Frozen Frolics (1930) watch online HD

Van Beuren cartoons are extremely variable, especially in the number of gags and whether the absurdist humour shines through enough (sometimes it does, other times it doesn't), but are strangely interesting. Although they are often poorly animated with barely existent stories and less than compelling lead characters, they are also often outstandingly scored, there can be some fun support characters and some are well-timed and amusing.

'Frozen Frolics' is another lacklustre 1930 Aesop's Fables/Van Beuren cartoon that left me lukewarm. Not one of the worst by all means from that year, it is much better than 'Dixie Days' and 'Laundry Blues', but there's also far better, 'The Haunted Ship' is a strong example of Van Beuren being good.

It does contain pretty much all of the faults of Van Beuren's worst, or all the faults of many Van Beuren cartoons, while having a few good points. Van Beuren have actually done quite a number of watchable or more cartoons, a few pretty good even though imperfect. So it's not as if they are all being hated on.

Best asset about 'Frozen Frolics' is the music score, pretty much the best thing consistently of Van Beuren's output. Sometimes even the only good thing. It is so beautifully and cleverly orchestrated, is great fun to listen to and full of lively energy, doing so well with enhancing the action.

There is some nice energy and parts where synchronisation isn't sloppy. Aesops Fables/Van Beuren don't often have memorable characters or ones that have much personality. Waffles and Don, like the cat and dog prequel version of the human Tom and Jerry, are not too bland, even though they are outshone by the adorable assortment of North Pole inhabitants, it is a shame though that they are animated poorly.

On the other hand, the animation is not good, in fact it is downright bad most of the time with erratically sloppy character designs in particular while the simplistic background detail and lack of fluidity and crispness are just as difficult to ignore.

Story is very slight to the point of non-existence and suffers from far too hectic pacing, something that affects the visuals a lot of the time because while there are moments of non-sloppy synchronisation most of it is out of sync. It feels aimless and also random and disjointed. If you are looking for sense too, look elsewhere.

Basically 'Frozen Frolics' is a stringing along of gags and music/dance structured in a way that's disorganised and random. Generally it is very low on laughs, actually none of it is remotely amusing. Nothing is inventive, never rising above the forgettable and there is not much absurdist about them.

To conclude, lacklustre but not one to be left ice cold by. 4/10 Bethany Cox