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Olaf's Frozen Adventure (Improvements (Characters (Olaf's…
Olaf's Frozen Adventure
Problems
Aesthetic
The character design for the female characters is still a problem, not to mention how little Elsa's hair has changed between installments compared to Anna
Other
As wonderful as the short is, 21 minutes is still too long and it should not have been put as its own thing or as the short to another movie- not right next to Coco, a movie made more for a specifically Mexican audience who shouldn't have to watch another thing not made for them before getting to something that actually is
This is where the franchise starts making retcons by showing us something that should've been in the actual movie- Anna and Elsa sending each other presents to try and close the distance their parents put between them
The resolution of the plot comes too easily even if the idea that that the real tradition between them was the forming of their own family in the wake of the one they were born into letting them down is a solid, moving one
Character
Kristoff is relagated to the background as a self-absorbed joke character and any attempt at giving him some actual depth by exploring his family traditions are completely dashed by playing it off as comic relief. Not to mention the inconsiderate attitude that made him so off putting in the original movie is sort of back here
Improvements
Music
The songs are actually memorable and fun to sing along to ON TOP of advancing the story and characters- exactly what songs in a musical should do
Characters
Olaf's characterisation of an innocent kid stops being annoying and actually becomes more realistic because it's the reason why he's so enthusiastic in solving Elsa and Anna's problems but also why he's naive and incompetent in the execution and reacts to his failure like it's the end of the world even though it isn't
Anna and Elsa feel more like real sisters now. Even with Elsa shutting Anna out of guilt in the beginning, Anna tries to reassure her and when they meet up later on they bond, banter and express nostalgia in the way real human beings would
Even Sven gets his moment to shine as the 'big kid' to Olaf's 'little kid', especially with how his first reaction to realising what's happened to Olaf is to go and tell the adults
Anna and Elsa also feel much more like real parents when they come to comfort Olaf after finding him in the snow, teasing him a little at first before offering their assurances
Animation
The animation is willing to get experimental with the section that's done in the style of a knitted pattern
Other
Room for not just Christian or Scandinavian holiday traditions but a positive (if superficial) look at Hanukkah as well
The actual plot of the short is actually emotionally meaningful and relatable- Olaf and the girls trying to find a family tradition to make up for the lack of one thanks to their abusive upbringing
The actual resolution- that the real tradition between them was making a new family out of the ruins and ashes of their old one- isn't just moving but starts to properly address Agnar and Idun's abuse
The myriad range of traditions and the involvement of the community makes Arendelle feel like a real place with real people, all of whom have individual ways of expressing the same emotions
Aesthetic
Elsa's costume design is much better suited to her- even if it's still too modern by the standards of the kingdom's aesthetic
This new characterisation of the cast makes them likeable people that you actually want to spend time with instead of spending half the time groaning at their poor decision-making
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These things help make the short feel like a vital part of the franchise and not just a throwaway thing the way Frozen Fever
Poor business handling and lack of sensitivity around certain cultures in places is becoming a recurring problem
So is the lack of actual stakes or danger or teeth in the franchise. If it was just in the shorts that would be fine but it was also a huge issue in the main film as well
Kristoff is still an unmemorable and not very well-characterised love interest who just happens to pivot around the rest of the cast and while the focus is more on famililial than romantic love, if there is going to be a romantic relationship it should be done properly or not at all