Do You Want To Watch Once Upon A Snowman?

Do you watch to watch more Frozen? Well, ever since after the outstanding acclaim of Frozen back in late 2013 [9], Disney and our Frozen fanatics let its legacy franchise rage on with some expansions [11] [17], including Frozen Fever, an animated short about the celebration of Princess Anna's birthday that was released in theatres with the enchanting live-action remake of Cinderella back in early 2015 [5] [10]. Since I can strongly relate to the ice queen Elsa and see her ice powers as a metaphor for my autism [3], Frozen II was my most highly anticipated film of 2019 [36] [37] [40] [41]. Throughout 2020, the world of Frozen was expanded with several shorts starring a certain snowman who likes warm hugs and a virtual-reality short titled “Myth: A Frozen Tale” [29] [32] [38] [39]. I cannot help but let the title of yet another regular animated short that is yet to stream on Disney+ remind me of Once Upon A Deadpool because it is simply “Once Upon A Snowman” [1] [2] [6]. Aside from that, I am more than delighted that we will get to see more of the innocent and happy-go-lucky snowman in 2020 because I simply cannot stand the negative impacts this year has brought on many of us anymore [8] [21].

Behold! Another Frozen short! Only four more days left until we get to see it on Disney+. [6]

It is confirmed that the short film will take place after Elsa flees Arendelle when her ice powers have been discovered by the public and before Olaf meets Anna, Kristoff and Sven [6]. This is an interesting concept as it is an opportunity to explain how the loveable snowman came to life and what he was up to after he was spawned from Elsa’s wintery magic [33]. A midquel can be a great opportunity to establish some expanded character development. After all, Disney midquels have been done before back in the 2000s [20] [26], including Tarzan II and Bambi II [24] [25]. Heck, speaking of midquels, I would love to encounter a new Tomb Raider trilogy that could take place after the Survivor timeline and lead to signs of another trilogy being exactly like the classic timeline sort of as if it was a midquel to a film [28]. As for Once Upon A Snowman, we Frozen fanatics shall root for Olaf on his quest to find his name during the events of the first Frozen film. It would be worth it after listening to a heart-warming song about reminding someone that you are still with them emotionally a few months ago [31].

I think Olaf needs some lessons from Ly the Fairy from Rayman 2: The Great Escape if he ever wants to learn how to juggle [18]. [6] [33]

ANNA used DOOR! It’s super effective [13]! [6] [33]

In order for a short midquel to be convincing to fans of the first film, its plot ought to be consistent and quite fascinating. It is quite unusual to see Olaf have a sausage for a nose, but it is a sign of some interesting development within his origin [6] [33]. We also see him experimenting with an Arendelle flag, a paddle ball and a comb at Oaken’s trading post, quite similar to how he swapped his carrot nose for a candy cane in Olaf’s Frozen Adventure [17]. Aside from his comedic remark about not being able to juggle after realising that he is alive, we also see an example of how somewhat courageous he can be as he is seen sliding through snow and ice whilst fleeing from a pack of wolves. Seemingly, the premise of the shortly forthcoming short film that takes place before Anna reunites with Elsa is sure to provide a delightful portrayal of Olaf’s origin as he appears to still consist of the same cuteness, cheerfulness and wittiness as the utterly adorable and interestingly developed interpretation of Sam-I-Am from the animated series on Netflix based on Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss [14] [15] [34] [35].

It’s-a-him! Olaf [16]! [6] [33]

As well as a chase scene that could provide some tension within the climax of the short midquel, its pace through the realistic wintery location is part of a highly convincing way of portraying it. The way Olaf’s body often falls apart and how he tries to literally pull himself together makes the chase scene a little more comedic. [6] [33]

Let us look into the visuals once again. Aside from the recycled moment of Elsa taking off her cape and letting it blow away in the breeze [9], the wintery setting is rather dimmed as it is indeed set during the night she ran away from her kingdom [6] [33]. The interior of Wandering Gaken’s Trading Post is detailed with fine wooden textures and a variety of items, including fruit in a fruit bowl, red roses in a vase and Anna’s coronation dress from the first Frozen film [9]. The animation is once again outstandingly done. The particles of the snow and water during the chase scene are highly realistic, thus showing how advanced the 3D animation within certain Disney movies like Tangled can be [23] [24]. Olaf’s lively movements enhance his adorableness, whether he has a nose or not. The fluid running of the wolves during the chase scene and how their eyes glow a tint of orange during the darkness before it make them rather intimidating as antagonists of the short. Since the formula of providing incredible animation has been repeated for the forthcoming short [9] [10] [11] [17], it would definitely be considered to be part of the Frozen franchise hopefully with an engaging plot.

The animation even nails Olaf’s reflection in a mirror in the highly detailed trading post. [6] [33]

We suppose
That with a fresh sausage for a nose,
He'll go along with how the midquel goes
In winter [7]! [6] [33]

Perhaps after the release of Olaf’s origin this October [6] [33], he ought to finally know a Samantha in Frozen 3 [11]. Could this Samantha he gets to know be a love interest for Elsa [12]? I still believe that there could be live-action remakes of Disney sequels in the future when Disney starts to somewhat run out of ideas [40] [41], possibly when I am in my thirties or forties. Nonetheless, I would be delighted to see an animated sequel to The Princess and the Frog that mostly stars the loveable Lottie [27], but does not repeat the same mistakes that Cars 2 made when it came to writing [3] [19]. As for the Frozen franchise from 2013 to the present, I would love to see another short midquel that could go into further depth of Elsa in her icy palace of isolation right after she built it [9]. This Friday, our fellow Frozen fanatics shall look forward to another adventure with Olaf after several delightful moments of him that were uploaded onto YouTube during the lockdowns we had to succumb to for protection during the coronavirus pandemic as coping mechanisms [6] [29] [33]. Despite his fondness of being in the summer [7], the cold never bothered him anyway.

Lastly, I wonder if there will be a new musical number either based on Olaf’s struggle with not knowing who he is or his desire to be in a summery climate. I have teared up a little after listening to “I Am With You” [31], so I am partly expecting a new song in Once Upon A Snowman. [6] [33]

References

1. 20th Century Studios. (2018). Once Upon A Deadpool | Official Trailer. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCf03KXyzIg. Last accessed 19th Oct 2020.
2. 20th Century Studios UK. (2018). Once Upon A Deadpool | NICKELBACK | 2018. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qgh4wSxAKqo. Last accessed 19th Oct 2020.
3. Brunet, M. (2011). Cars 2 - AniMat's Reviews. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fByVFpKsqAk. Last accessed 19th Oct 2020.
4. Cars 2, dir. by John Lasseter (Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures, 2011).
5. Cinderella, dir. by Kenneth Branagh (Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures, 2015).
6. Disney. (2020). Once Upon a Snowman. Available: https://disneyplusoriginals.disney.com/movie/once-upon-a-snowman. Last accessed 19th Oct 2020.
7. Disney UK. (2013). FROZEN | "In Summer" - Sing-a-long with Olaf | Official Disney UK. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnEB2F_v_cE. Last accessed 19th Oct 2020.
8. Flard. (2020). Stan cries during speech about COVID. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9y1is8lL6E. Last accessed 19th Oct 2020.
9. Frozen, dir. by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2013).
10. Frozen Fever, dir. by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2015).
11. Frozen II, dir. by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2019).
12. InformOverload. (2019). Elsa Has A Girlfriend In Frozen 3. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zQFtsVdvJE. Last accessed 19th Oct 2020.
13. Know Your Meme. (2012). It's Super Effective!. Available: https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/its-super-effective. Last accessed 19th Oct 2020.
14. Netflix Futures. (2019). First 8 Minutes of Green Eggs and Ham (Sneak Peek!) 🍳 Netflix Futures. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEaWg2wekJo&t=447s. Last accessed 18th Oct 2020.
15. Netflix UK & Ireland. (2019). Green Eggs and Ham | Sam and Guy’s Friendship Story. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn4LePvfoUc. Last accessed 18th Oct 2020.
16. Nintendo. (1996). Super Mario 64. Nintendo 64. Tokyo, Japan.
17. Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, dir. by Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2017).
18. RayWiki. (2010). Ly. Available: https://raymanpc.com/wiki/en/Ly. Last accessed 19th Oct 2020.
19. Rozanski, J. (2014). Animated Atrocities #46: "Cars 2" [2011 Movie]. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9AV11Y8Ni0. Last accessed 19th Oct 2020.
20. Screen Rant. (2019). 15 Disney Sequels That Should Have Never Been Made. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN8OvjfjKBo. Last accessed 19th Oct 2020.
21. Sky News. (2020). Coronavirus: New COVID-19 restrictions enforced in England. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qz8u-38y16M. Last accessed 19th Oct 2020.
22. Tangled, dir. by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2010).
23. Tangled Ever After, dir. by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2012).
24. Tarzan II, dir. by Brian Smith (Walt Disney Home Entertainment, 2005).
25. The Disney Wiki. (2012). Bambi II. Available: https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Bambi_II. Last accessed 19th Oct 2020.
26. The Disney Wiki. (2017). The Lion King 1½. Available: https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/The_Lion_King_1%C2%BD. Last accessed 19th Oct 2020.
27. The Princess and the Frog, dir. by Ron Clements and John Musker (Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2009).
28. Tomb Raider Wiki. (2019). Tomb Raider Games. Available: https://tombraider.fandom.com/wiki/Tomb_Raider_Games. Last accessed 19th Oct 2020.
29. Walt Disney Animation Studios. (2020). At Home With Olaf. Available: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxnVeUnlga-Eg3hSTyV2GXjiJYdjQl2nt. Last accessed 19th Oct 2020.
30. Walt Disney Animation Studios. (2013). Disney's Frozen Teaser Trailer. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1x76DoACB8. Last accessed 19th Oct 2020.
31. Walt Disney Animation Studios. (2020). "I Am With You" l At Home With Olaf. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evfOzPrzIu0. Last accessed 19th Oct 2020.
32. Walt Disney Animation Studios. (2020). Myth: A Frozen Tale l VR Short l Trailer. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idOjL0P_-Pk. Last accessed 18th Oct 2020.
33. Walt Disney Animation Studios. (2020). Once Upon a Snowman | Official Trailer | Disney+. Available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JR7OrwlrsP0. Last accessed 18th Oct 2020.
34. Williams, L. (2020). Another Green Eggs and Ham Season? Acclaim and Ambition Are The Reason!. Available: https://laurasambitiouswriting.wordpress.com/2020/01/26/green-eggs-and-ham-season-1-throwback/. Last accessed 19th Oct 2020.
35. Williams, L. (2020). Another Green Eggs and Ham Season? Acclaim and Ambition Are The Reason!. Available: http://laurawritesaboutcartoons.blogspot.com/2020/01/green-eggs-and-ham-season-1-throwback.html. Last accessed 19th Oct 2020.
36. Williams, L. (2020). Defrosting The Teaser Trailer For Frozen 2. Available: https://laurasambitiouswriting.wordpress.com/2019/02/14/frozen-2-teaser/. Last accessed 18th Oct 2020.
37. Williams, L. (2019). Defrosting The Teaser Trailer For Frozen 2. Available: http://laurawritesaboutcartoons.blogspot.com/2019/02/frozen-2-teaser.html. Last accessed 18th Oct 2020.
38. Williams, L. (2020). Forty Years Of Eating Pac-Pellets With Pac-Man. Available: https://laurasambitiouswriting.wordpress.com/2020/05/22/pacman-40-years/. Last accessed 18th Oct 2020.
39. Williams, L. (2020). Forty Years Of Eating Pac-Pellets With Pac-Man. Available: https://laurawritesanarticle.blogspot.com/2020/05/pacman-40-years.html. Last accessed 18th Oct 2020.
40. Williams, L. (2019). Secrets Of The Past And More Await In Frozen II. Available: https://laurasambitiouswriting.wordpress.com/2019/09/24/frozen-2-trailer/. Last accessed 18th Oct 2020.
41. Williams, L. (2019). Secrets Of The Past And More Await In Frozen II. Available: http://laurawritesaboutcartoons.blogspot.com/2019/09/frozen-2-trailer.html. Last accessed 18th Oct 2020.