Rotoscopers
  • News
  • Podcasts
    • Animation Addicts Podcast
    • Every Episode Ever
  • Reviews
    • Animated Movies
    • Art Books
    • Blu-ray/DVD
    • Live Action
  • Interviews
  • Opinions
  • Studios
    • Aardman
    • Blue Sky Studios
    • Disney
    • Don Bluth
    • DreamWorks
    • Fox Animation Studios
    • Illumination Entertainment
    • LAIKA
    • Lucasfilm Animation
    • Paramount Animation
    • Pixar
    • Sony Pictures Animation
    • Reel FX
    • Studio Ghibli
    • Warner Animation
  • Animation Calendar
No Result
View All Result
Rotoscopers
  • News
  • Podcasts
    • Animation Addicts Podcast
    • Every Episode Ever
  • Reviews
    • Animated Movies
    • Art Books
    • Blu-ray/DVD
    • Live Action
  • Interviews
  • Opinions
  • Studios
    • Aardman
    • Blue Sky Studios
    • Disney
    • Don Bluth
    • DreamWorks
    • Fox Animation Studios
    • Illumination Entertainment
    • LAIKA
    • Lucasfilm Animation
    • Paramount Animation
    • Pixar
    • Sony Pictures Animation
    • Reel FX
    • Studio Ghibli
    • Warner Animation
  • Animation Calendar
No Result
View All Result
Rotoscopers
No Result
View All Result
Home Studios Disney

[REVIEW] ‘Olaf’s Frozen Adventure’ is Heartwarming Continuation of Frozen Franchise

Amber by Amber
December 5, 2017
in Disney, Reviews
4 min read
0
Elsa and Anna in Olaf's Frozen Adventure
2.2k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Elsa and Anna in Olaf's Frozen Adventure

Disney and Pixar have stirred up quite a buzz recently with the release of the widely acclaimed Coco from Pixar Animation Studios, and the accompanying featurette Olaf’s Frozen Adventure by Walt Disney Animation Studios. But while the former has been universally praised, the latter has been met with disdain, and apparently enough complaints that Mashable reports the short film will be removed from all screenings of Coco starting this Friday, December 8.

Some of the complaints that seemingly spurred this decision included the short film’s length (21 minutes as opposed to the more typical 5-7 minute short film), audience confusion as to whether they had stumbled into the wrong theater, and belief that putting Olaf in front of Coco suggested Disney did not have a lot of faith in its latest Pixar masterpiece. Read more about the controversy here.

But presentation method aside, Olaf’s Frozen Adventure deserves to be reviewed for its actual content and what it was initially intended to be – a short holiday special that continues the adventures of the Frozen cast.

"Let the Holidays Begin" (Olaf's Frozen Adventure)

As the story starts out, Olaf is bustling with excitement for the first holiday celebration held in Arendelle since the gates were opened at the end of the original film. Anna and Elsa share in this excitement until they ring the Yule Bell, signifying the official start of the holiday season. At that point, all the gathered citizens rush off to their own traditional holiday celebrations, leaving the girls alone with a desolate banquet hall.

Anna asks Elsa if they have any family traditions, since they apparently haven’t celebrated the holiday ever since the girls were separated after Anna’s near-death accident with Elsa’s powers. But Elsa doesn’t remember any, and blames herself for their lack of a holiday tradition.

Cue Olaf to the rescue! Olaf’s Frozen Adventure follows the main tenet of a short film (theatrical or otherwise) very well – the audience quickly learns the problem, and a character – in this case Olaf – sets out to solve it. Olaf’s solution to the girls’ lack of a holiday tradition is to round up Kristoff’s reindeer pal Sven and ride around Arendelle, going door to door and asking families what their holiday traditions are.

Olaf going door to door in Olaf's Frozen Adventure

The story is relatively simple and predictable, but it has heart that goes beyond the merchandise that Disney undoubtedly intended this film to sell.

First off, I find Olaf to be continually funny, with one-liners and physical antics that elicited laughs from the majority of the theatergoers at the showing I attended. He’s the embodiment of an eternal child, and his naivety that comes off as sarcasm is nothing short of precious. The short had just enough Olaf balanced out with Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sven, and other supporting characters to prevent it from becoming talking snowman overload.

But the strong bond between Anna and Elsa is where the real heart of the Frozen story lies, and that continues here. Olaf’s Frozen Adventure continues the trend first started in 2015’s short Frozen Fever in which Elsa feels she needs to compensate her younger sister for all the things Anna missed in the years they were apart. The guilt of robbing Anna of a holiday tradition drives Elsa away from the would-be party, and it’s sad to see her continue to beat herself up over things long passed. After a sweet little discovery that I won’t spoil, the girls realize that in way they were still always in each other’s thoughts, and it’s like “Do You Want to Build a Snowman” all over again, except this time the tears are more bittersweet.

Olaf’s Frozen Adventure introduces four brand-new songs to the Frozen canon: “Ring in the Season,” the introductory tune sung by Anna and Elsa; “The Ballad of Flemmingrad,” a short humorous piece about troll lore sung by Kristoff; “That Time of Year,” sung by Olaf as he goes door to door throughout Arendelle; and the closing song “When We’re Together,” sung by Elsa.

"When We're Together" (Olaf's Frozen Adventure)

As a huge fan of the original Frozen soundtrack, I found these songs to be pleasant but not entirely memorable. Perhaps it’s partially because the songs in Olaf’s Frozen Adventure were not penned by the original’s songwriting duo of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, but instead by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson. Or maybe it’s because what are essentially enough songs for a feature length film are crammed into a mere 21 minutes, and there’s not enough time for each to shine. Whatever the reason, the songs are cute, but they’re miles and miles away from the magic of “Let It Go” or “For the First Time in Forever.”

The animation and visuals are as impressive as ever, especially details like the fur on Elsa’s coat or the swish of her glistening, snowflake-covered cape. Even though Olaf’s Frozen Adventure was initially conceptualized as a TV special, the graphics could have had me fooled.

Ultimately, Olaf’s Frozen Adventure is a well-plotted continuation of the Frozen story for fans, and a cute little Christmas special for the uninitiated. Nothing in the Frozen franchise may ever top the record-setting original, but this featurette does a good job capturing the same spirit of the characters and slowly transitioning Anna and Elsa from their years in isolation to being a family again.

If you’re looking to catch up with Olaf, Anna, and Elsa before the holidays, however, you have until this Thursday, December 7, to do so, since the short will no longer be playing in theaters starting on Friday. As of now there is no official word on whether or when we will be seeing a DVD/Blu-ray release, or see the short aired on television.

Did you see Olaf’s Frozen Adventure in front of Coco? What did you think of the short, and do you think your opinion was colored by the way Disney chose to present it?

Edited by: Hannah Wilkes

Tags: Disneyfrozenfrozen holiday specialolafolaf's frozen adventurePixar
Previous Post

‘Coco’ Global Press Conference Highlights

Next Post

Rob Marshall Eyed to Direct ‘The Little Mermaid’

Amber

Amber

Amber is an imaginative storyteller and visual artist whose greatest ambition is to tell meaningful stories that resonate with people. Since she was young, Amber has enjoyed escaping to faraway worlds through animation, and has continued to follow animation into adulthood because of its limitless storytelling possibilities. Picking favorites is nearly impossible, but Amber would say her top animated films include The Little Mermaid, The Incredibles, The Emperor’s New Groove, and Frozen. She graduated with a B.A. in Interactive Media/Graphic Design and a minor in Journalism, and is currently working as an advertising designer. When she’s not at her day job, Amber can be found working on digital illustrations and photo edits, drafting a new fiction story, or crafting a new cosplay. Send her a tweet at @amber_ld.

Related Posts

[REVIEW] ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ – If It Ain’t Broke… Just Add More?
Animated Movies

[REVIEW] ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ – If It Ain’t Broke… Just Add More?

July 1, 2022
Animation Addicts Podcast #257: Looking Back At The Disney Afternoon
Animation Addicts Podcast

Animation Addicts Podcast #257: Looking Back At The Disney Afternoon

June 28, 2022
Animation Addicts Podcast #256 Alice In Wonderland – Know Your Drugs
Animation Addicts Podcast

Animation Addicts Podcast #256 Alice In Wonderland – Know Your Drugs

June 21, 2022
Animation Addicts Podcast #252: Chicken Little – The Pits And The Peaks
Animation Addicts Podcast

Animation Addicts Podcast #252: Chicken Little – The Pits And The Peaks

May 26, 2022
Load More
Next Post
Rob-Marshall-DIsney-The-Little-Mermaid-Remake-Live-Action

Rob Marshall Eyed to Direct 'The Little Mermaid'

Discussion about this post

Popular Posts

  • [REVIEW] ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ – If It Ain’t Broke… Just Add More? 97 views
  • Animation Addicts Podcast #257: Looking Back At The Disney Afternoon 78 views
  • Animation Addicts Podcast #254: Swan Princess 9 Kingdom of Music – This Ain’t Your Momma’s Swan Princess 41 views
  • Animation Addicts Podcast #255: Swan Princess 10: A Royal Wedding – What Else Is There? 26 views
  • Animation Addicts Podcast #256 Alice In Wonderland – Know Your Drugs 21 views
  • 11k Fans
  • 12k Followers
  • 5.8k Followers
  • 5.3k Followers

Recently Added

[REVIEW] ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ – If It Ain’t Broke… Just Add More?

[REVIEW] ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru’ – If It Ain’t Broke… Just Add More?

July 1, 2022
Animation Addicts Podcast #257: Looking Back At The Disney Afternoon

Animation Addicts Podcast #257: Looking Back At The Disney Afternoon

June 28, 2022
Animation Addicts Podcast #256 Alice In Wonderland – Know Your Drugs

Animation Addicts Podcast #256 Alice In Wonderland – Know Your Drugs

June 21, 2022
Animation Addicts Podcast #255: Swan Princess 10: A Royal Wedding – What Else Is There?

Animation Addicts Podcast #255: Swan Princess 10: A Royal Wedding – What Else Is There?

June 14, 2022
Animation Addicts Podcast #254: Swan Princess 9 Kingdom of Music – This Ain’t Your Momma’s Swan Princess

Animation Addicts Podcast #254: Swan Princess 9 Kingdom of Music – This Ain’t Your Momma’s Swan Princess

June 7, 2022
Rotoscopers

© 2019 Rotoscopers

Important Links

  • About
  • Support
  • Contact
  • Store
  • Privacy Policy
  • User Posts

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Podcasts
    • Animation Addicts Podcast
    • Every Episode Ever
  • Reviews
    • Animated Movies
    • Art Books
    • Blu-ray/DVD
    • Live Action
  • Interviews
  • Opinions
  • Studios
    • Aardman
    • Blue Sky Studios
    • Disney
    • Don Bluth
    • DreamWorks
    • Fox Animation Studios
    • Illumination Entertainment
    • LAIKA
    • Lucasfilm Animation
    • Paramount Animation
    • Pixar
    • Sony Pictures Animation
    • Reel FX
    • Studio Ghibli
    • Warner Animation
  • Animation Calendar

© 2019 Rotoscopers

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Posting....