Letting Go with Sven the Reindeer

I have somewhat of an obsession with Disney films. Having grown up in front of my television, with VHS copies of Alice in Wonderland and Basil the great Mouse a Detective, and one of my earliest memories being a trip to the cinema in 1990 to see The Little Mermaid in a Croydon cinema, back in the days when you still had an interval in the middle of the film so that the projectionist could change the reel and audience members could pig out on orange ice-lollies, it's no wonder I have such jaded expectancies of the world, wishing more than anything that we could at whim burst into joyous song with our anthropomorphic animal sidekicks and conquer the forces of evil with little more than a pure heart.

Unfortunately, the real world is not so forgiving, but hope can still be found in the annual release of a new Disney movie, an event that I rarely miss out upon (though I admit I have yet to see Wreck It Ralph, something I shall rectify later this week).

After its much publicised release and Oscar winning acclaim, this evening I have at last dipped my toe into the icy delight that is Disney's 52nd Animated Classic Frozen, a retelling of Hans Christian Anderson's The Snow Queen. Having already been voted the fourth greatest Disney film of all time (losing out only to The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin), I had very high hopes for this CGI spectacular.

Admittedly, I've been tentative about the computer animated revolution that has swept Disney studios. After the spectacular Princess and the Frog, I've been rallying for Disney to return to its 2D roots, but I must admit, Frozen does a fantastic job of capturing the heart of Disney in its animation whilst still appealing to the computer generated world. Each member of the ensemble cast feels like a traditional Disney character, and our two princesses Anna and Elsa will certainly sit upon the pantheon with Belle and Jasmine in years to come. Hero Kristoff has elements of the traditional Prince Charming merged with Tangled's Flynn, this creating one of the most believable romantic leads a Disney film has ever seen. Comedy comes in barrel-fills from Sven the reindeer (a delightful fellow indeed) and a talking snowman named Olaf, who unfortunately for me feels rather superfluous and pandering only to appease the younger audience members who may at times feel somewhat lost amidst the more adult themes that seep through this chilly tale.

Musically, as the entire world seems to be aware, Frozen shines through; aside from the Oscar winning "Let it Go", we have some very strong numbers ranging from self-consciously cheesy love songs to a lovely ditty about where snowmen go in the summer. 

Unfortunately, amidst the convoluted tale, something feels a little amiss. I can only put it down to the underdevelopment of the cast; sure they are well-voiced and beautifully animated, but what sets this behind the likes of Princess and the Frog and Beauty and the Beast is that aside from saving the town from eternal winter (admittedly a decent enough motivator), none of the characters have a personal motivation. So used are we to having each character with a back story and a reason for advancing the narrative that to me at least, the cast of Frozen seem a little, well, cold. The epitome of this (aside from the utterly pointless snowman) is Snow Queen Elsa's all too quick transition from outcast to semi-evil ice maiden; having been distraught over her exile, in less than the first verse of her all-too-famous song she embraces her re-kindled powers. It really feels like there's a scene missing here, and in so many other places in the film too.

That's not to say there isn't fun to be had, and the final "twist" on the search for true love is nice (although it does rather poke fun at every princess story before it). Overall, I wouldn't place it in my top ten, but with further watching and a little added nostalgia, it might just stand the test of time. certainly moreso than Disney's last snowy tale, Brother Bear... And the reindeer in this one is ten times more lovable.

Out On the Open Road with Max and Goofy

I love road trips. Admittedly I haven't been in the driver's seat properly in almost ten years, but I do love a jolly good car ride.

Kicking back in the passenger seat, music blaring and knowing (hopefully) that you're off on an awesome new adventure with your bestest buddy by your side. Obviously you're inevitably going to need to pee at some point, usually just after passing a service station with the next one not for twenty three miles (yeah, I kind of need a pee right now) and then end up spending twenty pounds on a Happy Meal (who's smiling now Ronald, you creepy bastard?!). But for the most part, you'll be taking in the lovely countryside, wailing along to whatever CDs you've remembered to pick up, and trying your hardest not to get stuck behind too many lorries or traffic jams.

Of course, when you've run out of tunes, filled yourself with over-priced Burger King and trying to think of anything but running water, there's always the option of a game or two. Here are a few of my favourites. Why not try one? Or multitask and try them all. That's what I'm doing...

Zitch Dog

Anyone who watches How I Met Your Mother will be aware of Marshall and Zed's bizarrely named game which essentially consists of shouting "zitch dog" whenever passing by a canine. Why zitch dog? No-one knows, but I'm having fun Snap-chatting my mate whilst he's at work with various fluffy friends as we pass them.

The Eddie Stobart Game

Eddie Stobart, for those not in the UK, is a very British haulage firm famed for its fleet of very green trucks. When exactly this game arose, I'm not sure, but it's played very competitively between my family. Like most highway games, it's a case of being the first one to spot an oncoming truck and shouting "Stobart" as loudly as possible. One point is rewarded for a full truck, half for just the cab, and three for one of those insane double lorries. 

Yellow Car

A better game for a car full of lads rather than when driving with your minute lady friend (for obvious reasons), this basically involves punching the other people in the car as hard as possible whenever passing a yellow car. Nothing more to it. The winner is the one with the least bruised arm by the time you reach your final destination.

Roadkill

This was one introduced to me by my friend Adam. You basically garner points for every dead animal you see. The scoring system is along the following lines;

Undeterminable carnage - 1 Point

Pheasant, crow or other bird - 2 Points

Rabbit or hare - 3 Points

Badger or fox - 4 Points

Cat - 5 Points

Dog - 6 Points

Sheep - 7 Points

Deer - 8 Points

Cow or horse - 9 Points

Mountain Lion - 10 Points

Obviously, we don't get all that many mountain lions in the UK, but the option is always there! Arguments are bound to ensure as to whether that actually was a sheep or just a large white hair, but that's all part of the game!

So next time you need a break from modern living, and you long to rest your weary load, if your nerves are raw and your brain is fried, just grab a friend and take ride together upon the open road!