Actually it's OK, at least we know how OLAF knows his name and why he likes summer so much. This is the special, only 7mins or so, so I can live with that, but I still don't think it's very as good as Frozen I.
16 Reviews
best graphics and time
NijazBaBs27 March 2021
Similar graphics to Shrek and other high quality cartoons. Also environment is magical, relaxing, video game like or dream like. Reminds me of Croc video game. Bit unclear speech and could not find subtitles. Unfinished story or unclear, without purpose. I expected some end, but no end, no that summer. This is good because not time waster, simple, and based on book or story. Efficient to watch for all IMDb medal collectors.
The ending saves it
Horst_In_Translation28 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
"Once Upon a Snowman" is an American animated short film from 2020, October 2020, so this is slightly over three months old now. It runs for minimally over 7.5 minutes and the poster here on imdb makes it very obvious of course that this is a little add-on to the (so far) two Frozen movies. The writer and director is Trent Correy and his co-director is Dan Abraham. With Disney and especially Pixar, these short films that are usually included on DVDs and Blu-rays offer the opportunity for younger and aspiring fimmaker to show their talent and maybe get enough attention to make the transition to the next animated blockbuster. So let's stay curious what we will be seeing these guys next on. As for the cast list, you will find of course mostly actors that also appeared in the Frozen films. I am not entirely sure though to which extent they had to record new stuff here. I mean Gad obviously did and Chris Williams too, but with Menzel and Bell I am not sure. I still think it was nicely done how they combined moments and developments from the original movie (and this is all about the first Frozen film because that is where Olaf shows up for the first time) with these new scenes that are happening at the very same time. Overall, it was an okay watch. The beginning was alright, the middle part seemed forgettable and not really funny, but the ending with the dog that wants the sausage was cute again, also how Olaf gets to the point where he realizes he likes warm hugs. I initially wondered a bit how he could talk if he had never heard anyone really talk and why he knew all these words, but then you need to keep in mind he is a magic creature, not a random simple snowman.
The scene with Oaken was fine too. There is even a little explanation on a specific name and where it may originate from. After finding out at the very start that Olaf has a bit of an identity crisis (they love to combine his innocence with mental disorders in a playful manner, also in the movies), we also see how much he loves summer and almost ODs on it when he sees all these beautiful images there. When we see his eyes on one occasion before it gets too much, he almost looked like Floyd, the video game character. I guess not too many will know him, but it really looked like that, like taken from the video game with the focus on the eyes and also the exact camera perspective. Anyway, the rest of the film is basically Olaf wondering what he should put in his face. Many options there, none of them seem to work out. His best bet may still be a sausage and I liked how the makers here played with the audience thinking "oh look, he found it" when there is this carrot and it gets stomped a little second later. The massive explosion also came out of nowhere. If Olaf can survive that, then there is no need to be worried about sunshine I suppose in terms of temperatures. The chase sequence with the dogs did not do too much for me, but maybe the kids will like and it was made up for by how this amounts in the cute scene with one specific dog begging for food. That's all. Animation-wise, this is top-notch anyway. The story may not have blown me away, but it was good enough overall. The music was nice too of course with how they could conveniently use the super famous "Let It Go" early on and also in the end we hear a version of Olaf's tune without singing. I liked that. The drawings that came with the closing credits were also really nice. This film gets a thumbs-up from me and thinking about it, it's not even close. No true greatness either though, but a solid achievement in making it a little easier for us to deal with the wait until Frozen 3 happens. See it.
The scene with Oaken was fine too. There is even a little explanation on a specific name and where it may originate from. After finding out at the very start that Olaf has a bit of an identity crisis (they love to combine his innocence with mental disorders in a playful manner, also in the movies), we also see how much he loves summer and almost ODs on it when he sees all these beautiful images there. When we see his eyes on one occasion before it gets too much, he almost looked like Floyd, the video game character. I guess not too many will know him, but it really looked like that, like taken from the video game with the focus on the eyes and also the exact camera perspective. Anyway, the rest of the film is basically Olaf wondering what he should put in his face. Many options there, none of them seem to work out. His best bet may still be a sausage and I liked how the makers here played with the audience thinking "oh look, he found it" when there is this carrot and it gets stomped a little second later. The massive explosion also came out of nowhere. If Olaf can survive that, then there is no need to be worried about sunshine I suppose in terms of temperatures. The chase sequence with the dogs did not do too much for me, but maybe the kids will like and it was made up for by how this amounts in the cute scene with one specific dog begging for food. That's all. Animation-wise, this is top-notch anyway. The story may not have blown me away, but it was good enough overall. The music was nice too of course with how they could conveniently use the super famous "Let It Go" early on and also in the end we hear a version of Olaf's tune without singing. I liked that. The drawings that came with the closing credits were also really nice. This film gets a thumbs-up from me and thinking about it, it's not even close. No true greatness either though, but a solid achievement in making it a little easier for us to deal with the wait until Frozen 3 happens. See it.
A cute, funny, heartwarming little short that gives a great backstory for Olaf
SofiaHedge24 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I saw this tonight and I loved it. If you loved the two Frozen Movies and its two short films, then this adorable short is for you! So basically Once Upon a Snowman focuses on Olaf and his backstory. It is a heartfelt, humorous, interesting short with nice visuals. We get to see things from Olaf's perspective and the short explains how a few of the events in the first Frozen movie happened, such as the scene with the wolves. The sweet ending was the cherry on top of a fantastic short.
If you love the Frozen movies then you'll love Once Upon a Snowman. Filled with comedy, discovery, nostalgia, lots of snow and... magic!
rannynm23 October 2020
Like most Disney animated shorts, Once Upon a Snowman is fun, colorful and full of all your favorite Frozen characters. It's full of comedy, discovery, nostalgia, lots of snow and of course....magic!
In the new eight minute long Disney+ animated short Once Upon a Snowman, we get to see the previously unseen and untold origins of everyone's magical and warm-hug loving snowman, Olaf. This film offers a behind-the-scenes adventure from the moment Olaf is brought to life by Elsa as she makes her way up the Arendale mountains to build her ice fortress singing "Let it Go," and then follows Olaf as he begins to discover who and what he is.
In just a small amount of time, we get a really fun, behind-the-scenes look at some of our favorite scenes of the original movie, as seen from Olaf's point of view and through his wanderings around the frozen forest of Arendale. It is really fun to see iconic scenes with some of the other characters, seen from Olaf's point of view, and finally we learn how and why he loves summer so much!
The message of this film is to always ask questions and be friendly with everyone you meet, because you never know what answers they will give you and what sort of friendship could evolve, just from saying, "Hello."
If you love the Frozen movies and the Frozen animated shorts, then you'll love Once Upon a Snowman. I give Frozen 5 out of 5 snowflakes (y'know, because it's about Olaf) and recommend it for ages 5 to18, plus adults, as well as Disney fans, will absolutely love it too. Once Upon a Snowman debuts on Disney+ on Oct 23, 2020. Don't miss it.
Reviewed by Lindalee R., KIDS FIRST!
In the new eight minute long Disney+ animated short Once Upon a Snowman, we get to see the previously unseen and untold origins of everyone's magical and warm-hug loving snowman, Olaf. This film offers a behind-the-scenes adventure from the moment Olaf is brought to life by Elsa as she makes her way up the Arendale mountains to build her ice fortress singing "Let it Go," and then follows Olaf as he begins to discover who and what he is.
In just a small amount of time, we get a really fun, behind-the-scenes look at some of our favorite scenes of the original movie, as seen from Olaf's point of view and through his wanderings around the frozen forest of Arendale. It is really fun to see iconic scenes with some of the other characters, seen from Olaf's point of view, and finally we learn how and why he loves summer so much!
The message of this film is to always ask questions and be friendly with everyone you meet, because you never know what answers they will give you and what sort of friendship could evolve, just from saying, "Hello."
If you love the Frozen movies and the Frozen animated shorts, then you'll love Once Upon a Snowman. I give Frozen 5 out of 5 snowflakes (y'know, because it's about Olaf) and recommend it for ages 5 to18, plus adults, as well as Disney fans, will absolutely love it too. Once Upon a Snowman debuts on Disney+ on Oct 23, 2020. Don't miss it.
Reviewed by Lindalee R., KIDS FIRST!
I loved it!
brookenichole-980549 November 2020
Once Upon A Snowman is full of Frozen fun! It tells the story of how Olaf was created and how he came to find Anna and Kristoff. The tale goes on for a short amount of time, but packs all key elements in perfectly. Josh Gad is terrific, once again, as Olaf. The best part is that you can enjoy Frozen elements all over again with some new ideas thrown into the mix.
Definitely worth the watch!
The kids will like it
Gordon-1124 October 2020
Unnecessary short but it had its moments
lisafordeay24 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Once Upon A Snowman is a 2019 short based on Frozen and it takes place during the first film. We see Elsa(Idina Menzel) singing Let It Go and she creates a snowman which comes alive. Now a talking snowmwn(Josh Gad) he goes on a journey to find out how his alive and his name which he later discovers is Olaf.
if your a fan of Frozen especially Olaf then do check it out. Its only on for 7 minutes unlike the last short which ran for 27 minute's.
if your a fan of Frozen especially Olaf then do check it out. Its only on for 7 minutes unlike the last short which ran for 27 minute's.
Fantastic
thegabemeister24 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I thought this was an amazing idea.
During Frozen 1 You see Olaf's creation in the "Let it go" song and then randomly in the forest with Anna, Sven and Kristof.
This Short shows you how Olaf gets to meet Anna and co. But it's not just a random journey, you see parts of the first film unfold in the background whilst Once Upon a Snowman is unfolding in the foreground. There are so many connections to Frozen 1, from the very beginning with Elsa's cape sending Olaf flying off, to Olaf running away from the same wolves who end up chasing Anna on the sleigh. My favourite connection was finding put how Olaf got so fascinated with Summer.
It's all brilliantly and humorously connected and I admit I was emotional at the end thinking back to all the memories. 10/10.
During Frozen 1 You see Olaf's creation in the "Let it go" song and then randomly in the forest with Anna, Sven and Kristof.
This Short shows you how Olaf gets to meet Anna and co. But it's not just a random journey, you see parts of the first film unfold in the background whilst Once Upon a Snowman is unfolding in the foreground. There are so many connections to Frozen 1, from the very beginning with Elsa's cape sending Olaf flying off, to Olaf running away from the same wolves who end up chasing Anna on the sleigh. My favourite connection was finding put how Olaf got so fascinated with Summer.
It's all brilliantly and humorously connected and I admit I was emotional at the end thinking back to all the memories. 10/10.
10/10!
AnnaPagrati21 August 2021
Wild horror of Arendelle or Muffin for fans: part three
lyubitelfilmov8 January 2022
The genre is unknown. Right before watching the second full-length cartoon, this short film was discovered, comparable in duration to "Cold Triumph", so before watching "Cold Heart 2" I decided to watch the third short film - and I wish I hadn't seen this squalor from the Evil Corporation. I am angry, and there will be no mercy. And here's my brief opinion - The wild horror of Arendelle. But, in the name of justice and honesty, in this review I will note not only the glaring disadvantages, but also the plus that was found. And in order to get this over with as soon as possible, I finish the introduction, and get to the point.
So, plus: 1. Animation - the Evil Corporation has a complete order with this. There is a lot of dynamics in this short film, and its animation is at a high level. Characters, environment, effects. Everything moves smoothly, and does not cause rejection. No jambs or blunders were found (because the short film was viewed twice). Artists, designers, programmers in the Evil Corporation know and love their work.
So, the glaring disadvantages: 1. The script - and there is none. From the word at all. It's just that the studio bosses came to the screenwriters at the end of the working day and said" "We need another short cartoon, especially after the box office success of the sequel, we need to cut the loot. In the morning, so that the script would be on our table"" And the scriptwriters, five minutes before arriving at the office, got this, which even amateur animators would have sent to the depths of Tartarus. But money doesn't smell, so the bosses approved this stuff, and as a result we got "Once upon a time there was a Snowman." I won't even describe in detail every turn of this under-scenario, because I haven't seen such a rotten attitude towards fans for a long time. Take a character beloved by millions, and turn his story into fiction, destroy the halo of mystery. You can screenwriters! Definitely you can!
2. Humor - well, it's actually even worse here. And if there was humor in "Cold Celebration" and "Olaf and the Cold Adventure" and it was pretty good (in most cases), then there is simply no humor here. Has the screenwriter forgotten how to write jokes? Where are the funny moments? Where are the interesting situations? Where is at least one moment that can cause a smile? As you understand, these are all rhetorical questions.
3. Russian version - it has arrived for translation, because there is no Sergei Penkin (Olaf), Anna Buturlina (Elsa), Natalia Bystrova (Anna), Andrey Birin (Kristoff). Unknown people speak for them here in general. What? Has the Evil Corporation squandered money for a full-fledged dubbing that is familiar to the residents of the CIS? Apparently so, because both previous short films were completely translated by these actors and actresses already familiar to fans, and their absence greatly affects perception, despite the fact that all three short films were thrown on the Internet.
4. Songs - and there are none! Although the piece "Let go and forget" sounds at the beginning, but it is performed by another actress, so it does not count. The ringing emptiness from the absence of songs makes it even more despicable to despise this monster from the world of short films.
Yes, fans, I understand that you love Olaf. Everyone loves Olaf! Don't you want to talk about the cartoon? How can you give good marks to this burp, with your favorite snowman Olaf, when there is almost a masterpiece (and against the background of the "Cold Celebration" so exactly) "Olaf and the cold adventure"? Putting good marks on this slag, you do not respect yourself, and contribute to the further degradation of animation. After all, the Evil Corporation received its money without spending any effort at all. And if it pays off so well, then why try in the future? Therefore, only worse awaits us further. There will be no more masterpieces, and do not hope. And it is you who are to blame for this - the viewers who buy movie tickets for this mud or giving high marks to a belch called "Once upon a time there was a Snowman"!
As a result, we have a belch from the world of animation, with a missing script, and humor, and meaning, with a messing up of Olaf's image, but with beautiful animation and effects.
My rating is 1 out of 10 and I do not recommend this short film for viewing! It's better to take a look at "Cold Celebration" or "Olaf and the Cold Adventure", if you are fans of "Cold Heart".
P. S. Well, now it's definitely left to look at the second full-length film - and suspicions about its poor quality are increasing more and more. I hope I won't waste my time. That's all I wanted to say.
So, plus: 1. Animation - the Evil Corporation has a complete order with this. There is a lot of dynamics in this short film, and its animation is at a high level. Characters, environment, effects. Everything moves smoothly, and does not cause rejection. No jambs or blunders were found (because the short film was viewed twice). Artists, designers, programmers in the Evil Corporation know and love their work.
So, the glaring disadvantages: 1. The script - and there is none. From the word at all. It's just that the studio bosses came to the screenwriters at the end of the working day and said" "We need another short cartoon, especially after the box office success of the sequel, we need to cut the loot. In the morning, so that the script would be on our table"" And the scriptwriters, five minutes before arriving at the office, got this, which even amateur animators would have sent to the depths of Tartarus. But money doesn't smell, so the bosses approved this stuff, and as a result we got "Once upon a time there was a Snowman." I won't even describe in detail every turn of this under-scenario, because I haven't seen such a rotten attitude towards fans for a long time. Take a character beloved by millions, and turn his story into fiction, destroy the halo of mystery. You can screenwriters! Definitely you can!
2. Humor - well, it's actually even worse here. And if there was humor in "Cold Celebration" and "Olaf and the Cold Adventure" and it was pretty good (in most cases), then there is simply no humor here. Has the screenwriter forgotten how to write jokes? Where are the funny moments? Where are the interesting situations? Where is at least one moment that can cause a smile? As you understand, these are all rhetorical questions.
3. Russian version - it has arrived for translation, because there is no Sergei Penkin (Olaf), Anna Buturlina (Elsa), Natalia Bystrova (Anna), Andrey Birin (Kristoff). Unknown people speak for them here in general. What? Has the Evil Corporation squandered money for a full-fledged dubbing that is familiar to the residents of the CIS? Apparently so, because both previous short films were completely translated by these actors and actresses already familiar to fans, and their absence greatly affects perception, despite the fact that all three short films were thrown on the Internet.
4. Songs - and there are none! Although the piece "Let go and forget" sounds at the beginning, but it is performed by another actress, so it does not count. The ringing emptiness from the absence of songs makes it even more despicable to despise this monster from the world of short films.
Yes, fans, I understand that you love Olaf. Everyone loves Olaf! Don't you want to talk about the cartoon? How can you give good marks to this burp, with your favorite snowman Olaf, when there is almost a masterpiece (and against the background of the "Cold Celebration" so exactly) "Olaf and the cold adventure"? Putting good marks on this slag, you do not respect yourself, and contribute to the further degradation of animation. After all, the Evil Corporation received its money without spending any effort at all. And if it pays off so well, then why try in the future? Therefore, only worse awaits us further. There will be no more masterpieces, and do not hope. And it is you who are to blame for this - the viewers who buy movie tickets for this mud or giving high marks to a belch called "Once upon a time there was a Snowman"!
As a result, we have a belch from the world of animation, with a missing script, and humor, and meaning, with a messing up of Olaf's image, but with beautiful animation and effects.
My rating is 1 out of 10 and I do not recommend this short film for viewing! It's better to take a look at "Cold Celebration" or "Olaf and the Cold Adventure", if you are fans of "Cold Heart".
P. S. Well, now it's definitely left to look at the second full-length film - and suspicions about its poor quality are increasing more and more. I hope I won't waste my time. That's all I wanted to say.
Frozen Fans Will Enjoy
MichaelAEberly_4426 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
With THIS being the true story of how Olaf became to be, I really enjoyed this 8 Minute Short. This was worth 8 minutes of my time to enjoy the franchise. Maybe we might get lucky and end up with another Spin Off when Frozen III is announced, Who knows? It would be nice to see the Franchise expand more.
Agora eu sei
otariolixo17 January 2021
It's alive!
Pjtaylor-96-13804431 October 2020
'Once Upon A Snowman (2020)' is a short film set during the events of 'Frozen (2013)' that follows Olaf as he comes to terms with his newfound existence. It's supposedly the 'untold origin' of the character but it feels rather redundant, finishing just when it feels like it's getting started. Of course, the thing is enjoyable enough for what it is. For starters, it's visually gorgeous. There are a few inventive sight gags and a relatively exciting central set-piece, all of which integrate themselves into the established plot of the first flick in fairly seamless ways. There are also some moments that go out of their way to contextualise elements of that movie, even if those elements have never been 'plot holes' and therefore don't really need 'filling in'. The overall experience is passively entertaining, but it doesn't exactly feel inspired and it lacks much of the charm that its feature-length relatives are soaked in. It isn't bad, by any means, but it isn't all that good, either. 5/10
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
