Tag: Sequel

Frozen 2

Frozen was a mega-hit for Disney in 2013. It almost tripled the box-office of Wreck-it Ralph, the previous Disney animated title in 2012. And at the time of its release, it was the fifth highest-grossing film of all time. Therefore it was clear as day that we would get this inevitable second title.

Frozen_2_Anna_Olaf

Anyone that is a parent has no doubt been at the mercy of their children as they play Frozen on repeat and hear the song long after the credits roll. Even Tangled which may have been a better film didn’t catch on like Frozen. Frozen success could be attributed to the release window as it fit the Christmas holiday aesthetically, and the catchy smash hit song Let It Go. I think it may have been the way it broke the traditional mould of seeing a damsel in distress. Frozen is not a film about saving a Princess, it’s about saving a sister. I think the family bond enriched the staying power of Frozen between audiences young, and old. The two sisters also show unique perspectives for empowering women, whether they’re strong or meek.

Frozen 2 takes place maybe a couple of years after the first film. Everyone we grew to love in the first film are all happily settled now in Arrandale. All except for Elsa. Elsa has again become distant as she begins hearing the sound of a lullaby calling to her like a Siren at sea. Elsa’s journey takes her on a discovery of the past and into where her magic originated from. Alongside Elsa is Anna who won’t let her journey alone, while Kristof tries to propose to Anna throughout the movie. The proposal is something that never holds any real drama because we know she would, of course, say yes. What Frozen 2 does is opens the mythology of the story tenfold.

Frozen_2_Kristof.jpeg

Overall, Frozen 2 continues the story in a competent way. In my mind, the movie sets itself up for a third movie and that one could potentially rival the first one whereas this one is trying to add too much new stuff. It is still a good time, but I question whether scenes were cut near the end and replaced with some hastily written songs.

Frozen_2_international_poster

Frozen 2 is good and has already made an incredible $740 million within the first ten days of release. These records if anything has greenlit a third theatrical movie. Hopefully, you enjoy this slightly darker and more mature Frozen 2.

Robert Ring

Advertisement

3 Idiots

It’s hard to sell a movie to someone. It’s even harder when you tell someone that they should see a movie called 3 Idiots. Not only that, but it’s nearly three hours long and it’s a Bollywood film.

I was looking for something to watch on Netflix and the preview clip for 3 Idiots had me laughing. I put it on planing on only watching a couple of minutes because surely a film with this title can’t be good at three hours long. Three hours later and my girlfriend is in tears. She was sobbing at how beautiful the film is and I too was enamored with it. When it finished I was ready to watch it again because I wanted to spend more time with these characters. Every character is perfectly quirky and iconic in their own right.

3_Idiots_Wedding

The story starts with Farhan (Madhavan) and Raju (Sharman Joshi), two friends learning of the whereabouts of one of their best friends, Rancho (Aamir Khan). They haven’t seen Rancho for five years, he just disappeared. The story then cuts to when the three friends first met at college. Farhan and Raju are met with the humiliation that comes with college hazing, although when Rancho arrives he refuses and instead uses his ingenuity to humiliate the hazers. Rancho is the smartest person in the school so he is always getting himself in trouble by calling the teachers out. The principle tries as hard as he can to catch him out so he can kick him out of the college. Rancho is this amazing friend and mentor to Farhan and Raju, and gets them to be the best versions of themselves they can be. When the two friends search for Rancho in the present they are met with constant dead ends. However, each dead-end teaches them something about Rancho they didn’t know. We also find out why he disappeared without telling his friends. There is so much more that happens throughout, and by the end, everything comes together unexpectedly and beautifully.

3 Idiots may have just opened me up to Bollywood films. It’s full of heartfelt moments, hilarity, romance, catchy songs, and a surprising amount of philosophy too. I’m surprised how much I liked it and thought it was this unknown gem. Was I ever wrong? 3 Idiots was a massive hit. It did well in most East Asian markets. The music video above has 112 Million views so far. This year marks the tenth anniversary of the film, and there is also a sequel in talks.

So maybe I’ve convinced you to give 3 Idiots a watch.

It’s available on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

Robert Ring