer, I found myself attached to these characters and longing for their mutual love to return.  If you like romance and drama, then you'll enjoy watching "The Vow."  

**Note: From what I've read, there was a significant amount of language and a couple of other bad scenes that were edited out, so if you're watching without Clearplay, be cautious!

The Last Word:  Heartwarming & emotional romance full of amazing acting

"Mirror Mirror"

"Mirror Mirror" is a take on the classic tale of Snow White.  It tells the story of Snow White, or Snow, a girl who is locked up in a tower by her wicked stepmother.  Her father, the late King, disappeared several years ago in the forest near the kingdom.  Snow should be ruling the kingdom now, but the evil queen is instead.  At the beginning, Snow is rather shy and doesn't have a lot of confidence, so standing up to the queen is a challenge.  As the story progresses, Snow learns more about herself and her kingdom and fights to restore the happiness that it used to have when her father ruled many years ago.

I enjoyed watching "Mirror Mirror."  It's humorous, romantic, and magical.  The movie isn't too predictable and the characters were all unique and interesting.  The acting is good - better than I had expected.  The prince, played by Armie Hammer, is handsome and does a great job of acting out the parts where he's under the puppy love spell from the queen. :)  I love the seven dwarfs - they are probably my favorite characters!  They're charming and very funny.  If you're in the mood for a fairy tale with a happy ending, watch "Mirror Mirror!"

Snow White and the seven dwarfs

The Last Word: Sweet, silly, and comical chick flick

"We Bought a Zoo"

Recently, my family decided to rent a new movie to watch in our home theater.  After a lot of searching and debate, we settled on "We Bought a Zoo."  The movie is based on a true story and is really inspiring.  It's about a single father, Benjamin Mee, and his two kids, Lucy and Dylan, who are looking for a fresh start after their wife/mother died 6 months ago.  They end up buying a house that's on the same property as a run-down zoo and have to update the zoo in order to re-open it.  The father and son have a stressed relationship because Dylan is a bit of a rebel and Benjamin struggles to understand him.  Lucy and her father are very close, in part because Lucy reminds Benjamin of his late wife.  The family of three creates a strong bond with the few workers left at the zoo and they all work together to try to get the zoo open again.

I'm SO glad we decided to watch this movie.  There is real emotion in this movie and it brings real emotions out of the viewers.  The acting is great, as well.  There are humorous parts to balance out the intense scenes and overall, it's just a good family movie.  It will soon be added to my list of favorite movies. :) The only fault with "We Bought a Zoo" was the amount of swearing and other bad language.  It had quite a bit for a PG-rated movie.  Other than that, I definitely recommend it!

My favorite quote from the movie:  "You know, sometimes all you need is twenty seconds of insane courage. Just literally twenty seconds of just embarrassing bravery. And I promise you, something great will come of it." ~Benjamin Mee

The Last Word: A good quality, inspiring family movie