Guilty Pleasure Series #4: Frozen and Enchanted

It's time for another addition to my Guilty Pleasure Series! Check out my previous guilty pleasure movie posts: #1 Mean Girls and Rat Race, #2 Ben Stiller movies and #3 Cadet Kelly and Wild Child. This time I chose 2 Disney movies that might not seem very similar at first but let's take a closer look...

FROZEN (2013)

Frozen movie poster

(SPOILERS) In case for some reason you live in a cave and didn't hear of this giant movie, it's about two sister Anna and Elsa whose parents have died. Elsa has ice powers and Anna knows nothing about it because Elsa closes herself off due to her dangerous powers. Anna meets Hans at Elsa's coronation and they decide to get married and tell Elsa who gets mad and loses control of her powers, runs away, sets off an eternal winter, etc. Anna goes to find her and meets Kristoff and Sven and they help her find Elsa. They come across Olaf who Elsa created and is a living being. That part gets glossed over. She literally created a living thing.... anyway they find her and she wants nothing to do with them and she strikes Anna in the heart with her magic and Kristoff takes her to the creepy trolls who say she needs an act of true love to cure her. Hans and team go to hunt down Elsa and manage to capture her. She escapes but Hans tells her that Anna is dead when really Anna is just freezing to death until Olaf helps her. Hans has revealed himself to be the bad guy, wanting to take over their kingdom because he'll never get one of his own. He leaves Anna for dead because he is not her "true love" so he doesn't kiss her. Olaf helps Anna to realize that Kristoff is her actual true love so she runs to find him to cure her frozen heart. Then she sees Hans about to kill Elsa so she goes to stop him and is then frozen solid. However, her act of bravery was an act of true love for her sister so Anna becomes unfrozen. Elsa also realizes that love can unfreeze all her winter mess. Anna and Kristoff kiss and all is happy ever after. 

Kristoff, Olaf and Anna

So overall, not a bad storyline and the music of course is great. Still some classic Disney tropes like losing a parent or in this case both and a young girl being locked up is pretty ignorant about the world. It's at 89% on Rotten Tomatoes.

ENCHANTED (2007)

Enchanted movie poster

(SPOILERS) Enchanted is a unique story in the Disney cannon because it begins in the animated world then transition to live action for the majority of the movie. The idea is that it takes the classic Disney story and flips it. Giselle is a daydreaming girl in a tower who fantasizes about her prince coming to rescue her. Prince Edward comes along and battles a troll to save her and claims that they will be married in the morning. As Giselle is on her way to her wedding an old woman tricks her and she falls down a well and into the real world, specifically New York City. The old woman is actually Prince Edward's mother who doesn't want to lose her crown by having her son married off to some girl. Giselle wanders around Times Square until Robert and his daughter Morgan find Giselle and are kind enough to help her and let her stay in their fancy rich New York apartment. Giselle and Robert get to know each other as she is waiting for Edward to come and rescue her and bring her back home. Edward makes his way to New York with the help of Giselle's chipmunk friend Pip and they search for her while the Queen's lackey, Nathaniel tries to get Giselle to eat a poisonous apple in various forms (candy apple, apple martini, etc.). Robert tells Giselle that he is planning on proposing to Nancy, his long time girlfriend but she seems constantly upset with him for some reason or another. Towards the end of the movie once Edward finally finds Giselle she is somewhat changed. She doesn't sing all the time, she's experienced emotions other than happiness and she asks Edward to go on a date so they can get to know each other. Giselle doesn't seem as smitten with Edward anymore and they go to a ball before they leave. Robert and Nancy are there and Robert and Giselle dance together while Edward and Nancy watch them. They are clearly in love but both with different people. The Queen manages to interrupt the ball as Giselle is leaving with Edward and she finally agrees to eat the apple. Giselle falls into a deep sleep and the Queen tells Edward and Robert that she will be dead by midnight. Robert suggests true love's kiss and Edward steps up to kiss her but nothing happens. Then Edward tells Robert he should try and he does and it works. Giselle wakes up and tells Robert that she knew it was him all along. Then the Queen turns into a giant cheesy talking dragon and takes Robert as his damsel in distress and Giselle must save him. She does and they all live happily ever after and Nancy and Edward go back together and get married. Giselle starts a fashion line and stays in New York with Robert and Morgan.

The Queen and Edward

It's definitely a cute film that comments on women characters saving themselves and being strong, which I really enjoy. The cast is well assembled and Amy Adams does a great job going from bumbling love sick princess to a grounded and realistic heroine who fights for herself and what she wants. It has a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.

I chose Frozen and Enchanted because I noticed a few similarities between the two and while technically neither of these movies are "Guilty Pleasures" they're aimed at a younger audience so I'm just going to say that qualifies in my book. Like the photo above says, Enchanted also commented that the first guy isn't always the right guy. Both films show strong women who save themselves and don't need the men to rescue them. These musicals both have helpful sidekicks with Pip and Olaf/Sven who help the heroine and care about her above all else. 

Our red headed heroine is called out by the man who is not her fiance (but she spends most of the movie with and gets to know him and connect with him) tells her that her she's crazy for marrying a man after only knowing him for a day. 

She also has to pick between two men and doesn't realize until the end of the movie that the one she actually got to know is the one who she's care about more (Go figure!). Also, Hans is evil so there wasn't that much of a choice in Frozen...

Prince Hans

Prince Edward

 

                                             

Kristoff

 

Robert

P.S. I love that shot of Kristoff racing to get to Anna and save her from being frozen because he realizes that he loves her. Those are just a few similarities between Enchanted and Frozen, which are both excellent movies. Did you notice any other similarities between these movies? COMMENT BELOW!

Live Blog: National Treasure (2004) featuring Matt Robinson

What's a Live Blog? Well, I decided to try something different and do a "live blog" entry. Basically, the idea is that I watch a movie and make comments during it and post them up here. (Think Live Tweeting)

This live blog entry was done with my good friend Matt Robinson who runs the blog: Red Flag Movie Productions. As he describes himself on his page "Writer, Filmmaker, Stand- Up Comedian. Lover of: films, comics, the 90's, women, travel, books and good food." He's one of my best friends and we have some of the best conversations not to mention he's hilarious. Here is a link to Matt's Blog: Red Flag Movie Productions make sure you check out his page, it's wonderful, nerdy and awesome.

So basically Matt and I recorded our complete audio commentary for the film and I was hoping to post it on here for your additional listening pleasure but was having trouble putting the file on my computer. :( Next time though, there will be a complete audio file for those willing to listen to our comments while you watch the movie yourself. Or... if you want to pay Matt and I a decent sum of money we will talk through a movie for you in person.... as long as you aren't creepy about it.

Ah the best line in movie history

Matt and I live blogged "National Treasure" because it truly is a national treasure of a movie. We carefully chose this film by constantly flipping a coin until we dwindled it down to a reasonable amount of movies to choose from. (Runners up included Frozen, Fantastic Four and Tomb Raider).

*J is me, Jenn and M stands for Matt

National Treasure

J: National Treasure

M: I actually haven’t seen this in a good amount of years

J: What year is this movie?

M: I remember watching this on VHS in high school… or maybe it was on DVD at this point. We didn’t have a dvd player at my house for a long time. We didn’t have cable until I was 17, my parents really wanted to remind us that we were working class.

J: Do you still have your VHS movies?

M: Of course, do you?

J: No, I’ve moved too many times…

M: 2004!

J: Wow 10 years, happy 10-year anniversary

M: This came out Nov. 19 2004. Almost 10 years to the day

Stable Boy: It's Jason Earles from Hannah Montana!

J: What if you were that stable boy who had to wake up in the middle of the night and drive someone in the rain to the white house?

M: You could’ve died of pneumonia

J: Right, there was not advanced medicine

In a deserted ice plain

J: Maybe they’re standing over Captain America

M: What a twist! I think we found something!

J: Still Disney

M: They could George Lucas all their old movies

"I've found something!"

M: It might be a treasure or a frozen hand… or The Mummy

M: Way to go Justin Bartha the henchman is smarter than you, why are you even on this team?

J: Most of this movie consists of them trying to escape from Sean Bean’s traps

M: Stock Footage!

National Archives Building, Also stock footage

J: Why don’t they just do a close up of the title of the building instead of having a title card?

M: I guess in movies they want to have a consistency. The pamphlet in the next scene actually says “National Archives Anniversary Gala”

J: Oh I wonder where they are!

Diane Kruger in her office, notice birth control diaphragm

J: Wow that one girl has really high eyebrows!

M: That’s what the cast department said they needed… look there’s Diane Kruger!

J: She’s talking on the phone she must be important

M: She’s wearing a suit

J: She gave him the finger too… not the middle finger, the one-minute finger

M: She’s WEARING that suit

J: He’s still creepy

M: I just don’t feel like what universe Diane is in she’s like yeah, Nic Cage

J: Look at all the images of woman power in her office

M: Yeah, Rosie the Riveter.

J: She’s a strong independent woman who don’t need no man!

M: Especially no treasure hunting man

M: Behind her it looks like her birth control diaphragm

J: She’s organized, you men can’t control me

Suits

M: His suit looks like the pattern they put on public buses

J: Is Justin Bartha wearing velvet?

M: He’s wearing a tie that’s the same color as his suit! That’s a fashion faux pas… dammit Riley.

J: Nic Cage looks sloppy

M: Why don’t you learn to wear a suit like Diane Kruger?

Outfit Number ??

M: How many outfit changes did she just go through?

J: 3 at least

M: BTW I just remember this scene of some guy checking out Diane Kruger’s backside and I just remember my mom saying don’t do that to women

J: More stock footage

M: I like how they have Sean Bean after the Watergate footage because you know… Watergate

M: Wow Diane Kruger’s in another outfit already

J: She’s the only woman in this movie

Party people

M: Someone needs to make a gif of Nic Cage trying to avoid Diane Kruger as someone trying to avoid an ex

J: I feel like you could just print out a copy of the declaration on the internet, why would you spend $35 on a replica?

Legit food truck

J: Don’t stop and talk to her at the van? Just hop in the back and drive off. He was chillin in the van… she’s in high heels, it takes her a while to get him

M: To be fair it is Diane Kruger

J: There is something on the side of Sean Bean’s van!

M: This was before food trucks were even in vogue; they are so ahead of the curve

M: It’s even topically themed for the mall, they’re geniuses

M: Olympus!

J: Greek food maybe?

M: That sounds good

J: I wonder if they stole it, that’s a legit food truck

M: Yeah, there’s a pot and everything

Ben's dad assumes she's pregnant. Check out this sexual chemistry

M: Why was that his first thought? Is she pregnant?

J: Why would that get him in trouble?

M: Right, aw man I knocked this girl up.

J: You’re a grown adult; you’re not a teenager

M: If I went to my parents and said I knocked up Diane Kruger they would say, who? Then, nice but wrong

M: Jon Voight had a whole pizza for himself

J: He hadn’t touched it while he was watching Jeopardy

M: He was having a “treat yo self" day

Dat Robe

M: I need to invest in a robe

J: Jon Voight rocks it

M: I feel like you have to make at least 40,000 a year to get a robe

Clues!

M: Their sexual tension created a clue

J: That should be their tagline, they did it for America

M: Aren’t you proud of me?!

PS Harvey Keitel is in this movie

M: Disney threw in a PG thing about Gates sleeping with a lot of women, it doesn’t even make sense for his character. Diane Kruger is like, yeah I’ve banged people in my office before. I mean she does keep her birth control on the wall

J: Gotta keep it safe

M: I can’t miss a day, it’s happening so much now

New Clothes are a must when out on the run

J: Is this her 5^th outfit now?

M: No, 7^th?

J: Are we only half way through the movie?

M: I feel like Quentin Tarantino saw this film and saw her feet and said I’m hiring her for Inglorious Bastards

J: These people look like they’re dressed in the 90s

Being a detective

M: Gates using a gate! I thought the other guy would’ve used the gun to blow up the door but no…

M: Ooo! Now Gates' trapped by a gate!

Mid Chase scene

J: Climbing opened staircases never makes sense to me when escaping from people with guns

M: They always miss, they always hit the rails

M: History teachers and archeologists are always badasses

Once Diane Kruger is safe she tells Nic to "hang on"

J: Why does the person who’s safe always say, “hang on” to the person falling? They aren’t doing anything to help so like shut up!

M: This is a great hideout for an all guys club

Entering the treasure room

M: Wouldn’t it be funny if they went in there and it was just a McDonalds? They were looking for treasure but what they found was something greater, it was a different kind of gold. Look at these golden fresh cut fries! On a sesame seed bun!

J: $1 for any size soft drink

M: National Treasure 3: The search for the last Roy Rogers in America

“The Declaration of Independence is not a bargaining chip”

M: Diane Kruger just got so turned on by that line

Sean Bean and his crew

J:  I don’t think that’s how that works, that someone else can just go to prison in his place?

M: Well I think that when the feds ask who’s the criminal? It’s Sean Bean and his crew. I mean Nic found the treasure so he’s fine.

M: Of course when Sean Bean doesn’t die it’s actually a win

Final Outfits.... "I drew you a map"

J: ...to my vagina

M: It’s totally a map to her vagina

M: All that money and they still can’t dress well

J: All of them!

M: All of them

J: She looks like a librarian

M: I have money now I don’t need to show my cleavage

Well, there you have it, some of our commentary while watching National Treasure. Hope you enjoyed it!