Frozen 2 movie review

I went to see Let It Go 2 – aka Frozen 2. After all, Let It Go was an earworm you could not escape when the original Frozen phenomenon hit theaters. Frozen 2 does not disappoint and kids clapped at the end of the film. I’m sure many will see it again and again and again. The franchise stays on track and I agree with the Dallas Morning News – the movie has all the staying power of a snowflake. It evaporates almost on contact.

The movie is pleasant with snowy landscapes, fun lines, decent songs, and sister power. Elsa (Idina Menzel) is queen of Arendelle. Anna (Kristen Bell), Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), and Olaf (Josh Gad) follow Elsa when she hears a mysterious voice from the forest. Turns out she needs to free the forest from a fog, work with native people in the area, and resolve an ancient struggle to right some historic wrongs. She has her ice powers, but she still need her posse – most of all her sister. The journey involves the scary giant boulder men, caves, a very cool water horse, and dealing with all elements – fire, water, air, and earth.

This sister bond is the key to this movie and what makes the concept of Frozen and Frozen 2 special. The movie made me happy and yes, I want to build a snowman…

Movie Review Madness - Murder on the Orient Express

Murder on the Orient Express is a lush remake of an Agatha Christie tale. If you’ve never read her work, I suggest you march to the library and check out one of her books. She was a prolific talented writer with some very defined characters, good plot twists, and that old English humor twinkle in the eye.  So, for this film, there’s a large gathering of seemingly random characters all with a backstory, a reason to be guilty, and a dead body on a train. Whodunit?

I can’t write any more about the plot. You need to go see this movie and watch the twists and turns evolve. Kenneth Brannaugh directed and stars as Hercules Poirot – the most brilliant detective in the world. He’s an extremely fussy, fanatic man with an eye for detail and a mustache that deserves its own Oscar.  Everyone else has their quirks and suspicions. Dame Judi Dench, Michelle Pfeiffer, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Penelope Cruz, and more are along for this ride. The scenery is spectacular, the filming works well – at times you feel the confinement and rocking of the train.

Murder on the Orient Express harks back to an old timey flick in a good way. Punch your ticket and go All Aboard for an entertaining two hours.