By Russell Omo
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Every year, perhaps even every month, there is a myriad of animated films catering to the young and innocent minds of children; to satiate a desire of imaginative visual stimulation or to make a quick dollar off of a parent simply looking for a way to keep their children busy. But of the winter season, two films have found their way to the top of the box office: Disney’s newest animated classic Frozen and the hyperactive adventure, The Lego Movie. But which of these films was more deserving of that coveted spot?
VISUALS
Taking a look at Frozen, it is safe to say that it is visually stunning and the off model Disney style still lives up even after nearly a century. That is, for the first 10 minutes. After that, the film suffers from redundant homogeny. When its begins to snow, well, there is a lot of it, which would be fine, if all the scenes that take place outside didn’t look so similar and the animation wasn’t so unimaginative. I think Frozen might as well have been filmed in a forest in the dead of winter.
The Lego Movie, on the other hand, doesn’t suffer from this problem. Emmet’s adventure spans multiple universes, each with their own unique aesthetic. This is accentuated by the film’s great attention to detail. It’s a film that understands its source material and takes full advantage of it because it emulates a stop motion in its entirety. Shots are intentionally choppy and everything, from water to explosions, are made of lego.
At times, The Lego Movie does lose the stop motion effect, but that doesn’t affect the look of the film overall. The Lego Movie takes the point for visuals.
STORY
In terms of story, both films are what you would expect of an animated feature, in that they aren’t too heavy on it. Frozen is a tale of two sisters trying to rekindle their relationship and The Lego Movie is the adventure of the not-so-special character chosen to be the one to save the world. Not the most original plots, but not necessarily a negative.
Frozen attempts a heartwarming theme, the unconventional and undying love between sisters, but through the way the plot is expressed, has a hard time keeping its focus. Instead, it focuses on Anna and her almost ulterior motive of trying to find romance, which to her, is a much higher priority than seeing her sister Elsa for the first time in years. She even goes through an entire musical scene with trolls singing about her finding that romantic love. It’s unfitting and confusing as to what the film seeks to accomplish.
The Lego Movie’s plot moves fast, so fast that you could struggle trying to keep up with its pace. But while it is fast-paced, it maintains itself so the film remains understandable from beginning to end. The story is one that has gravity in that, for an animated film that is more child-friendly than others, it evokes a danger and allows the viewer to understand what is at stake.
Even though it’s not what you would call the most creative story, it’s one that is accomplished in a way that is simply more cohesive and consistent. Lego takes this category as well.
CHARACTER
The main characters are not the most complex entities in the film, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Looking at Anna, she is written to be naive and optimistic; it’s these traits that allow her character to be able to go after Elsa even under the most hostile circumstances. Emmet’s a natural idiot. He’s so simple that he ends up being a nuisance rather than a hero.
But he is the underdog that grows to be that hero that everyone wants him to be and that is what makes him much more dynamic than Anna. Emmet grows as the film progresses and in the end he relinquishes his limitations. He uncovers the true power that had always lay in him, a power that lay in every minifigure in the film. He is a hero.
Anna never had a true resolution. The whole film was focused on her relationship between her and her sister but it is an interaction that isn’t developed and, much like the setting, stays homogenous.
Lego takes the point for character.
PERFORMANCE
The Lego Movie’s cast is one that is full of recognizable voices. What the movie delivers on is bringing an unusual side out of actors: Morgan Freeman’s iconic voice is surprisingly fitting while doing cheesy ghost noises and delivering on witty humor as Vitruvius. Liam Neeson voices both the serious Bad Cop and the overzealous and comically high pitched Good Cop. Although unexpected performances, they are nothing you would consider their best works, in fact far from it.
With Frozen, it’s a much different story. Idina Menzel, noted for her vocal prowess, brings what she is infamous for to Elsa. Her performance of “Let it Go” is powerful and invigorating, despite the song itself being arguably lacking. Aside from singing, her delivery has a subtle, human nuance that makes Elsa sound introverted and reserved.
Frozen’s vocal dynamism brings life to the characters when the writing doesn’t. For that, it takes the point in performance.
OVERALL
Frozen took a real beating in this clash, only winning in one out of the four categories. That is not to say it is a bad film. There is much enjoyment to be had, songs to be sung and ever stuck in your head and is something you could watch on a cold winter evening. It is simply that The Lego Movie, in comparison, delivers on many more things that Frozen sought to accomplish. The Lego Movie is a fresh idea given life, something that is mold-breaking and my idea of a perfect film; a film that is able to incorporate multiple genres flawlessly and doesn’t have to file into a niche. The Lego Movie and all who realized it created something that was truly beyond the instructions.
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