Frozen 2
A few weeks ago my friend Kelly and I decided to put our Disney+ subscriptions to good use and had a Disney Movie Marathon. We specifically chose to watch some of the delightful (I use that word delicately) direct-to-video sequels that Disney became known for throughout the late 90s and early 2000s. The main concept behind the creation of these sequels was to capitalize on the mass success Disney was having and had in the past at the movie theatre, but instead of the payday coming from the box office, it came from VHS sales. These sequels typically took a deep dive in terms of quality. The same voice cast didn't always return nor did the same members of the creative team resulting in distinct differences that were hard to go unnoticed. When John Lasseter became CEO of Disney Animation Studios, he put a halt on these discount bin sequels in favor of focusing on more original content and durable IP. Frozen 2 (2019) should go down in history as the first truly successful, theatrically-released sequel featuring Disney Princesses. Everything the direct-to-video sequels get wrong, Frozen 2 ensures ten times over that it gets right. Not only does the same creative team and voice cast return, but their passion and respect for the material return with them. The music in the sequel plays a more intricate role in articulating the complex thematic material that the characters are dealing with in the plot than in the first film. Themes of self-identity, grief and loss, mortality and personal responsibility are all explored at various points through lyrical content and dialogue, alongside the ever-impressive visuals the animation team has conjured up for this second snowy adventure. The film feels relevant and topical in its exploration of how we should treat the "others" in our life, though some will question if this moral statement is heavy-handed or not. In my opinion, the film effectively states that in one way or another, we are all an "other" to someone else in the world. Elsa's character remains single and sexually ambiguous, and the sequel reinforces the notion that her story does not need a love interest to stay potent and interesting. Disney sequels have a habit of miss-using side characters in sequels (see Mushu in Mulan 2 (2004)), but Olaf's character arc in this film is even more heartening and relatable than the first. The sequel is less self-referential than its predecessor about the tropes that it breaks, but there are a select few lines of commentary made by Olaf that highlight how the Frozen films are working against type. For example, the lovable snowman's statement about Anna being unusually blind to Hans's shadiness in the first film. While some of it feels like familiar territory, such as Kristoff's nervousness over his impending proposal to Anna or Olaf's unsurprising resurrection in the climax, it is the sheer likability of the characters and the precision in which their meaningful journeys are crafted that allow these minor narrative transgressions to be forgivable. We want to see Anna, Elsa and company again because we enjoy watching them grow and evolve into new people as we are doing in our own lives. The Toy Story franchise understood this as well. No one remains the same forever. We are all changing and evolving as we enter into the unknown void that is our futures. See what I did there. Isolation has made me funnier.
Okay, maybe I should leave the jokes to the adorable anamorphic reindeer.
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
What seems like it should've been a no-brainer for me to watch as soon as it debuted, took me quite some time, and a pandemic to start watching. I wasn't the hugest High School Musical (2006) fan. When the film came out, I was ten years old and still developing my hobbies, my likes and dislikes. I knew musicals attracted me, but there was a certain level of shame associated with young men who enjoyed the idea of running around and singing a show-tune, and so any attraction I had toward the film I kept to myself. I even made conscious choices to distance myself from its subsequent sequels even though by that time, the franchise was well accepted into popular culture by both young men and women. I was jaded by this point in a way, having developed passions for more thematically weighty musical films like Rent (2005) and Hairspray (2007). There wasn't room for East High Wildcats in my heart, too little too late. Still, Efron, Hudgens and co feel like staples of my childhood by their mere frequent presence on TV, radio, merchandise etc. Having been such a devout Gleek for so many years, it felt wrong to not give a musical show a chance. In may ways High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (its exhausting to type, let alone, say) owes a great deal to the Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan hit show. Had it not paved the way for musicals on television, many would have laughed at the absurdity of attempting a project on Disney+, regardless of the popularity of the IP that preceded it. The series borrows both triumphant elements from Glee (2009) as well as problematic qualities. Both had difficulty balancing satirical and dramatic tones, making it tricky to decipher if they were critiquing their subject matter or attempting to visually articulate a semi-realistic depiction of what it is like to practice the Performing Arts. Some characters like the cartoonish Mr Mazzara, a villainous STEM teacher who is critical of the school's focus on the Arts come off too strong and feel as though they belong on another show altogether. The show doesn't bother to clarify that two of its main characters are cousins until the second episode, and having watched the first three I am still confused as to why they've chosen a seemingly needless mockumentary-style like a junior version of The Office (2005). Most of the commentary given by the characters during their interviews is far less interesting than the actions they take and words they say when they are not acknowledging the camera. The new music is catchy, effective, and pairs well with the unforgettable tunes from the original film that we all know and love, or for many others adamantly detest. Much of the plot seems predictable, who will end up with whom by the end and why (am I really supposed to believe Nini stays with EJ?) but to be fair we didn't fall in love with the original film because it surprised us with its twists; we loved it because it was a formula we were familiar with, newly packaged in a fresh and invigorating way. This may be a bit bias, but I believe the new series is at its best when it is exploring the world of the theatrical arts than when it is merely serving us some reconstructed 21st Century 90210 (1990) dramedy fanfare. One thing Glee never did highlight well enough was how difficult the world of high school theater is to navigate when the very people that you are befriending one day are your competition the next. I hope the rest of this freshman season focuses more on the theatrical experiences of its young and vibrant cast and less on regurgitating plots and characters that have frankly been done to death at this point across multiple franchises and entertainment platforms.
I also believe than when social-distancing is over we should all perform "We're All in This Together" out in the streets together as one unified, Zac Efron-adoring society.
Uncut Gems
This is not Adam Sandler's first venture into dramatic work. The critically and commercially divided Reign Over Me (2007) highlighted Sandler's capacity to evoke an emotional reaction out of an audience that was something other than laughter. Much of his performance in Uncut Gems (2019) is different than his past efforts in the drama genre. His performance is more operatic than anything else, and the film rises and falls on his ability to keep us engaged in his character's debauchery. The film pushes us into this character's chaotic world with a jolt. We don't get much explained to us. Instead, we must carefully watch Howard and his interactions with those around him in his life in order to understand how he operates. However, the film's plot isn't very interested in exploring why Howard is the way that he is. His compulsive lying and gambling is simply a character trait without origin it would seem. The rest of the performers around him play their parts well, but it is Howard's hyperactive persona that continuously draws the audience's eyes. Idina Menzel has little to do as a Bravo Housewife knock-off, but she does illustrate some seismic chemistry with Sandler in key scenes. The dialogue is very naturalistic and un-stylized with character's speaking in a way you'd expect them to if these were real-life situations, messy and fragmented. The dialogue isn't there to service the viewer's understanding of the story in a spoon-feeding kind of manner, and rather it is utilized to more strongly depict the world of these characters and how they choose to best navigate through verbal jousting of several varieties. Julia Fox, who plays Howard's employee and girlfriend does an exceptionally fine job of using her dialogue to create a believable character, aggravating and still somehow sympathetic by the film's inevitable conclusion. The pacing of the film is carefully mapped out by the Safdie Brothers and yet the whole two hours and fifteen minutes feel like a whirlwind akin to Dorothy in the tornado on her way to Oz. Howard never has a true moment of stability during the film's entire runtime, and because of that, neither does the viewer That helps highlight the consistent and endless uncertainty that comes with living the life of a gambler. Ultimately Uncut Gems is a film worth taking a gamble on, if only out of sheer appreciation for the inventiveness of the Safdie Brothers and the enthusiasm with which Adam Sandler attacks his latest cinematic role after several years of ho-hum performances in less than stunning comedies.
I wish you all good health and safety during this frightening time. Stay strong, social distance and of course wash your hands to your favorite 40-seconds of literally any given song in the history of music. When you need a mental cleansing, turn to your televisions and enter a world beyond this one. A world where at the very least you have the control to pause, fast-forward and rewind to your heart's content. You are not in control of this situation, but you are in control of how you can survive it alongside those you love and care about—all my love and good energies your way, happy streaming.
