FROZEN II

Release Date: Malaysia, 21 Nov 2019
Genre: Animation

Running Length: 1:43

Cast (voices): Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff, Sterling K. Brown, Evan Rachel Wood

Director: Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck

Screenplay: Jennifer Lee

As I am preparing to review FROZEN II, the only thing that is repeatedly pounding my head right now is:

"Into the unknown, into the UNKNOWN, into the UNKNOOOoooOOoooWN. Ahh Ahh Ahh Ahhhh~"

Several years have passed since the incidents from the first movie. Elsa (Menzel) is the ruler of Arendelle. However, there is an unknown voice calling her to leave Arendelle for the mysterious enchanted forest in order to save her kingdom from an unknown threat. Yes, I am aware there are two "unknowns" in one sentence. And so, Elsa and her sister Anna (Bell), Anna's boyfriend Kristoff (Groff), Sven the moose and Olaf (Gad) leave Arendelle and set out to travel to this mysterious forest to make things alright again.

There is just something about excessive singing in an animation that will bore me to tears. I never grew to like it. Probably that's why I've never really developed a liking for the performing/theatre arts. That was probably why I couldn't connect with Frozen when it first came out in 2013.

Hence after impacting a whole generation of kids with "Let It Go" and all things Frozen, I was very hesitant to watch the sequel. But I braved myself and decided to step into the unknooooown to check it out anyway. 

Let's get the songs out of the way first, shall we? Musically, the songs here are not as "catchy" compared to the first one but the one song that really stood out for me was, yep, "Into The Unknown" (personally, I prefer Panic! At the Disco's version compared to Menzel's). Overall, there is a certain 'Broadway' feel to the list of songs here. Not sure if it's because the characters in the movie delivered them with gusto or it's the composition or just both.

As for the plot, I must say I'm glad the filmmakers didn't rehash it from the first movie. The themes explored here are more mature. However, that doesn't mean it's better as it's not as focused as the first one. There are themes of politics, save the environment, growing up and a handful more. It's a bit of a mess, really. 

Visually, it does move the bar, if only by a little (I'm comparing to the recent animations and not the first Frozen). Some scenes are beautiful to watch as it's photo-realistic but still maintain the animated touch. The scene where Elsa ran towards the dark and stormy ocean, coupled with the heart pounding soundtrack, is a sight to behold. 

All in all, I'm glad Frozen II is not a cash grab and the writers took time to extend the arc of some of these characters and expand the Frozen universe. Oh, and Olaf provides just enough comic-relief here to be not irritating.

RATING: 7/10

MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (2017)

Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Running Length: 1:54
Cast: Kenneth Branagh, Michelle Pfeiffer, Daisy Ridley, Leslie Odom Jr., Josh Gad, Willem Dafoe, Penelope Cruz, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench
Director: Kenneth Branagh
Screenplay: Michael Green, based on the novel by Agatha Christie

Knowing nothing about MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (which includes the book and the earlier movie/TV adaptation) is probably the best way to watch this updated version. Despite the dialogue heavy and at times slow pace, the final reveal and its implications were extremely satisfying.

Narrative wise, I felt like I was reading one of those good old fashioned murder mystery novels. There's just something very old school about this film's approach which I don't think Hollywood would ever churned out these days (probably, that's why they needed so many star power packed in one film just to get today's movie goers to watch this film).

Although the filmmakers employed interesting camera angles to tell the story and a sweeping melancholic soundtrack to accompany it, what really made this a compelling watch are the characters. It's like watching a well acted stage play. All the performances here are top notch but the two that really stood up was Branagh as our lead detective and Michelle Pfeiffer. Oh, there are so very good here!

What I learned from this movie:
"Humans are irrational and unpredictable creatures. So who am I to judge another when I too...walk imperfectly."

RATING: 8/10

 

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (2017)

Genre: Musical
Running Length: 2:09
Cast: Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, Josh Gad, Ewan McGregor, Emma Thompson, Ian McKellen, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Stanley Tucci
Director: Bill Condon
Screenplay: Stephen Chbosky and Evan Spiliotopoulos

You've got to give it to the House of Mouse for creating yet another stable revenue $tream; adapting their classic animations into live-action movies. With Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella and The Jungle Book, and now BEAUTY AND THE BEAST breaking all sorts of box office records, we will definitely be expecting more of such adaptations coming our way.

In all honesty, I did enjoy myself with this movie. Not because it offered anything new to add another layer to a classic we all know (like how Maleficent did), but it just felt familiar - like meeting an old friend. It was 2 hours of pleasant nostalgia. It's probably because it follows the 1991 animation classic to the tee.

This is not necessarily a bad thing. I found myself humming to the songs and was actually looking forward to the iconic scenes; the lively Be Our Guest number and of course, the ballroom dancing scene. 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it'. To be fair, there were some new compositions but they were mostly forgettable. And the attempt to provide some additional background to the characters were commendable but unfortunately, it didn't add any depth to them.

As for the casting, all were solid. But a big shout out to Luke Evans for playing the narcissistic Gaston. I remembered the animated Gaston to be this stereotype beefcake with not much happening up there. But Evans somehow managed to give Gaston a more "human" quality. Whenever he's on screen, he delivers his part with plenty of gusto.

I suspect for those who have not watched the predecessor, this 2017 version could be a magical experience for them. But for purists who grew up with the classic, I can only imagine it would suffer by comparison.

RATING: 7.5/10