Hello & welcome back to A Look at Disney. I've been on another of my Lego kicks lately and wanted to do a Lego/Disney article but I wanted it to be something a bit different. And then I remembered that Disney Channel aired a Lego Frozen special that shares a name with a series of books from the Frozen franchise, Northern Lights. But from what I understand, the books take a more serious approach to the story than this 20 minute special. But in all, it's still pretty cute save for one groan worthy joke about mansplaining.
The Plot
We open on the Frozen characters racing to make it to see the titular Northern Lights with Kristoff and Anna riding Sven and Olaf and Elsa in Kristoff's sleigh with the Snowgies/Little Brothers from Frozen Fever.
There will be a good joke coming soon regarding Lego.
But first, we have the joke of Sven explaining the Northern Lights as that goes on a bit too long , and the one, where Olaf uses a selfie stick.
I mean, it's a good way of explaining what the Northern Lights are as they are Arendelle's version of the Aurora Borealis but for me, it goes on a bit too long and I've never been a fan of the Sven voice that Kristoff does but here in the special, they treat it more like it is just Sven talking. Which doesn't make it any less annoying. In fact, it has the opposite effect. Since the Northern Lights aren't coming to Arendelle, Anna figures that they can go to wherever they are. Seems like a solid enough plan but first, Kristoff figures that they need to go see Grand Pabbie but he's not there and the trolls seem to be celebrating this. I thought they liked Grand Pabbie. Okay....
Behold a troll playing guitar. Heh, still looks better than the actual Trolls movie. We find out that Grand Pabbie had headed out on the Northern Trail and Anna decides that they should do that and Elsa declares it a sister-sister adventure. Behold, one of the first Lego jokes in the special. Kristoff says that the adventure sounds like it's going to need a mountain man and he's the only one with a degree from Mountain Man University.
It's small but his degree is actually the instructions on how to put his minidoll together. That's funny and remind me very much of a similar joke done with Emmet in The Lego Movie.
Granted, the joke is a bit more layered there once you know the context of The Lego Movie but this special isn't trying to be as deep or thought provoking as The Lego Movie was. (Can I just say that I love saying something about Lego being deep and thought provoking. Never in my wildest dreams, would I have imagined that I'd be able to take about my favorite toy company that way). Still, it works to get a smile out of me. Not a full laugh but I appreciate it and I also have to say something about this and this is something that I've felt about most of the Lego media that I've watched. That even though, they are based on toys, it never feels like they are trying to sell you the toys. They just happen to be a part of the story. Now, I think the better Lego joke comes right after this. You see the trolls accidentally damaged the sleigh and need to rebuild it.
So, they rebuild it (They're no Masterbuilders or anything) but there are some extra pieces. And Kristoff tells our heroes, not to worry as there are always a few extra pieces lying around. The reason, that this works is because anybody and I mean anybody that has ever built a Lego set knows this to be true. There are always extra pieces after you finish building. And I like how they use that and the crystals that are the extra pieces end up playing a big part in the end of the special. Though that poor sleigh is put through a lot as our heroes end up going through an avalanche on their journey.
Though Elsa is able to protect them by placing them in a giant snowglobe.
Okay, I've mostly been praising this thing but I do have a couple of complaints about it. Mostly, that it tries to crowbar in Frozen references and really only one of them works. The rest feel a bit forced with the worst perhaps being a running gag, where the chords for Let It Go start up but Elsa never gets to sing and that's even how the special ends. I would be okay with this but you brought Idina Menzel back to voice Elsa. Let the woman sing. As I was saying with the jokes, there is one where Kristoff tries to start a fire with twigs that happen to be Olaf's arms but Elsa tells Kristoff to not worry about the fire as the cold never bothered her anyway. Okay... Frozen Fever did this joke too but this special takes it a step further by having Elsa look directly into the camera and break the fourth wall by saying.
Heh, get it
Yes, we get it. Anybody that is watching this special has seen Frozen. More people tuned into this because of it's attachment to Frozen and not it's attachment to Lego. I just happen to someone watching it that likes both Frozen and Lego but I don't need a get it kind of joke, when Elsa says that the cold never bothered her anyway. I get the reference. It's one of the most painstakingly obvious references that you can make in regards to Frozen. It's overdone. And that look on Elsa's face too after she delivers that line. Just ugh.....
We get it, Elsa. You don't need to break the fourth wall. Just make the reference. If you had just made the reference, everything would have been fine but Nooo.. you had to look into the camera and break the fourth wall. Who do you think you are? Pinkie Pie? Ugh, breaking the fourth wall takes skill and talent and not just doing a "Heh, get it" line. Elsa figures that our heroes need to go somewhere to get a better look to find the Northern Lights and that happens to her ice palace.
Wow, even in Lego that is pretty to look at. But this is also, where we get the worst joke in the whole special. Let me preface this by saying that Frozen is a very feminist property and I have no problem with feminist ideals being taught to a young audience as long as they are handled respectfully and I understand that in this joke that Kristoff is making himself the butt of it by speaking through Sven but I still feel that it dates the special a bit. What is this joke that I'm referring to, after Elsa's power go on the fritz again, the characters need to find another way to get the Northern Lights and Anna pulls out a map and says that they should kayak. Kristoff takes the map and says the same thing acting like Anna didn't say it and then speaking though Sven says
She just said that. Stop mansplaining
My problem with this joke is that it just feels out of place. I'm not going to argue that kids watching won't get the joke as this was clearly more put in there for the parents as it is more of a joke for adults but it just doesn't gel with the rest of the humor that is in this special. It really came smack dab outta nowhere. And honestly, this is and Elsa breaking the fourth wall make the middle section of this special, the weakest part for me. The rest of it is fine except for these two jokes. Anyways, the Snowgies/Little Brothers show up and Anna figures that they can help get started on their journey by resurrecting Marshmallow. I didn't think he was dead and ooh boy, his Lego design is way off.
Honestly, this is pretty unique and does a good job taking advantage of the special being Lego as they form the Little Brothers together to have enough weight to lower the sleigh.
I can't recall what exactly that'd be called but that is really cool. And one of my favorite jokes is up next. It's something that has been done a lot but I always get a chuckle out of when characters go through tunnels and act like their picture is being taken on a ride. And it's even funnier that it's called Matterbrick Mountain. Which is no doubt meant to make you think of the Matterhorn.
It's something small but I find it amusing, even if it is a joke that has been done a lot. It is still one that works. Our heroes make it out safely but Elsa's powers seem to be still messing up as she somehow created the leader of the club that's made for you and me.
He actually shows up a few times and the first time, Anna makes a comment about this ears being too big. Well, I can only imagine what she would have said if that were Dumbo instead. Our heroes make to a river but mountain men don't swim, so Kristoff suggests they stay at a chateau that he found.
Yeah, I got nothing to say here other than I hope that is a real Lego set as that is really cool looking. Anna says staying there will do them no good. So, this probably isn't a Frozen set. Kristoff reluctantly comes along as they need to get past the Great Glacier. They rebuild the sleigh into a boat and use Sven as the motor, constantly feeding him carrots. Hmm, maybe there are masterbuilders in this after all.
Yeah, that's really cool looking. And very inventive. I really like this. And really, the sleigh ends up becoming another star through all the different uses. Again, I'll argue that they aren't trying to sell kids, the sleigh but rather it is the main mode of transportation that our characters use. Our heroes make it through the waters and that actually seems to be the easy part for them. But soon, they see that they have another challenge as they have some climbing ahead of them. But they don't have any climbing gear and as soon as Kristoff points this out, we get a cameo from Wandering Oaken as he has set up shop in a new location.
Though, we see that Kristoff still hasn't learned how to talk to him as things don't go so well, when he tries but our heroines do end up getting the climbing gear that they need and it is really cool to see them climb.
There is just something really neat to this. I can't explain but I love this sequence. We finally get to see Elsa and Anna make it to the titular Northern Lights and it is perhaps, the coolest shot in the whole special.
That would seriously make a great desktop background. It's just really pretty to look at and something that I love. Kristoff and Sven still haven't made it up the mountain. Kristoff, you could have left Sven at the bottom of the mountain, weren't you guys going to come back down? Because, that is a lot of weight to carry. And it causes Kristoff to slip and we get an almost moment of tension as it seems like Kristoff won't make it and Anna is worried and in perhaps, Olaf's only good joke of the special, he points out that they are only three feet apart from each other. Though thankfully, the day is saved by Grand Pabbie, who shows up with a rope and with the help of our heroes is able to pull Kristoff and Sven up to safety.
We find out that Grand Pabbie must come to this spot, every 500 years and that the crystals will reflect the Northern Lights to all the corners of Arendelle and he tells them not to worry. Which is a nice touch because Elsa is a bit of a worrier and that is seen throughout this special but really, you can't blame her. And we actually get a better song reference here as Elsa says that she's excited to see the Northern Lights as it feels like the First Time in Forever. Anna replies by saying
That sounds familiar
Yeah, this does kinda also break the fourth wall but Anna doesn't directly look into the camera nor does she make a"Heh, get it" joke. We get probably the best Frozen reference at the end of Olaf remembers that he had seen the Northern Lights before but he didn't know them as that. He remembers them from when Anna was little because they used to call them, The sky is awake. I loved that they found a way to tie the end of this special to the beginning of the movie. Elsa's powers start working properly again and she makes ice furniture for everyone to sit on and is about sing but the special cuts to credits. Yeah, not a fan of that.
This special is half and half for me, it works rather well as a Lego special and there are some Frozen elements that work well but some feel forced.
Characters
Elsa voiced by Idina Menzel
Elsa was pretty good in the special save for that one annoying line. I touched on this only a little bit but you saw the stress of the Northern Lights get to her and that caused her powers to act up. Showing that if she gets stressed out, her powers will act up.
Anna voiced by Kristen Bell
Anna was Anna and that's all I can ask as she was determined, strong-minded and supportive. She came up with quite a few good ideas throughout.
Kristoff voiced by Jonathan Groff
I actually Kristoff was funnier here than he was in the movie and it seemed like they used him right to balance out the cast. Though, I think his hair is the wrong color.
Olaf voiced by Josh Gad
I've found Olaf to be a bit hit-and-miss in this special and that is true of Olaf since Frozen came out. Disney really seems to overuse him a lot and I was worried that would be the case here but thankfully, it wasn't.
Sven also voiced by Jonathan Groff
Yeah, a lot of the jokes with Sven did not land for me. They were just annoying and the voice still one of the most grating things that I've heard from Disney.
My Final Thoughts
Again, this special isn't perfect. Don't go in expecting Frozen or The Lego Movie but for what it is, it's pretty cute. It's a fun little special that quickly passes the time. There are some good moments in here and I'd say that it's worth a look. Piece!
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