The Snow Queen 2


The Snow Queen 2: The Snow King and released in Russia as, is a 2014 Russian 3D computer-animated adventure fantasy comedy family film created by the animation studio Wizart Animation. Written by Aleksey Tsitsilin, Vladimir Nikolaev, :ru:Непомнящий,_Роман_Александрович|Roman Nepomnyashchiy, Aleksey Zamyslov, and directed by Aleksey Tsitsilin, it is the sequel to the acclaimed 2012 animated film The Snow Queen. Produced by Timur Bekmambetov, Yuri Moskvin, :ru:Николаев,_Владимир_Вячеславович|Vladimir Nikolaev, and Diana Yurinova, the film was released by the Bazelevs Company theatrically in Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States on January 1, 2015 with an international pre-release during November and December of 2014 in US and UK. The film stars Nyusha as Gerda and Ivan Okhlobystin as Snow King with :ru:Харламов, Гарик|Garik Kharlamov, Valeriya Nikolayeva, :ru:Шура Би-2|Shura Bi-2, Fyodor Dobronravov, Mikhail Tikhonov, :ru:Тюнина, Галина Борисовна|Galina Tyunina, and :ru:Искандер, Рамиля Рифовна|Ramilya Iskander in supporting roles. An international cast was announced to helm the sound department that featured Bella Thorne as Gerda, Sharlto Copley as Snow King, and Sean Bean as Arrog with Isabelle Fuhrman, Pat Fraley, Jeff Bennett, Candi Milo, Cindy Robinson in supporting roles.
Inspired by the classic fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, The Snow Queen, the main character of the animated movie even has the same name as the classic, Gerda. The intrepid heroes, Gerda, and Orm return for new adventures. Gerda the heroine of the movie joins trusty sidekick weasel Luta in their story set in the polar winter world. This time the main antagonist will not be the Snow Queen but instead the Snow King. The vainglorious troll named Orm realizes the lies he has been building will backfire eventually. However a perilous adventure is awaiting the characters as they journey to the Valley of the Trolls.
Development began in 2014, as the studio focused on improving the animation quality of the film from its predecessor. The movie became the first Russian film to top weekend box office in a European country. The film was well received in the United States of America to the point where it became a nominee for the Golden Globes Awards in 2015. The movie was noted for its good humor, bright characters, and epic avalanche battles. Critical reviews from abroad have remarked the movie as a "Pirates of the Caribbean on ice."

Plot

A year after the Snow Queen was defeated by Gerda, Orm the troll has thawed out the rest of his kind and now lives with his grandmother Rosa and Gerda's pet white ferret Luta, working in the troll village as a miner. Orm takes an oath at lake Gow never to tell another lie and from that moment his reflection comes to life and starts manipulating him into doing the wrong things, including lying.
Upon being fired from his job after insulting the knight Arrog and facing eviction from his cottage, Orm is manipulated by his reflection into donning armor so he can take part in a competition to decide who will marry Princess Maribel. In order to impress the Princess and her uncle, the King, Orm lies about defeating the Snow Queen. However, Gerda, who had arrived at the village with her brother Kai and friend Alfida, overhear Orm's lies, leading to an argument between the two that culminates in Gerda leaving.
Later, as Orm and Rosa are moving into the King's palace, the King says he feels as if he has seen Rosa before, to which she asks if she has changed that much over the years. Suddenly the North Wind appears and abducts Princess Maribel, causing the King to decree that whoever rescues her will marry her. Orm, joined by Arrog and the other warriors, set off to rescue the Princess, but Orm reluctantly abandons the others and arrives at Gerda's village, only to discover that her mirror has been stolen. Orm then sends Gerda a message asking her to meet him at the Black Cliffs. En route, Gerda, Kai and Alfida meet the trolls, who reveal that Orm had abandoned the troop. Gerda, disillusioned with Orm, sails off with the others, tearfully abandoning Orm at the cliffs.
A distraught Orm is manipulated by his, now blue and frosty, reflection into pulling him into the real world, upon which he freezes the ocean, trapping Gerda and the others. After a confrontation between the two, Orm's reflection, referring to himself as the 'Snow King', reveals that the more he grows in power, the more Orm weakens and becomes invisible. The Snow King then unleashes his army and overwhelms Orm's friends, encasing them all in ice. Orm tries to warn Gerda but she can't see, hear or touch him and the Snow King tricks her into thinking he is the real Orm and freezes her, and Luta, then traps Orm in the mirror realm. Orm, while trapped, realizes that the Snow King was born from his lies, and manages to free himself by loudly confessing to his lies, thawing out Gerda and the Snow King's other victims, while at the same time reverting the Snow King back to his normal reflection.
In the end, Orm is taken back to the troll village but instead of being punished he is hailed a hero. Rosa marries the King, and Orm gets his cottage back and rekindles his friendship with Gerda. Arrog marries the Princess and have children, as seen during the end credits.

Cast

Production

Development

After the The Snow Queen, the producers and the creative team of Wizart Animation decided to continue the story. The story was already taking shape before the release of The Snow Queen. It was the breakthrough moment of the movie that spurred the writers for a sequel. The director's chair in the new project was taken by Aleksey Tsitsilin, who worked as the director of photography in the first installment. Under his oversight, the scriptwriters continued the themes of the first film while bringing one of the audience's favorite character troll Orm to the forefront as a main character. Aleksey Tsitsilin, executive producer :ru:Николаев,_Владимир_Вячеславович|Vladimir Nikolayev, art director Aleksey Zamyslov, with participation of Timur Bekmambetov and :ru:Непомнящий,_Роман_Александрович|Roman Nepomnyashchiy wrote the script of sequel.
The movie took an innovative turn from the prequel by emphasizing the character development of Orm the troll instead of Gerda. After the release of the first movie, the audience was amazed by the troll Orm. As a result, taking the audience consensus into account, the sequel developed the side-character to new levels. Previously Orm was the creator of a magic mirror, a fragment of which got into the eye and heart of Kai. In this movie, Orm must somehow pay off the debts after the financial hardships he faces such as foreclosure and mortgages. However an opportunity to save Princess Maribel causes the troll to commit deceptions to gain what he wants leading to the development of themes like corruption and the consequences of telling lies. The writers instilled elements of tragedy without loosing the plot's comedy framework. They used an orb and its reflections as a vehicle for the plot's conflict. Whenever Orm sees the reflection of the orb, he transforms from an innocent troll into a powerful, vengeful character blinded by power. The use of the orb's reflection and its subsequent mysterious whispering in Orm's imagination cause him to loose control of his emotions and create an alter ego. The event is reminiscent of the allegories present in Plato's Ring of Gyges and Tolkien's One Ring. A review from Russia found parallels with The Lord of the Rings when Gerda and Orm finally reach the palace of the Snow Queen. The scene recollects the moments when Frodo seeks to overcome his identity crisis by journeying to the volcano at Mordor. The only way to get Orm's consciousness back is by telling the truth and creating friendships.
The Russian cast included Ivan Okhlobystin who voiced Orm and Snow King. Acclaimed Russian singer Nyusha voiced Gerda. Pirate girl Alfida was based on Andersen's nameless Little Robber Girl. Wizart gave a competition to Russian residents for a position as voice cast for the character Alfida. 1 person was picked among 150 contestants. St. Petersburg accountant, Valeria Nikolaeva was chosen as the voice cast for Alfida. :ru:Харламов, Гарик|Garik Kharlamov voiced the Troll King Arrog. Popular Brazilian actors Larissa Manoela dubbed Gerda and :pt:João_Côrtes|João Côrtes voiced Orm. Portuguese voice artists include famous singer Ana Malhoa, TV host and actor Júlio Isidro, and actress and mother of Cristiano Ronaldo, Dolores Aveiro.
Work on the second feature progressed at an international level. Ned Lott was announced as voice director and casting. He has previously worked for Disney, Pixar, and Warner Brothers with animation credits including Zambezia, Khumba, and the English version of Ernest and Celestine. Ned Lott also has international credits including collaboration with anime director Hayao Miyazaki. At the Toronto International Film Festival, the voice cast was announced for the English version of the film. International stars took part in the dubbing including Sean Bean as Arrog, Sharlto Copley as Orm, Bella Thorne as Gerda, and Isabelle Fuhrman as Alfida. In February 2014, the teaser for the movie was released. On November 5, 2014, Wizart presented the full English-version of the movie at the American Film Market. Promotional activities in Russia started on December 6, 2014 as the снежная королева, an ice rink designed after the movie opened near Triumphal Arch of Moscow. Singer Peter Nalitch and the band Nogu Svelo! performed at the opening.

Animation

The main characters become even more realistic than the prequel. Sophisticated physics and wool dynamics were used to animate the trolls. The character "North Wind" consists of nearly 80 million particle pixels. The most complex scene was animating the fish that splashed out of the waterfall. With over 25 layers of effects, the tests and production of that scene took 3 weeks. For all the materials and calculation of special effects, a server of 200 terabytes was needed. It would have taken 997 years to produce this cartoon if it had been produced on a single computer.
In the second installment, new animation innovations were introduced by Wizart that weren't present in the prequel. The animals will become more naturalistic with a unique program developed for the fur and wool of animals. The characters have the new opportunity to raise their eyebrows; to move in different flexible ways allowing them to express a new set of emotions. The movie also features more special effects as evident in the polar battles with a Troll army. The animators refined lighting and shooting systems that added a subtle layer to the movie. Director Aleksey Tsitsilin remarked the movie script was completely a product and contribution of the residents of Voronezh, the city in south Russia where Wizart is located. Even some of the settings like the tall clock tower is inspired by the southern railway at Voronezh. In terms of character design, drawing the protagonists required a concerted effort from the animators more than drawing the antagonists. There were over 100 modifications before reaching a final picture. The Valley of the Trolls was inspired by the water channels featured in a map of Venice. The Troll king's palace was built in the style of Italian architecture. The cast recording was done at the studio in Moscow.

Soundtrack

Mark Willott composed the original score of the movie. British band Butterfly Stone provided vocals for the theme song "Find Yourself." The soundtrack includes also includes two songs performed by the Belarusian-Russian band Bi-2 who also were voice cast for the characters Rahat and Lokum. The songs were Остров сломанных игрушек and Школа танцев . The actress and singer as well, Bella Thorne who also voiced Gerda performed the main song “Diamond." The movie also included the Russian patriotic march Farewell of Slavianka in its soundtrack. A localized version of the song was also released in Bulgaria performed by Eurovision 2008 contestant Yoanna Dragneva. The popular Korean girl band SISTAR gave voice to the main theme song rendered for the South Korean audience. Starship Entertainment employed singers Soyou to create the album: Diamond . The popular Korean boy band Boyfriend gave voice to the main theme song "Find Yourself." Chilean actress and singer, Denise Rosenthal also provided voice to the theme song. The music is featured as OST Snow Queen 2/La Reina de las Nieves. The official soundtrack “Make My Day” for the African release was performed by Ghoema Music Awards singer Leah from South Africa.

Release

Theatrical

A special pre-release in UK, US, and South Korea was followed by the main premiere in Russia. The premiere of the The Snow Queen 2: Magic of the Ice Mirror UK release was supposed to be on October 25, 2014 at Vue Cinemas, however the release date changed to December 2, 2014. The US release was in Los Angeles on November 6, 2014. A few days later, it was nominated for the prestigious Golden Globe Awards in list with such movies as Penguins of Madagascar and How to Train Your Dragon 2. The South Korean release was on December 24, 2014.
The Snow Queen 2 Russian premiere took place at Karo cinema theater in Moscow on Dec 17, 2014. It was visited by special guests-Ivan Okhlobystin, Nyusha, and many others. Then in the turn of the new year, the movie was released throughout Russia. A charity event by Содействие миру, Wizart, and the Voronezh government arranged a show for boarding school students on December 26, 2014 at the Spartak theater in Voronezh. Distributors Shooting Stars acquired rights for the Middle East premiere and released it to the cinemas of United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Iran, Kuwait, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain. The Snow Queen 2 premiered globally as it was slated to release next spring in 2016 throughout Turkey, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Japan. As a result, Russia,Great Britain, US, South Korea, and the Middle East had simultaneous openings.
On March 1, 2015 Wizart organized a special screening of the animated film on the oldest Russian Antarctic station named Mirny. The polar explorers of the Russian Antarctic Expedition got the opportunity to see the DVD version of the film. The animated film was presented at the international market of audiovisual content MIPCOM, held from 5 to 8, October 2015 in Cannes. The event coincided with its nomination for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, considered as the Asian Oscars. The movie launched in France in DVD under a contract with Universal in conjunction with KLM. On November 12, 2015, the film broadcast in 350 screens in Brazil. Since that date in Brazil more than 280 thousand viewers have watched The Snow Queen 2. The audience view is thrice as much as The Snow Queen audience in 2013 taking into account that the first installment headed to 179 screens only. The movie released in the winter of 2015 in Spain, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, and Italy. There were screenings in Vietnam, Romania and Hungary. For the first time, Russian animation was shown in Bolivia in January 2016. A day earlier, the movie premiered in the Philippines. Following Bolivia it was slated for release to two more Latin American countries, Chile and Peru. On September 19, 2016, the animation team released a Chinese poster. Later the film was released on December 31, 2016 in China.

Home media

DVD distribution in Russia was through Bazelevs. The movie took 7th place in the highest grossing DVD Russian rental box office for 2015 with over in DVD sales. As part of the MIPTV international TV market, held in Cannes from April 4 to 7, 2016, Wizart, announced the conclusion of a contract with one of the world's largest TV broadcasters – Discovery Network Latin America allowing the film to air in Spanish.

Reception

Critical response

Critics have remarked the story is suitable for the audience of all ages due to its story and animation. The dynamic story emphasizes the theme of telling the truth. They also have found liking to the professional standard of animation. Rotten Tomatoes gave the movie 82% within 210 user ratings. Critical movie review by Guardian was quick to note that Wizart's ability for emotional engagement is far superior to what Disney can offer. The review states, "frenetic but cheerful" and "There’s a frenetic, eye-popping quality to the visuals that forestalls the kind of emotional engagement Disney can offer, but there is some entertainment to be had here." Savette review says: "The Snow Queen 2 is Pirates of the Caribbean on ice. You will soon be drawn into the story of lies, deceit and how telling the truth can save the day and possibly save the kingdom. He learns that friendship is the most important thing in life."
Russian reviews included KinoPoisk rating of 6.5/10 stars, and Afisha awarding 6.3/10 stars. Special effects magazine RENDER highlighted key strengths of the film including amazing special effects, 3D effects that fly out of the screen, good atmosphere, epic chases, and a moral story line giving a total of 9/10 stars. Russian website Allbestmovies has given the film 6/10 stars. KinoKultura reviewed the movie contains many references to media like The Lord of the Rings and states, "The commercial potential and universal appeal of the Andersen brand cannot be overestimated." Film.ru's review accepted that although the 1957 The Snow Queen adaptation still is the best, The Snow Queen 2 is a "solid sweeping canvas". The review stated the climax battle between trolls, pirates, and ice monsters does not come to the level of, but is still comparable. The review also stated the movie's animation strength: "Noticeably stronger computer animation than in the first "Queen", beautiful and diverse virtual scenery, decent voice-over of all the characters." The review also pointed out how the movie could improve on areas of side characters, emphasize Gerda's quest alongside Orm, and music.
A review from Evening Moscow commended the winter film stands apart from other films by stating the movie has "lot of humor and warmth, which is so lacking in frosty winter days." The movie found the movie's highlight is not its animation but its message: "But the main thing is not even the stunning beauty of the picture, but the fact that there is the same message of good that has always been in Soviet cartoons." A review at Кино Mail.ru criticized the character of Gerda was the only one that evoked emotion: "But it is much more upsetting that the characters in this cartoon do not cause any special sympathy and empathy. Only Gerda is capable of some semblance of human feelings." However the review was positive toward its animation: "On the other hand, this is a very modern and high-tech picture that is not inferior to the world's best examples of 3D animation." The review concluded by stating, "Undoubtedly, such high-quality work will bring the film a box-office success, but it could be much greater if the characters were more human and sincere, and the script — more concise and logical."
Romanian review website cinemagia.ro had an approval rating of 7.3/10 stars. German review from film-rezensionen.de was mixed with a rating of 4/10 stars.The review highlighted flaws in the plot: "There is no longer even a snow queen who could lend the film its title." However, the review did find Wizart has improved from its prequel cinematographically: "The final fight was worth seeing, dramatically as well as visually. Anyway, the Russian animation studio Wizart Animation has significantly polished the look this time. With the blockbuster colleagues from the West, the sequel still can't take up. But it does at least make enough that you can also look at it as a critical observer." Another German DVD critical review from Moviebreak.de stated the users should not judge the movie by its cover, because what is in store is a "charming, rather entertaining as easy-going Russian animation. Behind the facade there is much more of a great story for our little ones-although the older ones may also smile." The review concluded by stating, "The Snow Queen 2 turns out to be an entertaining and beautiful fairy tale; at second glance, which might swings into the moral club too much, but always remains humorous and pleasantly cheerful. The film is rather something for our little ones, but also the parents should not get away without a little smile."
Chinese film reviews were inspired by its technicality and theme. Douban Reviews gave the movie 2.5/5 stars. Sina Entertainment Review calls the film, "The theme of 'don't lie,don't forget the initial heart' is presented to children and parents in the form of fables."
NetEase Entertainment Review'' writes:
"Ice Queen's winter spell" uses painstaking efforts,and excellence in 3D visual standards. For the audience there is a presentation of a beautiful world of ice and snow, as if one is being in it. At the same time, the film's scenes such as the winter and summer, fire and ice, chases and fights, metamorphosis and magic scene switching, all reveal the technical maturity and excellence. The film not only has a strong philosophy, with adorable aura weasel, but the little red bird's role, also harvested the audience's goodwill. The characters in the film are vivid, full of life, and almost every character can make the audience find their own figure, making people feel like they are in the film, and make them naturally inspired."

Box office

The 3D toon motion film picture was a winter blockbuster. In the pre-release at South Korea, the movie attained $1.3 million in just two days after the release in December 24, 2014. After the New Year, the total box office in South Korea was $3 million. The performance made South Korea, one of the most "prosperous" territories in the geography of international sales of Wizart Animation. In Russia, the movie received 60 million rubles by January 13, 2015. The movie became the 7th highest grossing Russian film in 2015. Only the :ru:Три_богатыря._Ход_конём|Three Heroes: Knight's Movie was the next highest animated film that achieved 1st place in the list. In January 2015, it was reported that The Snow Queen 2 collected millions of dollars at the foreign box office. With over 300 million rubles collected in the country alone and a combination of rentals in South Korea, where the fees exceeded $4 million, the film had already breaked even.
A box office record was set when the film was released in Europe. The movie became the first Russian film to top weekend box office in a European country, namely Slovakia. The movie was released in Slovakia in December 2015. The only other time the record was set was in 2005 international hit Night Watch by Timur Bekmambetov, going for the second place. During the second week of its release there was a 395.5% increase in screens. According to box office analysts Box Office Mojo, The Snow Queen 2 grossed $37,266 in Slovakia, beating local film Vánocní Kamenák and topping top studio films like English-language French 3D animation The Little Prince, Hollywood Bridge of Spies and 3D animation The Good Dinosaur. The record set in 2015 created a new precedent that Russian animation is finding international appeal. The final estimates show the film grossed $4.5 million in Russia. Since September 2018, the movie attained a position at the top 10 box office in Portugal. There the picture was shown in 50 cities whose premiere bypassed such films as and Ant-Man and the Wasp. The film collected a net box office of $15.5 million from domestic and foreign markets. The profits increases to $19.8 million when DVD sales are taken into account. The Snow Queen franchise has sold to 130 countries to date, with a total international box office of $30 million.

Accolades

Sequels

The sequel bought instant recognition to The Snow Queen brand, as the combined geographical coverage of the series reached 130 countries with many localization added. A third installment, titled , was released on December 29, 2016. officially making The Snow Queen series into a trilogy. The picture, made in collaboration with Beijing's Flame Node Entertainment, would have been the first Chinese-Russian co-production in film history, but only Russian animation company Wizart Animation was credited with the production of the movie. Hollywood Reporter remarked, that Russian animation ventures are getting a foothold abroad compared to last decade. This pattern is a bright spot for the Russian film industry. In 2018, the fourth installment, produced by Central Partnership and Soyuzmultfilm was released. The film was received with highest standards at film festivals.

Note

External Links