Movie Review: Aladdin

Aladdin

 

Recommended for: All ages

Rating: G

 Disney's beloved masterpiece will make your heart race and your spirit soar. Experience the laughter, adventure and Academy Award-winning music (1992: Best Music, Original Song, "A Whole New World," Original Score) for the first time on Blu-ray and Digital HD. And now Aladdin shines even brighter with never-before-seen tributes to the enchanting talent of Robin Williams, the "Genius behind the Genie."

 

 I have wanted to see this movie again for a long time, but I had to wait for it to come out on DVD this fall to see it again. 

Technical: 4/5

 This is an animated film and is like the other Disney movies that came out around that time. The people were drawn pretty realistically, definitely better than the animation in Lilo and Stitch. Animation takes a lot of work, so overall I would say that it is great for this style.

Setting: 4/5

 This movie is set somewhere in the Middle East in a place called Agraba. They are not very specific about when and where exactly they are. Genie does impersonate and mention modern things. I don't know how historically accurate it is, but it fits for the movie. 

Plot: 4/5

 The story follows Aladdin who is a thief. He is used by Jafar to try to get the magic lamp, because he is the only one allowed into where it is kept. Aladdin finds the lamp and tries to use the Genie to be allowed to marry the princess, Jasmine. This is not a realistic story with things like a magic carpet, Genie, and a bird that can have a real conversation, but it is fine for fantasy. I like how in the story Genie tells Aladdin to tell the truth and when he doesn't, bad things happen.

Characters: 5/5

  The villain, Jafar, is an evil adviser to the Sultan who is trying to get power, a realistic motive. Jasmine is the princess who is being forced into a marriage. She has never left the palace, so one day she sneaks out to see what it's like. At the beginning of the story, Aladdin is just trying to survive but as is shown later on, he doesn't always know the best way of going about things. He is still a likable person who has not had anyone to guide him.

I like this movie and would recommend it especially if you like Disney movies.

Movie Review: Frozen

Frozen

Recommended for: All Ages

Rating: PG (some action and mild rude humor)

Fearless optimist Anna sets off on an epic journey -- teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff and his loyal reindeer Sven -- to find her sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls, and a hilarious snowman named Olaf, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom.

No, I did not just see Frozen for the first time. Last weekend was one of many. We just didn't watch anything new last weekend. Not that I'm complaining. I love Frozen. And even though the subject has come up on my author blog here and here and here and here and here and here, we have yet to review it over here on Shire. 

So now that I've got that clarification out of the way, I love Frozen. It's a fantastic movie with fantastic music (yeah, I know other people are tired of it, tough luck) and it has a lot of memories attached to it for me. I used to sing the songs with a girl I babysat before she moved away, because she loved it. It reminds me of our last Disney trip, because I had a Fastpass to meet Elsa and Anna and went to the Frozen Sing-Along twice and saw Jonathan Groff at the Candlelight Processional on top of all the other Frozen things in the park. It reminds me of Play Camp and singing the songs with a roomful of preschoolers and of a super cute little girl who is a bigger Frozen fan than me, and remembered me from last year even though I hadn't seen her at all between Practicums. Then there are all the times I drove down the road by myself singing Frozen quite loudly. And the movie itself.

Technical: 5/5

Disney does a good job. And I'm sure having John Lasseter in charge helped with just how well done it is. The animation is in a far more realistic style than some animation, which I much prefer. It is well written. The dialogue is fantastic, and each line is well delivered. Yes, it's just voice acting, but it was still very well cast. And having some of the actors record together, an unusual method, apparently, made the interaction between characters so much better. And there's a reason so many people are tired of the songs. They're so good that everyone sings them and plays them all the time. Guilty as charged. When trying to get a song out of my head, "Let It Go" is one of the first other songs I think of. Plus, interesting tidbit as far as technical goes, when Olaf gives Anna a minute to go talk to Elsa, it's almost exactly a minute. I saw that on Pinterest, and so last time I timed it. Pretty cool.

Setting: 5/5

Arendelle is a fictional kingdom, but it is largely inspired by Norway. The clothes are Norwegian, the architecture is Norwegian inspired. Actually, in Norway at EPCOT they have a little building full of displays which are all about how Norwegian culture influenced the design of Arendelle. I loved seeing that, and how close to Norwegian culture the worldbuilding is. Of course, the North Mountain and Elsa's ice castle are very fictional, but still super cool. And when everything is covered in snow. "Cold, cold, cold." It's more snow than I've ever seen, but then, I have lived in Georgia my whole life. A magical winter? It fits everything perfectly. And can I just say that I love the style of Anna's main dress? I like that style anyway, but...I can't make myself one, because then I'd just look Frozen crazy.

Plot: 4/5

I don't want to deduct points, but...the beginning does present a few unanswered questions. Like, they didn't try to keep Elsa's powers a secret before she hurt Anna, and so when they reduced the staff, surely some of the ones who left knew about it, and yet it was a surprise to everyone. And there were three years between their parents' death and Elsa's coronation, who ruled then? Sounds like the perfect opportunity for evil uncle. (Not that I'm complaining, Agravaine really did me in with the evil uncle bit.) But once the preliminary stuff is out of the way, I see no plot holes, nothing to make me dislike the story. It’s rightly called “A Tale of Two Sisters” because, while Elsa and Anna are rarely together, the story revolves around their relationship, or lack of one. Anna wants a close relationship. She doesn’t understand why Elsa pushes her away until her powers are revealed. And then still all she wants is her sister back. With Kristoff and Olaf along for help, she sets off to find Elsa, and get her to end the winter, as they encounter strange hardships and evil from unexpected places on their quest. Probably no one is unaware of who the bad guy is, but all the same, just in case, I won’t spoil it.

And what Frozen is really all about is true love. I'm not talking about cliche "true love's kiss" prince and princess happily ever after true love. While there certainly is a romance in Frozen (which honestly kind of makes fun of typical Disney princess romance), that's not the true love it's all about. It's about real love. Putting others above yourself. Sacrificing your wishes to help others. Some people are worth melting for. And that, I think, is one of the main things which sets Frozen apart.

Character Development: 5/5

Fantastic. I talked about Kristoff and Anna in my Favorite Screen Characters post, because I love them so much. I love Kristoff because he's honest and upright, has good morals, is down to earth and ordinary, while having realistic flaws. I like Anna because she's fun and quirky, determined and stubborn, loyal and forgiving. And while she did agree to marry a man she just met that day (I love Kristoff's reaction to the news), she wizened up and managed to get out of a bad situation. I like Elsa because she's a protective big sister who wants the best for her sister and kingdom, even though she is kind of misdirected about what that best is. And you can't help feeling sorry for her. I like Olaf because, well, who doesn't like Olaf? He's kind of stupid, but he's really funny, and he gets some great lines towards the end when he's telling Anna what love is. Plus "Hey, Sven, I don't know if this will help, but there's a staircase leading right where you want to go." and "Go on. Knock. Why isn't she knocking? Do you think she knows how to knock?" And Hans is well developed too. Don't like him. But he's well developed. Even the Duke of Weaseltown--'scuse me, Weselton. He's annoying, but, well, he's the Duke of Weselton. And Flynn and Rapunzel even have a cameo!

 

So, here's just a little bit of why I love Frozen. It's so popular that I doubt anyone who reads this hasn't seen it, but if you're one of that small demographic, get Frozen. Watch it. You'll be singing the songs too. I love it very much. And yes, I do intend to see Frozen 2 in theaters. Why do you ask?

Merry Christmas!

Christmas is in just a few days! I can hardly believe it. It's such a wonderful time of year. It's a time for giving, for family and friends, and for remembering the best gift of all that was given the first Christmas.

Practically everyone in the blogging world (at least those I follow) is sharing lists of favorite books of the year and other sorts of lists. I wanted to share a list of my family's favorite Christmas stories that we try to watch every year.

11. A Christmas Carol

This one is more recent, being a more recent movie, and isn't even my favorite version of the story, but my sister really likes it. It's actually the closest to the book that we've seen, strange, coming from Disney. It's kind of scary, but a faithful adaptation of the classic tale of Ebeneezer Scrooge and the lesson he must learn about turning from his cruel, miserly ways.

10. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

I've been watching this every Christmas for as long as I can remember. My mom said that when she was younger she always looked forward to seeing it on TV. A few Christmases ago, we realized how incredibly rude Santa is in it. Strangely enough, this only amplifies the message. When people are mean, you still should be nice to them. Return cruelty with kindness. Running away doesn't get rid of your problems. It's not wrong to be different. And sometimes those differences will make you the most famous reindeer of all...if you happen to have a shiny red nose.
 

 9. Miracle on 34th Street

We always try to watch this on Thanksgiving Day. After all, that's when it starts. It's a sweet story about a man who claims to be Santa Claus trying to bring kindness and good will back into the commercialization of Christmas. And when he is accused of insanity, his friend Fred Gayley sets out to prove he really is Santa Claus. We always watch the original, originals are best, and Natalie Wood is so adorable in this movie.

8. The Santa Clause

We've never believed in Santa Claus, but always treated him like any other fictional character. Still, I'm picky about Santa Claus movies. They're so contradictory and not at all believable. The Santa Clause attempts to make it all really work. It's funny, too. An ordinary guy turning into Santa? Awesome. And we often quote Charlie's stupid, politically correct teacher, because she's fun to make fun of. "We don't say stupid. And we don't say elves. They're little people." I also like The Santa Clause 2, though I don't like the third one as much.

 7. A Christmas Story

This one is kind of stupid, has nothing to do with the true meaning of Christmas, and now that we have to watch the DVD instead of the TV version, I wish we had ClearPlay or something similar to filter out the bad language, but it's a family classic. We always watch it on Christmas Day. It's hilarious and extremely quotable. The story of a little boy who wants a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas, it contains such unforgetable things as the leg lamp, the pink bunny suit, the tongue to the pole triple dog dare, and the Santa foot in the face. Peace. Harmony. Comfort and Joy...Maybe next year.

 6. How the Grinch Stole Christmas

We have a very large Grinch doll that we got from my grandparents many years ago. So you might say he's a part of every Christmas. The Grinch hates Christmas, so he sets out to steal it. He takes everything the Whos down in Whoville have. And the crumb that he left was even too small for a mouse. The three words that best describe him are as follows, and I quote, "Stink. Stank. Stunk." But the Whos were still happy. Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from the store. Maybe Christmas, he thought, means a little bit more. His heart grew 3 sizes that day, and he had the strength of ten Grinches, plus two. And he himself, the Grinch, even carved the roast beast.

 5. Scrooge

This is definitely my favorite version of A Christmas Carol. It does deviate from the book (which makes it less scary), but it is full of amazing songs. I can't think of a single one I don't like. I especially love the ones involving the Cratchits, and "Happiness," when Isabel is singing. Scrooge's past is so sad. I feel sorry for him. And in the future, I have to say, I really enjoy "Thank You Very Much." "Thank you very much. Thank you very much. That's the nicest thing that anyone's ever done for me." It's just an amazing adaptation.

 4. White Christmas

 White Christmas is a classic. It's actually a musical where it sort of makes sense for them to sing so much, since the main characters are all performers who write and sing songs all the time. Bob Wallace and Phil Davis meet the sisters of Benny Haynes "the dog-faced boy" Betty and Judy. Through Phil's conniving, they all end up in snowless Vermont at a hotel unbeknownst to them owned by their old general. Business is bad because of the lack of snow, so Bob and Phil decide to give the General the best Christmas gift they can. What do you do with a general when he stops being a general? What do you do with a general who's retired? Misunderstandings happen, and things don't always go so well, but the movie ends beautifully with the knight back up on the white charger.

 3. A Charlie Brown Christmas

This is my personal favorite Christmas special. Charlie Brown is having a difficult time getting into the Christmas spirit. Lucy suggests he needs involvement and gets him to direct their Christmas play. But Charlie Brown realizes that his real problem is that he doesn't know what Christmas is really about. "Can't anyone tell me what Christmas is all about?" "I know, Charlie Brown," Linus answers. And he does. He quotes straight from the Bible what the true meaning of Christmas is. Because it's not commercial. It's about Jesus.

2. It's a Wonderful Life 

Another classic, one of my parents' favorite actors, and one of the best Christmas movies ever. George Bailey led a selfless life. He saved his brother from drowning. He didn't deliver poisoned pills. When his brother Harry came back with a wife and a job offer, George let him take it and kept running Bailey Building and Loans, despite his lifelong dream of traveling. He's not perfect, though. He can be rude, and he certainly has a temper. He gets married, has four children, still runs the Building and Loans, and then Mr. Potter steals $8,000 from absentminded Uncle Billy. George is convinced everyone would be better off if he'd never been born. Clarence Oddbody, A. S. 2 is sent to help him, and he's given the opportunity to find out what things would be like without him. Mr. Potter, that warped, frustrated old man, always makes me really mad, but no man is a failure who has friends.

1. Luke 2:1-20

But of course, the best Christmas story is the original one. The one that started it all. It is the story of the only begotten Son of God, born to the Virgin Mary and laid in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn. A child born to be our salvation, to take all our sins upon Himself to the cross that we might not perish, but have everlasting life.

For unto us a child is born, and unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and he shall call his name, Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. The increase of his government and peace shall have none end: he shall sit upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to stablish it with judgment, and with justice, from henceforth, even forever: the zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

--Isaiah 9: 6-7

Play Review: The Phantom of the Opera

The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall (25th Anniversary Performance)

Recommended for: Ages 13 to Adult

Rating: NR (I'm not sure what I would rate it, but it's kind of scary and dark, so I wouldn't recommend it for young children.)

A disfigured musical genius, hidden away in the Paris Opera House, terrorizes the opera company for the unwitting benefit of a young protégée whom he trains and loves.

Yes, I'm doing a play rather than a movie. We didn't watch an actual movie last weekend, just Phantom of the Opera on Netflix, and it's definitely worth reviewing.

I don't know how I missed out on The Phantom of the Opera for so long. I guess it just wasn't on my radar screen. I really was missing a lot by not having seen Phantom, because I immediately loved it. It jumped right onto my favorites list, and I've listened to the whole thing on Spotify several times since Friday night. And I found out someone I go to church with has seen it live, and so I'm jealous.

Technical: 5/5

It is a little odd to watch a stage play on TV. Fortunately, it didn't take long to get used to, mostly because I knew it was stage, and so that's what I was expecting. Of course, you can't expect CGI work or detailed locations, and the actors all wore microphones, but it's stage, not a movie. And it was a spectacular stage production. It's the 25th anniversary performance at the Royal Albert Hall, after all.

The music. Ah, such music. I think the music was what first entranced me. I have an extreme fondness for orchestral pieces, and this was performed with a full live orchestra. (Of course, it was taped by the time I got around to seeing it, but it was live then.) Sometimes they would even show a shot of the orchestra and I could see the violinists playing up in high positions. (And yes, I couldn't help thinking how the guy they showed had thicker fingers than me, which would make double stops easier for him, but individual strings and high positions easier for me.) The singing was also phenomenal. The Phantom has an amazing voice, and Christine really puts my out of tune Disney songs to extreme shame. She has such high notes to hit, but she nailed them. And the songs. I already knew "Think of Me" because my sisters and I have all played it on the piano, but pretty much all the rest were new to me. I think my favorites are "The Phantom of the Opera" and "All I Ask of You." And the overtures, because there's time to focus on the orchestra.

The ballet also deserves a mention. As a former ballerina who spent one year on pointe, I greatly enjoyed watching them perform. They were all excellent dancers.

Settings: 4/5

The Phantom of the Opera largely takes place inside the opera house, which makes the settings easy to create. The opera is performed on stage, after all. The transitions to the Phantom's place were a little confusing, and didn't seem to change things much, but that's really all the negative things I have to say about the setting.

Plot: 5/5

The story was slightly confusing at first, but I managed to get my bearings fairly quickly, and now I feel like I have a good grasp on the storyline. The ownership of the opera house is transferred over at the previous owner's retirement, and the opera ghost, also known as the Phantom, has a difficult time getting the new owners to follow his instructions. This escalates into a war between the Phantom and the opera house, as the Phantom tries to get Christine Daae into lead roles and always have box 5, but the owners push back against it. And the Phantom is not above using extreme measures to get his way.

I really loved the story, enough that I have started reading the book upon which the musical was based. It has intrigue and tragedy, love and despair. It seemed well developed, and definitely interesting.

Character Development: 4/5

The character development was somewhat lacking, but Phantom has so much else going for it, it didn't reduce my enjoyment one bit. The Phantom was very interesting, and the sort of character one doesn't quite know whether to hate or feel sorry for. And his voice. He can sing! I liked Christine. She seemed rather under the Phantom's influence, but yet scared of him and desperate to get away at the same time. I did like Raoul as well, though I wouldn't say I could give a description of his personality. I'm hoping the book will be better at developing the characters.

Something else cool about this edition is that Andrew Lloyd Webber comes out at the end to talk about it, and the original Christine and several different Phantoms sing. It's pretty cool. Though the part where the Phantoms sing reminded my family of the part of "The Day of the Doctor" where Ten and Eleven move in sync and trade off lines in a monologue. That only made it better, Whovians that we are.

If, like me, you  have been missing out on Phantom of the Opera, don't anymore. Watch it. This version is excellent, one of my friends said it was the best one. You won't regret it. (Well, unless you consider musicals the most horrible form of entertainment ever invented. But despite the unrealism, musicals are amazing.)

"He's here, the Phantom of the Opera."

EDIT: And it's even better the second time around.