Once Upon A Snowman can’t dig its way out of a drift of unnecessariness.

If, like me, you’d assumed that everything you might need to know about Olaf the snowman’s origins was relayed quite effectively in 2013’s “Frozen”, you’d be absolutely right. That hasn’t stopped Disney from pulling together “Once Upon A Snowman”, a wholly unoriginal original short which plays out like its made up from deleted and discarded scenes from the first “Frozen” movie.

Once Upon A Snowman - Olaf

Absent-mindedly created by Elsa during her show-stopping “Let It Go” number, Olaf is a snowman undergoing an existential crisis brought on by, well, having been abruptly brought into existence. Cue a series of mildly amusing, if somewhat repetitive, close calls with the action of the movie only this time seen from the vantage point of just a few seconds before or after. Searching for meaning, Olaf briefly contemplates the pseudo-Cronenbergian horror of being made of snow and walking around in snow before he’s distracted by Wandering Oaken’s trading post, right after Anna has bought all the carrots and rope. After opting for an alternative nose, he tangles with wolves (yes, the same wolves that chase Anna and Christoph) and gravity before finally finding himself primed to make his entrance to the movie.

Once Upon A Snowman - Olaf's Cue

But don’t worry, the writers know that there’s no longer any appeal in fictional stories where even the smallest detail of a character’s behaviour or actions isn’t explained by a specific incident so you can bet they cover just why Olaf – who’s existance spans a mere few winter hours – is so excited about the idea of summer.

The animation is as slick and polished as you’d expect and if you’ve got ten or so minutes to kill then you might as well put this on, but there’s nothing here you haven’t seen before, just not from this angle.

once upon a snowman review
Score 5/10


Hi there! If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up to get new posts sent straight to your inbox?

Sign up to receive a weekly digest of The Craggus' latest posts.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

logo

Related posts

Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (1982) Review

Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (1982) Review

"KHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNN!!!" While I’ve seen “Star Trek: The Motion Picture” more times than I would probably have chosen to, thanks to it being one of the few sci-fi titles available when VHS rental was starting to be a thing, any opportunity to watch “Star Trek II: The...

12 Years A Slave (2013) Review

12 Years A Slave (2013) Review

I have a tough time reviewing and an even tougher time watching 12 Years A Slave The fact this is a true story is heart-breaking and horrifying. As American cinema continues its raw and painfully cathartic recognition of the nation's past, in "12 Years A Slave" it has produced its...

Alien³ (1992) Review

Alien³ (1992) Review

Abandon hope all ye who enter here... For a film that's often dismissed as the unloved child of the Alien franchise, Alien³ is actually the misunderstood brooding artist in a family of action heroes— misinterpreted, introspective, and definitely not here to make you comfortable...

Charlie’s Angels (2019) earns its wings but forgets to have fun doing it.

Charlie's Angels (2019) earns its wings but forgets to have fun doing it.

Charlie's Angels earns its wings but forgets to have fun doing it. Perhaps not since “Star Trek” has a franchise had such a long, unbroken continuity across multiple TV series and movies. This latest “Charlie’s Angels” incarnation is just that, a continuation, with the only erasure...

Patrick (2018) Review

Patrick (2018) Review

You don’t choose the pug life, it chooses you. “Patrick”, a featherweight new British comedy from the director of “Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie” is so smug that it might as well be subtitled ‘First World Problems: The Movie’.  It’s a mercy, then, that it’s so utterly oblivious to...

Fast & Furious 7 (2015) Review

Fast & Furious 7 (2015) Review

This Fast And Furious 7 review isn't here to make friends; it has family. Arriving in cinemas like a soothing balm for those still nursing their sense of loss over the “Top Gear” fracas, “Fast & Furious 7” offers salvation through madcap motoring stunts using extraordinary supercars...

Van Helsing (2004) Review

Van Helsing (2004) Review

Hugh Jackman is a steampunk James Bond, hunting public domain bad guys for the Vatican in muddled and messy action horror Van Helsing Universal have been trying to resurrect their Dark Universe for a lot longer than you may think. Back in 2004, emboldened by the quick one-two hits of...

Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (2016) Review

Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (2016) Review

Avada Kadisappointing A few years back, having brought the “Harry Potter” series to a successful conclusion, Director David Yates boldly declared he would be making a new “Doctor Who” movie, with a new actor in the role and a new continuity, separate from the long-running TV...