Frozen Blu-Ray Review

Mitchell Stein- After several viewings and listening to the soundtrack many times, there is no doubt that Frozen probably goes down as my favorite Disney Animated Film of all time. From the moment it begins, you’re drawn into a beautiful CGI Norway with fantastic music that will stick in your head for many weeks to come. It takes a few minutes to establish the back-story which is does so well, and most of it in song with a fantastic cast of characters and voice actors.

Upon watching it earlier this morning, I’ve also realized this is probably the most beautiful CGI film under the Disney name since Pixar’s Up. The colors are rather vibrant and they’ve rendered beautiful CGI snow and creates it to look incredibly realistic. The snow blowing around the city of Arendale looks stunning and the minor details really play a big part in this. One of my favorite minor details in the film is at scene when Elsa blows snow around Anna, and as the snow picks up, Anna’s cheeks get redder and colder. Of course, no one ever notices these minor details besides myself, but it’s the minor cinematography and how in-depth to real life they actually dive into the story. 

The Blu-Ray release’s bonus features are not the largest selection I’ve seen, but what is here is lots of fun and lots of enjoyment is to be found, it’s a fantastic selection.

There’s The Making of Frozen, a live-action tour of how the film was made from storyboards to animation featuring the cast and crew of the movie, in a musical extravaganza, naturally, with one more song which will get stuck in your head for the remainder of the day. The bonus feature includes musical appearances by Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, Idina Menzel, The Lopez’s, and many more. 

D’Frosted: Disney’s Journey from Hans Christian Anderson to Frozen is easily my favorite. 

Filmmakers at Disney discuss the company’s plans to create a film about Anderson’s classic story The Snow Queen for over 75 years. The plans originally came up in the days when Walt Disney was still alive, and it re-surfaced in the 90’s where it when even further into production with concept art and some story, but fell apart and was abandoned until 2011, where the plan re-surfaced once again, and was released in 2013. It’s a fantastic journey, and a must-see bonus feature. 

There’s also Deleted Scenes, Music Videos, and of course, Get A Horse the fantastic Mickey Mouse short which premiered before the film in theaters. It’s not nearly as impressive as it was on the big-screen in 3D, but it’s good to own this one as well without having to pay each time to see it with the film. 

Over all, you must add the Academy Award, Golden Globe and Annie winning animated film Frozen to your Blu-Ray collection. It’s an absolute masterpiece and beautiful soundtrack. If that’s not enough, there’s extra bonus features to go with it!

Frozen on Blu-Ray Combo Pack is available today wherever Blu-Rays are sold

Top Ten Mickey Mouse Shorts

Michael Wermuth- Mickey Mouse is one of the most iconic cartoon characters of all time, not just for The Walt Disney Company. And he has starred in a lot of great shorts. Let’s take a look at my top ten favorite Mickey Mouse shorts.

10. His red shorts. You know which ones I’m talking about, the ones with the two yellow buttons.

9. His other red shorts with the yellow buttons. Man, nobody wears red shorts with buttons quite like Mickey.

8. Those other red shorts with the two yellow buttons. I’d like to see Donald and Goofy try to wear shorts like those.

….Hmm, as I guess I didn’t think this list through. All of Mickey’s shorts look the same.

Oh, right, animated shorts starring Mickey Mouse. Silly me….

10. Get a Horse!

Get a Horse is the most recent theatrical short starring Mickey Mouse, and it’s a lot better than I had expected (and keep in mind I already had great expectations for this short). It starts out in the style of a 1928 Mickey Mouse cartoon – Mickey doesn’t wear gloves, has his round black eyes, there’s barely any dialogue (though existing audio from Walt Disney is used for the few times Mickey’s voice is heard), but then when  Mickey tries to save Minnie from Pete, they leave the theater screen, becoming computer animated as Mickey, Minnie, Pete, and others constantly go in and out of the screen. In fact this short seems like something that would have made a great Disney theme park attraction (unfortunately, I didn’t see the short in 3D). I would have liked to have placed this higher on the list, except it’s too new and I’ve only seen it once so far.

9. Mickey’s Rival

In this short, Mickey and Minnie have a picnic, which gets interrupted by an old acquaintance of Minnie’s, Mortimer Mouse (“Mortimer” was what Walt Disney had originally wanted to name Mickey). Mortimer not only causes jealousy for Mickey, but is also a very rude jerk to Mickey. It’s especially funny when Mortimer asks Mickey if he wants the buttons on his shorts. Eventually, Mortimer finds a bull behind a fence, and foolishly holds a red cape over it, unaware that the gate is open, and cowardly runs off, accidentally getting Minnie wrapped in it and needing Mickey (and Mickey’s car, who happens to be alive in this) to rescue her.

8. Mickey’s Delayed Date

In this short, Mickey is late to his date with Minnie, and goes through a lot of trouble getting dressed and arriving, causing much of his clothes to get ruined. But then it turns out that they’re going to a costume party, and Minnie thinks Mickey’s outfit is a costume.

7. The Little Whirlwind

This short was made during a brief time when Mickey’s ears had some perspective in them. In this short, Mickey finds a pie on Minnie’s window, which Minnie won’t let him have, but agrees to let him have some pie in exchange for doing yard-work. However, the wind keeps messing things up for Mickey. What’s interesting about this short is that Mickey and Minnie don’t appear to be a couple. There have been other shorts where they aren't a couple at first but instantly fall in love upon meeting, but here Minnie doesn't seem interested in Mickey at all.

6. Mickey’s Good Deed

In this short, Mickey is a homeless street musician on Christmas Eve. A very spoiled, very bratty boy sees Pluto and wants him, but Mickey refuses to sell his dog until he comes across a house of poor children, and sells Pluto so he can buy presents for the children. However, the kid plays rough with Pluto, and eventually the boys father gets so fed up that he orders his butler to throw Pluto out and gives his son a well-deserved spanking. Mickey and Pluto are reunited, and Pluto happened to have some turkey tied to his tail.

5. Plane Crazy

The first Mickey Mouse cartoon produced. Mickey takes Minnie on a plane ride, which gets wild and crazy at first, eventually going off on its own as pilot Mickey falls out of the plane. This cartoon shows a rare mean side to Mickey, with him intentionally scaring Minnie when she refuses to kiss him, and later laughing at Minnie after she falls off the plane (saved by her panties, which inflates into a parachute for her). It’s fun watching the early, more mischievous side to Mickey (before he had to become a goody-two-shoes role model).

4. Lonesome Ghosts

In this short, Mickey, Donald Duck, and Goofy work as ghost exterminators (pre-dating Ghostbusters by a few decades). They get a call from ghosts who are bored. Although the ghosts constantly get the better of them, the ghosts end up getting scared away when the trio gets stuck in dough, making them look like ghosts.

3. Runaway Brain

I saw this one in the theater. In Runaway Brain, Mickey forgets about his and Minnie’s anniversary, and in an attempt to convince Minnie that he had remembered, plans a golf date, only when showing her the ad in the paper, she sees the wrong ad, thinking Mickey was taking her to Hawaii. With a trip to Hawaii being too expensive, Mickey accepts a job that pays the amount needed in just one day, but unfortunately it’s to have Mickey’s brain switched with a Frankenstein’s Monster-type monster, who soon becomes crazy about Minnie.

2. Mickey’s Birthday Party

In this cartoon, Minnie and the gang throw a surprise birthday party for Mickey, with some great music and dancing, as well as funny scenes with Goofy struggling to make the cake.

1. Steamboat Willie

Yes, I honestly feel like the first (theatrically released) Mickey Mouse cartoon is the best. There’s so much to like, including the classic image of Mickey steering the helm of the boat, Mickey and Minnie making music from animals, and the ending, in which Mickey throws a potato at a parrot, is hilarious.

The Mickey Mindset: mickeymindset@gmail.com

Reaction: Disney's Oscar Nominations 2013

Ryan Dosier - The Academy Award nominations for 2013 films were announced today and Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Marvel all received some great nominations. Check them all out below:

Animated Feature Film
   - FROZEN
     Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, and Peter Del Vecho

Makeup and Hairstyling
   - THE LONE RANGER
     Joel Harlow and Gloria Pasqua-Casny

Original Score
   - SAVING MR. BANKS
     Thomas Newman

Original Song
   - "Let it Go" from FROZEN
     Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Bobby Lopez

Animated Short Film
   - GET A HORSE!
     Lauren MacMullan and Dorothy McKim

Visual Effects
   - IRON MAN 3
     Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Erik Nash and Dan Sudick

   - THE LONE RANGER
     Tim Alexander, Gary Brozenich, Edson Williams and John Frazier

As with every year, there were some major snubs as well. Here are the (Disney-related) snubs that shocked me completely...

• Emma Thompson not nominated for Best Actress - Emma Thompson received NOTHING for her role as P.L. Travers in Saving Mr. Banks. This is just an egregious error that I completely don't understand. Shutting out the strongest part of Saving Mr. Banks and one of the finest performances by an actress this year? Baffling. Many critics agree with me that Meryl Streep's performance in August Osage County does not merit a nomination. How she won out on a nomination over Emma Thompson I will never know.
• Monsters University not nominated for Best Animated Feature - What?! I just... HUH?! Nominating The Croods over Monsters University is just unbelievable. I'm stunned to see Pixar shut out of the Oscars completely for the first time since 2001. I never thought I'd have to say this, but Pixar was robbed.
• Tom Hanks not nominated for Best Supporting Actor - The fact that Tom Hanks wasn't nominated for Best Actor (Captain Phillips) is one thing, but to see him snubbed for Supporting Actor as well is crazy. I'm very disheartened to see that no one is awarding--or even nominating Tom Hanks for his turn as Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks. Incredibly disappointing.

I could go on, but these are the biggest snubs that completely infuriate me this year. Seeing Saving Mr. Banks only receive one nomination is also ridiculous... but maybe I'm biased.

Nonetheless, huge, huge, HUGE congratulations to everyone at Disney for their nominations. Especially the folks at Walt Disney Animation, who have elevated the studio back to where it belongs. To my friends at the Animation Studio who worked on Frozen and Get a Horse!, I'm so proud to know you!

FROZEN Film Review

Ryan Dosier - Yesterday I had the incredible opportunity to see an advanced screening of the new Disney animated feature Frozen. The 53rd animated feature from The Walt Disney Animation Studios is loosely based off of Hans Christian Anderson's The Snow Queen and stars Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff, and a host of others talented actors. Frozen is directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, written by Jennifer Lee, and with songs by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.

I'll be honest, when I first saw a trailer for Frozen (with Olaf the Snowman and Sven the Reindeer), I was not too thrilled. Because of this, I avoided most plot details about the film. That paid off in spades when I finally saw it, because I was floored by the wonderful story, the fantastic characters, the soaring music, and the unbelievable artistry put into every single shot by the animators. Put all of these elements together and Frozen is a fresh, stunning take on the fairy tale genre. The filmmakers put a spin on this story that I was so thrilled with and I truly adored every minute.

My favorite aspect of the film was far and away the music. The husband and wife team of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez created such a brilliant, uplifting, and stunning soundtrack. Their combined effort makes for the best Disney animated feature soundtrack since The Lion King. Every song has been stuck in my head since last night, but none more so than Elsa's power ballad "Let It Go." The song is delivered with unbelievable wonder by the great Idina Menzel (Broadway's Wicked). She absolutely blows the song out of the water. In the pantheon of Disney princess songs, "Let It Go" stands as the absolute best--and that's saying something.

The other songs are all magnificent as well, especially "Do You Want to Build a Snowman," which is an earworm if I've ever heard one. Olaf's song "In Summer" is funny, charming, and performed with outstanding ease by Josh Gad. Anna and Elsa's duet "For the First Time in Forever" is reminiscent of Tangled's "When Will My Life Begin?" and works just as effectively. The Troll song "Fixer Upper" is a delightfully fun ditty, and the duet "Love is An Open Door" is a spectacular Disney love song. Again, this soundtrack is just out of this world good. I can't wait for November 25th so I can buy it and listen to it over and over.

Another stand out aspect of Frozen is its outstanding cast of characters. Anna is my favorite of the group. She's quirky, awkward, funny, and determined. Her journey in the film is magnificent and she is a strong, stand-alone woman. Elsa, on the other hand, is serious, stern, and powerful. Her presence alone is enough to unnerve someone. But when she finally lets it go (during "Let It Go," no less), she turns into her true self: a free spirit who has been contained far too long. Elsa's journey is very different from Anna's, but just as powerful. Disney has once again gotten their female characters so very right.

Kristoff and Hans, the two male leads, are vastly different as well. Frozen really excels at accentuating the parallels between people. Kristoff is sort of a yokel, Hans is a wealthy prince. Kristoff lacks charm altogether, Hans has charm out the wazoo. Both of these characters have twists near the end that you probably won't see coming--I know I didn't. I love Kristoff's relationship with Sven the reindeer as well. They're like brothers when they bicker, but they would both do anything for each other. It reminded me of Aladdin and Abu in all the best ways.

But the character that will latch onto your heart and never let go is Olaf. The little snowman is hysterical, aloof, loving, daring, and just plain excellent. He is like no other character in a Disney movie, and that's such a refreshing thing to see. Olaf gets the best lines, the best gags, and the happiest ending. This frozen fellow will melt your heart--guaranteed.

Visually, Frozen is simply breathtaking. There are moments when you won't believe you're watching an animated film. The ice and snow look so real that I found my mouth dropping open just from that. Elsa's crystaline ice palace is a visual marvel both inside and out and an absolutely gorgeous animated spectacle. The visuals that accompany "Let It Go" are the most spectacular in the film and make it absolutely the best scene. Every time a character falls in the snow, it looks perfect. The layout team for Frozen deserves all sorts of praise and reward. They truly broke the mold.

There are so many aspects of this wonderful film that I didn't mention... the character design, the Duke of Wesselton (voiced by the enigmatic Alan Tudyk), the score... it all just comes together to create a beautiful, touching, and magnificent Disney animated feature. Disney Animation continues to be on a major hot streak that started with The Princess and the Frog and continues bountifully with Frozen. I can't recommend this film highly enough.

Frozen - 5/5 Singing Trolls

And as if that weren't enough, Frozen is accompanied by a brand new Mickey Mouse short Get a Horse! There are not enough positive adjectives in the English language to describe how much I adored Get a Horse! The short breathes exciting, impressive, and unbelievable new life into Mickey Mouse--and it does so by tapping into his history. Get a Horse! is a triumph of animation in every possible way. The reaction of the audience in the theater watching the short was incredible. There were audible gasps, huge laughs, and major applause at the end. I can't say too much more about the short without giving away the incredible surprise within it... but prepare to be blown right away. Get a Horse! is animated perfection and I hope beyond hope that this is just the first of Mickey Mouse's return to the big screen in staggering fashion.

Get A Horse! - 5/5 Turkeys in the Straw

Get into The Mickey Mindset by emailing us at mickeymindset@gmail.com

Happy 85th Birthday Mickey Mouse!

Ryan Dosier - For a few weeks I've been thinking about starting a website dedicated to my love of all-things Disney. I mulled over this decision for a long time, never quite sure if it was worth dedicating the time... and then today came along. Today is the 85th birthday of the leader of the club, the big cheese, the one who started it all: Mickey Mouse. 85 years ago today, Steamboat Willie debuted. The 85th birthday of the most famous cartoon character of all time? How could I not start the site today?

As if that weren't enough, one whole minute of the brand new, ground-breaking Mickey Mouse short Get a Horse premiered online today. Watch it below:


Get a Horse is Mickey's first theatrical short cartoon since Runaway Brain in 1995. Since Mickey became the extremely popular character he is because of cartoon shorts, it's so wonderful to have him back in theaters. The entirety of Get a Horse will debut in front of Frozen on November 27th.

But mostly we just want to wish our old pal Mickey a very, very happy 85th. And if we're being technical we should wish Mickey's best gal Minnie and his worst enemy Peg Leg Pete happy birthdays as well.

HAPPY 85th BIRTHDAY, MICKEY MOUSE!

Mickey Through the Years by Fidel Santiago

The Mickey Mindset by Ryan Dosier, mickeymindset@gmail.com