Frozen (2013)
Directors: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
Screenwriter: Jennifer Lee
Starring: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Santino Fontana, Alan Tudyk

A frozen tundra reveals itself under a dramatic score inspired by Sámi-style singing. A world of jagged ice and frost sparkles under the Aurora Borealis. This is a world of magic, made apparent immediately by the children playing. A young princess, Elsa (Eva Bella) can wield snow from her fingertips. Her non-magical sister only sees the joy in this – gone are the themes of female jealousy that were once a Disney mainstay.

But the joy turns sour as Elsa strikes Anna (Livvy Stubenrauch) with an errant ice surge. Once the kingdom’s magical trolls are consulted and Anna is saved, it is decided that the only thing to do is wipe Anna’s memory and hide Elsa’s gift. Elsa is forced into a life of isolation, concealing her true power. After her parent’s death Anna also becomes subjected to this lonely way of living.

Now Spring, Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel) are grown. They wake equally giddy and nervous that it is coronation day, and their secretive castle has to open its gates to present its new ruler, Queen Elsa (Idina Menzel), to the surrounding kingdoms. Two young women without a King around should be easy to take advantage of. Many dignitaries seem to think so anyway.

The stress of the evening affects the sisters in quite different ways. Princess Anna (Kristen Bell) falls head over heels in love with Prince Hans (Santino Fontana), and Elsa (Idina Menzel) goes on an ice spewing rampage, buries Arundel in a thick blanket of snow, and runs into the forest without a coat. Though, rumour is, the cold doesn’t bother her anyway.

Anna (Kristen Bell) entrusts the kingdom to Hans (Santino Fontana) as she strides out into the snow drifts to search for her sister. A chance meeting with ice merchant, Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) changes the course of her journey and of her life.

Remarkably, Frozen (2013) was the first Disney film to be directed by a woman. Jennifer Lee wrote the screenplay and joint-directed (alongside Chris Buck) both Frozen and Frozen II. These films made her the first woman to direct a film that made over $1billion. And Frozen attracted awards like moss on a rock troll’s behind.

Wreck-It Ralph (2012) was Lee’s first screenplay, and was a very clear indicator of Lee’s ability to write Disney princesses with a difference. Vanelope is more like Elsa than most other Disney princesses before her. Both have a potentially dangerous trait that threatens those they love, both need to accept themselves and embrace their power. Both choose to live alone in a castle of their own design.

There is no doubt that Frozen has been an unmitigated success. In fact, the only animated Disney film to beat it at the box office is its own sequel. The franchise has spawned short films, a mini LEGO series, more merchandise than anyone thought possible, a West End Show, and a critically acclaimed sequel (which is arguably better). Frozen became a Disney classic overnight, and it remains as popular as it ever was.

There are many reasons why Frozen appeals to audiences so much. Obviously, beautiful animation, humorous animal (or non-human) sidekicks, adult jokes flying over kids’ heads, and belting tunes are all to be expected of a Disney endeavour. But there is something about Frozen that gives it an edge over its Disney counterparts and has given it this remarkable staying power.

Perhaps it was the decision to have two female protagonists? The traditional fairy tales of yesteryear with damsels in distress are out of vogue. Yes there is distress in Frozen, but these damsels are going to sort it out by themselves. The non-prince charming, Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) is a hugely likeable love interest, but he is not there to fix Anna’s (Kristen Bell) problems, and no one but Anna can save Elsa (Idina Menzel).

By having two female protagonists, Disney have allowed the more traditionally klutzy, hopeful romantic Anna to tick the boxes for fans nostalgic of the golden era. While Elsa is aromantic, empowered, a warrior. She just has to learn to love and trust. By splintering the facets of a traditional Disney princess, the creative team managed to create something with a wider appeal.

Disney has always been divided into two distinct categories: princess stories marketed at girls, and non-human (cars, toys, animals, elements) stories marketed at both girls and boys. Even with the more modern attitudes of audiences today this hasn’t really changed. If you look at it cynically, girls can be expected to enjoy stories with boys in while boys are not expected to enjoy the stories of girls. While the leads are women in Frozen, there is a strong supporting cast of male characters. Roguish Kristoff, reindeer Sven and magical snowman Olaf (Josh Gad – a man whose expressive and distinctive voice was made for animation) add humour and allow the film to be marketed at both boys and girls. There are monsters, wolves and bogey jokes aplenty for those who are less interested in love and all that mushy stuff.

Another strength of the film is the moving part of the villain. Up to the high note of “Let it Go”, we would be forgiven for thinking perhaps Elsa is the baddie. She doesn’t let Anna live her life, curses a kingdom to freeze to death, and sculpts ice weapons with a glint in her eye. The twist in Frozen, as the audience realises where the real threat lies, is up there with The Sixth Sense or The Usual Suspects. Nearly.

The past decade has seen Disney (and Disney Pixar) films shift to reflect the more progressive tastes of its audiences. Big Hero Six (2014), Inside Out (2015), Moana (2016), Luca (2021), Encanto (2021), and Turning Red (2022) are all coming-of-age stories that explore complex themes of grief, self-worth, difference, and acceptance, with barely a whisper of a love interest among them. While huge successes, none of them have managed the dizzying heights of Elsa’s success. But it is a fair suggestion that Elsa paved the way for these films of empowerment and learning to love yourself.

Frozen is a universal film with themes that are far reaching and enduring. Elsa shot to the top spot, and no matter what she says, she’s showing no signs of letting it go.

Score: 20/24

They’ve come in many guises over the years, from the monarchical to the Machiavellian, monsters to muscle men, sorcerers, schemers and step-parents. And they have shown levels of genius, incompetence and everything in between in their efforts to thwart our heroes. But they are always without fail ambitious, self-serving and strangely compelling.

In a world of promoting good virtues to children, good must always triumph over evil. And so, Disney villains can’t be left to return and cause havoc another day (unless it’s in an inconsequential direct-to-video sequel) and so usually meet their maker in one of a variety of inventive and sometimes gruesome ways.

If the Disney Princess is the most merchandisable element of the Disney canon, then the villains are a close second and inspire even more fervour among adult fans, perhaps because they’re usually more flawed and interesting than the heroes and especially when so many are (intentionally or not) queer-coded, fabulously designed and played with gusto by talented voice actors giving it their all. 

For this edition of Ranked, we at The Film Magazine have taken every significant villain to be found in Disney animation and ordered them in terms of wickedness, memorability and the threat they represent to our heroes and heroines. So practice your diabolical laughter, rehearse your evil monologue, dust off your best purple attire and enjoy Animated Disney Villains Ranked. 

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36. King Candy – Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

The ruler of arcade racing video game Sugar Rush who is actually Turbo, the resentful title character of a long-disconnected game.

Alan Tudyk has been Disney’s good luck charm in recent years and delivers a manic performance here as a mascot-gone-wrong, but the vocals have to do most of the work to enliven a baddie who’s just not interesting enough to match the heroes.

Demise by: Destroyed by the collapse of Diet Cola Mountain with the addition of Mentos.

35. Prince Hans – Frozen (2013)

A seemingly classic Prince Charming who is actually conspiring to eliminate both heirs to the Arendelle throne and claim it for himself.

Hans is a duplicitous, generic British-accented baddie revealed in the film’s final act, who gets some bonus evil points for taking advantage of Princess Anna’s emotions the way he does, purely to advance himself.

Demise by: Survives but is arrested and banished for his treachery.

Recommended for you: Best Animated Feature Oscar Winners Ranked

34. Alameda Slim – Home on the Range (2004)

An evil cattle rustler and conman who plans to cheat every rancher he can find out of their land.

Randy Quaid’s growling delivery and the character’s hilariously unconvincing Inspector Clouseau-level disguises aside, what makes Alameda Slim stand out is that he’s a rare villain who uses a combination of theft, foreclosure and cow-hypnotising yodelling to get what he wants.

Demise by: Survives, but his schemes and true identity as a rustler are exposed and the reward for his arrest is claimed.

33. Dr Jumba Jookiba – Lilo & Stitch (2002)

An alien mad scientist on the hunt for his dangerous but cute creation on Earth on the orders of the council who imprisoned him for his work.

Dr Jumba is probably the only character who never underestimates the cute blue title character because he was the one who genetically engineered “Experiment 626” and is fully aware of his destructive capabilities. He finds himself lower down this list for being bumbling and for having a late change of heart, eventually helping to protect Stitch when the council’s military arrives to complete his mission with extreme prejudice.

Demise by: Survives to live a fairly happy exile alongside Stitch on Earth.

What follows in this edition of Ranked is The Film Magazine’s ranking from worst to best of every Best Animated Feature Oscar winner, analysing the merits of each in terms of artistic achievement, importance to the medium, societal relevance and lasting impression, plus a few mentions of the braver animated efforts from each year that for various reasons missed out on the big prize. These are the Best Animated Feature Oscar Winners Ranked.

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21. Happy Feet (2006)

A tone-deaf juvenile penguin discovers he has a very different talent to the rest of his musical colony: he’s really gifted at tap-dancing.

Amazingly George Miller, the man behind every Mad Max movie and the screenplay for Babe also directed this bouncy Antarctic jukebox musical. It’s all very detailed and visually appealing, having more in common with actual nature documentaries than most other animated films, but the story is pretty first-base and the songs are a real mixed bag. 

20. Toy Story 4 (2019)

Toy Story 4 Review

Woody, Buzz and the gang leave their new home to go on a road trip in order to help handmade toy Forky get over his identity crisis.

There aren’t many fourth movies in a franchise of higher quality, but Toy Story 4 had the misfortune of being compared to the near-perfect trilogy that preceded it. How and why would you try and follow that? But follow it they did, and it’s a decent effort with good (sometimes surprisingly dark) gags and all the usual heart you’ve come to expect from this series. 

19. Shrek (2001)

A solitary ogre and a tag-along talking donkey reluctantly go on a quest to rescue a princess in exchange for Shrek being left in peace in his swamp.

Shrek receives a lot of flak for moving animation away from the magical escapism of Disney to the more polished, snarky fare that dominates today, but it was absolutely revolutionary in its way. Every fantasy parody from the past two decades has borrowed something from its unique selling point and each of its characters, and it must be praised for its earnest message of self-acceptance (before it was recycled for the sequels) and its witty visuals (which still hold up). 

18. Brave (2012)

A Scottish princess shames her clan by breaking with marriage traditions and goes to a witch for a spell to change her fate, catastrophically changing the lives of her loved ones in the process.

One of Pixar’s less successful films still has a winning protagonist in Merida (sparkily voiced by Kelly Macdonald) and a refreshing (and far too unusually explored) dysfunctional mother-daughter relationship at its heart. The actual story structure is conventional and wobbles perilously close to a Disney Renaissance re-tread, but it’s still an emotionally honest and lively affair. 

Three stop-motion animated features, Laika’s Paranorman, Tim Burton’s Frankeneenie and Aardman’s The Pirates! were passed over in favour of Pixar this year.

Recommended for you: Disney Renaissance Movies Ranked

From directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard, and with voice acting from Stephanie Beatriz, John Leguizamo and Disney’s very own good luck charm Alan Tudyk, Encanto follows the story of Mirabel who is attempting to save the miracle that gives her whole family magical powers… except her.

Featuring catchy original songs from Lin-Manuel Miranda, it’s easy to see why Encanto has been nominated for Best Original Score, Best Original Song, and Best Animated Feature at the 2022 Oscars.

Disney has developed a reputation for hidden details in their animations and Encanto is definitely no exception. From the small details that make every frame so interesting, to the monumental secrets that change entire meanings or reference so Disney’s wider catalogue of animated releases, these are the 10 Things You Might Have Missed in Encanto. Spoiler alert!

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10. Bruno in the Background of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”

Even if you haven’t seen Encanto yet, the song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” has been almost unavoidable as it has made it to number 1 in the charts in both the UK and the US.

In the film itself, the song is the first time we get a really good look at Bruno.

Most obviously, he is seen in the flashback of Pepa and Felix’s wedding and when Camillo changes into his likeness, but many have missed the real, present-day Bruno!

During Dolores’ rap verse, Bruno can be seen walking along the upper level of Casita. And Dolores, who can hear him, stops Mirabel from seeing him by pulling her away from his direction. Right at the end of this verse, you can see Bruno bobbing his head along to the song whilst stood behind Dolores.

9. The Family’s Clothes Correspond to Their Gifts

The clothing animation in Encanto not only sticks to traditional Colombian design, but there are patterns on the family’s clothes that reflect their gifts: the hem of Abuela’s dress shows the mountains around the Encanto, Bruno’s ruana features hourglasses, Pepa’s dress has suns on the neckline, Julietta wears an apron that also has a pestle and mortar on the chest, Dolores’ dress has patterns that resemble soundwaves, Camillo’s ruana is patterned with chameleons, Antonio’s waistcoat features multiple animals (although he only wears this in promotional posters), the hem of Luisa’s dress includes dumbbells, and Isabela’s dress is covered with orchids, which is Colombia’s national flower.

Even those who married into the family have hidden messages in their clothing, with the triangle pattern on Felix’s guayabera mirroring Pepa’s sun design and Augustin wearing a flower for Isabela, one sock which features weights for Luisa and the other sock that replicates Mirabel’s dress.

Mirabel’s outfit is arguably the most interesting as it’s fully embroidered with references to her whole family, including the candle for Abuela, Camillo’s chameleon, Isabela’s flowers, Antonio’s animals, Luisa’s fist holding a weight, music notes for Dolores, a rain cloud with a sun behind it for Pepa and a breadbasket for Julietta.

Clearly Lydia is wise beyond her years.

Film as an art form has long been dictated by a ruling class of middle aged to old white men, so we here at The Film Magazine thought that we would turn the homogeneity of this critics circle on its head by instead asking a mixed race, dual-nationality little girl what the best movies of all time are. Needless to say, Lydia’s tastes are eclectic.

If you have ever wondered what cinema is to a girl born in the year 2011, make sure to strap in for this exclusive Movie List of the best films of all time according to someone whose favourite daily activities include learning dance moves from YouTube, listening to child pop sensation JoJo and playing Mario Kart 8 on the Nintendo Switch.

These are the 10 Best Films of All Time (According to a 9 Year Old Girl).

Make sure to follow us on Twitter to keep up to date with more lists like this one.

10. The Muppets: Most Wanted (2014)

Though admittedly a little confused as to which Kermit is which (a drawn-on mole and slight change in accent really isn’t clear enough when you’re getting overwhelmed with excitement every few minutes), The Muppets: Most Wanted is a personal favourite of Lydia’s. “I’ll give you what you want” is usually the quote of choice, and the wall scene in the Russian Gulag is the moment that brings about the biggest laughs.

To adults, this iteration of The Muppets is a little gimmicky and not as original as a lot of the group’s other work, but this nine year old finds it hilarious.

9. Moana (2016)

Like just about any child born from 1930 onwards, Walt Disney Animation has had a profound effect on Lydia’s experience of film. One of her first great loves was Moana, the beautifully animated 2016 animation starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

As you may expect, Lydia went all-in on her fandom, asking Santa Claus for the toys at Christmas and pleading with her Mum for the Moana dress from the Disney Store. She even told people that Maui was her brother, though only because they each shared “a big belly”.

Is it finally time to let “Let It Go”, go? The soundtrack of Frozen II (2019) certainly puts forward a solid case for doing so.

With the same songwriters from the first smash hit, Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (each two-time Oscar winners – 2014; 2018), this film was destined to have a great collection of songs. However, few could have expected the sequel to produce such catchy, emotive songs which could possibly come to outshine those in the first film.

Elsa’s (Idina Menzel’s) main song “Into the Unknown” has been nominated for Best Original Song at the 2020 Oscars, which is not surprising. This song is the “Let It Go” of Frozen II – big, impactful, emotional and life-changing for the character. It mirrors the power of “Let It Go”, with Idina Menzel’s belting voice, tied together with typical Disney character building. However, “Into the Unknown” explores Elsa’s unrest and confusion, whereas “Let It Go” was Elsa’s big moment of acceptance and self-confidence. Elsa in Frozen II is settled but has a constant sense of foreboding that she is not where she needs to be; this song portrays that perfectly.

The song opens with an eerie Dies Irae, sung by Aurora, which represents the restless feeling Elsa has and the ‘unknown’ that is calling her. Dies Irae is latin for “Day of Wrath”, which was a 13^th Century chant outlining the day that god judges the dead and the living. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Kristen Anderson-Lopez describes the songwriters’ choice of including a Dies Irae, saying:

“We knew that there were questions she still had, we need to embody that restless feeling we all have when we know: Maybe I’m not exactly where I need to be. That we would embody that with this voice, that is actually the Dies Irae which is used by composers of operas, and musicals, for centuries. It’s actually a mythical call usually to danger of some kind.”

This mythical call instantly sets the tone of the song (and ultimately the whole film), and paired with the impressive animation and characterisation, the audience are made aware of what the song’s narrative will entail.

The songwriters described the atmosphere they wanted to create in “Into the Unknown” as “3AM”. They wanted the eerie call and the tone to convey an early hours feeling; Elsa has to be woken up in the middle of the night to confront this voice. Watching this scene in cinemas and listening to the song alone, you do get the sense that she is conversing with this voice at this hour. Elsa (and the songwriters) personify the call, referring to it as “you” in the first line. As Elsa sings “I can hear you, but I won’t”, she sets up the personal feel to the song; it’s as if she is talking to a close friend or family member, which ultimately foreshadows what’s to come.

Prior to this song, the Dies Irae becomes a motif, regularly calling out to Elsa when she is with Anna, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf. This is why the call is so prevalent in the opening of this song, and throughout, as the audience recognise its importance and are intrigued to unveil it.

The first verse begins quite slowly, and the pace gradually builds as the emotion and music builds. After the first line of Verse Two, the instruments become more and more loud and aggressive, and the tone becomes darker, reflecting the negativity in the lyrics – “You’re not a voice, you’re just a ringing in my ear. And if I heard you, which I don’t, I’m spoken for I fear”. However, the shifts in the last line of Verse Two – “I’m afraid of what I’m risking if I follow you…” – suggests that while part of her wants to follow the voice, there is too much uncertainty.

The chorus in itself, in terms of musicology, could win the Oscars category.

In the Vanity Fair interview previously quoted, Anderson-Lopez describes how the chorus actually reflects the whole story. The first “Into the unknown” that is sung, is an octave; it is a safe note which represents Elsa being comfortable in Arendale with her family. The second “Into the unknown” is slightly out of her comfort zone, but she returns to the safe and comfortable note reflecting her uncertainty in the film about reaching out of her comfort zone. Lastly, in the final “Into the unknown” in the chorus, she goes so far past the safe notes, way into the enchanted forest. Here the chorus acts as a microcosm for the whole narrative.

After the intense chorus, the verses begin to shift further and show her interest in the voice that is calling, and where it may lead her. The song is truly an exploration of Elsa’s character.

Menzel uses her powerful voice to shift and change the tone and feel to the song so beautifully, her voice-acting expresses the character’s feelings so impressively. For example, as Elsa’s interest builds, Menzel’s voice quietens and she sings in a higher pitch: “… or are you someone who’s a little bit like me, who knows deep down I’m not where I’m meant to be?”

The slowing down of the song here allows the audience to absorb themselves in the decisions Elsa has to make, and we visually and aurally can relate to what she is feeling.

The bridge after the second chorus is mainly made up of Aurora’s calls, and Elsa repeating the Dies Irae back to her, making it a less daunting and eerie song, and more a realisation that she has more to discover. Similarly, the outro reflects this realisation and her need to discover more. The song ends on a powerful line – “How do I follow you into the unknown?” – which foreshadows the narrative to come and informs the audience that the story will now be about Elsa’s expedition to find the voice and her place in this world.

Once broken down, “Into the Unknown” illustrates such clever and thoughtful musicology and detail, and even without as detailed analysis it is still such an impressive, unique piece of music . This song definitely has a strong chance of winning Best Original Song at The Oscars, and I even see it overtaking “Let It Go” in terms of popularity once this film has settled more into the zeitgeist. “Into the Unknown” is a fantastic song which embodies the emotional depth of a strong Disney Animation offering in Frozen II, and is as strong as any number of Disney’s entries into the Oscars category in recent years; a strong option for any Oscars predictions game.

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There is, however, a darker side behind those oversized mouse ears, and every now and then a smidgen of macabre seeps through the cracks. Even if only for a scene, there will always be a bit of Dickensian in the Disney. What did we expect from a studio that famously stakes its claim on Grimm’s fairytale adaptations?

So, steamboat your willies and bibbity bobbity brace yourselves, as The Film Magazine counts down the most depressing Disney movie moments.

Have an opinion? Let us know in the comments!

1. Simba Wishes His Dad Dead

The year was 1994 when a sandy coloured lion cub named Simba stole our hearts with his sticky juice-smeared forehead.

We felt for his plight when evil Uncle Scar convinced him to run away from home.

We rejoiced when he found solace from his misplaced guilt in two unlikely friends, Timone and Pumba.

We whooped and hollered victoriously when he took his rightful place on the Iron Throne… I mean Pride Rock.

Unfortunately, this baby cat had pulled a Britney over our Spears, as it turns out he’s not so innocent. Remember the catchy ‘I Just Can’t Wait To Be King’ ditty? Yeah, well, it’s really an ode to his father’s death.

Think about it for a second, there ain’t no abdicating from a lion pride. All Simba wants is to be the “main event, like no king was before” but this childish wish fulfilment fantasy takes on a life of it’s own when you look into the dynamics of how lions become king of a pride.

Younger males are driven out by their parents. During this time of self-discovery they grow stronger, until one day they’re strong enough to return and kill the king. Also, a quick Google search has told me that male lions don’t have a great life expectancy… they tend to die a lot from fighting their dad.

That tragic stampede moment we’ve all been crying about was built on a big pile of putrid murderous deception.

How could you do this Simba? It hurts my childhood.

Recommended for you: The Lion King (2019) Review

2. Elsa’s Parents Push Her Into A Mental Breakdown

Disney’s very own metaphor for depression herself, Princess Elsa, was always going to make a top-ranking appearance on this list. ‘Let It Go’ already…

Blessed with the magical gift of conjuring ice whenever she pleases, one might say Princess Elsa was born with a natural frosty persona. However, when she accidentally hurts her little sister Anna by blasting a beam of ice into her skull (her skull), Elsa is locked away leaving her persona to go liquid nitrogen.

Elsa’s parents come up with the perfect brainwashing motto “conceal, don’t feel.” A curious message that leaves her exasperated when she can’t do either of those things, and eventually brings on anxiety attacks. You’d think that powers heightened by emotions need to be harnessed differently, but instead a hormonal and lonely Elsa must shut off her humanity to avoid shaming the family.

Princess Freak (as she may as well be called) lost connection with her sister as a result of this imprisonment, and was tormented on a daily basis by her confused sister’s torturous song ‘Do You Wanna Build A Snowman’.

Imagine that. Your emotionally fraught younger sister at the door singing about hang time, but you’re confined to a room, numbed to all emotion thanks to your dead parents.

When you put all that into perspective, the song “Let It Go” is basically a musical suicide note.

(That splat sound was my mind blowing wide open and all my happy memories hurtling themselves at the wall screaming “the vessel is impure”.)

Earning £2,883,617 in its fourth weekend is the mark of an incredible success for Studiocanal and Paddington 2’s producers given the picture’s modest budget and well financed competition. This weekend’s gross is perhaps even more important as regards the film’s overall box office takings in the region which now stand at £26,903,226. This total, to be put into context, has the movie sitting just outside the top 5 for 2017 so far, ahead of the likes of Justice League, Blade Runner 2049, Wonder Woman and Logan, and just £1.9million away from Spider-Man: Homecoming, a film that Paddington 2 will likely surpass this week.

Paddington 2 seems set for success then, even without a 2017 release in North America [Americans and Canadians will have to wait until January 2018], though it hasn’t yet surpassed the financial success of Paddington 1, which grossed an incredible £34million in 2014/15. It seems, given the box office takings drop-offs to date and the number of weeks it’s likely to hold on to its spot at major cinema chains, that Paddington 2 will just about make it to the £34million mark, and may even push Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 for the number 4 highest grossing movie of 2017 if it makes receives a strong push over the typically family orientated Christmas period. It seems that only Star Wars: The Last Jedi stands in its way.

Elsewhere in the top 5, Wonder debuted strong at number 4, grossing a respectable £1,240,245. The movie, which stars Owen Wilson and Julia Roberts, was made for a rumoured $20million and has been a surprise success in North America having already earned over 4 times its budget in just 2 weeks, currently standing at $88million in the region, $100million worldwide. The likelihood is that Wonder will earn around £5million total in the UK, which will likely be higher than expectations for such a modestly budgeted film and will no doubt help to boost its already incredibly successful run at the worldwide box office.

In a further update on Justice League, it is now a lock that the movie won’t touch the top 5 for the year, nor will it get close to the 3 Marvel Studios releases in terms of overall box office gross. Worldwide, the film has made some $570million, which should be enough for Warner Bros. to break even. The next few weeks will likely leave Justice League with a profit, the amount of which will be determined with how well it fights against growing competition around the world.

Elsewhere in the chart, things are looking like this:

1. Paddington 2 – weeks on release: 4 – weekend: £2,883,617 – total: £26,903,226
2. Daddy’s Home 2 – 2 – £1,945,640 – £7,879,672
3. Justice League – 3 – £1,486,953 – £15,554,643
4. Wonder – 1 – £1,240,245 – £1,240,245
5. Murder on the Orient Express – 5 – £824,494 – £22,127,760
6. Thor: Ragnarok – 6 – £578,606 – £30,194,221
7. A Bad Moms Christmas – 5 – £338,089 – £7,407,722
8. Battle of the Sexes – 2 – £221,996 – £1,127,064
9. The Star – 2 – £176,362 – £432,706
10. The Man Who Invented Christmas – 1 – £168,137 – £168,137
11. Event Cinema: Nutcracker (Bolshoi 2017 Ballet) – 1 – £160,421 – £160,421
12. Happy End – 1- £135,682 – £135,682
13. The Disaster Artist – 1 – £130,238 – £130,238
14. Frozen – 157 – £124,075 – £43,132,048
15. Listy do M3 – 2 – £74,300 – £515,397

The big news from this week’s actuals is the confirmation that Thor: Ragnarok has finally surpassed Spider-Man: Homecoming to enter the Top 5 Grossing Movies of 2017 list, entering at number 5 with £30,194,221, just a few hundred thousand pounds above its Marvel Studios counterpart but with legs to run for a few more weeks.

A Bad Moms Christmas also continues to hold strong, earning a further £338,089 to jump to close to £7.5million overall. This is a solid take for a modestly budgeted comedy, and has helped to boost the overall takings of the film at the worldwide box office to just over $100million, nearly 4 times its $28million budget.

Down at the bottom of the chart is The Disaster Artist which earned £130,238 through previews, with the official release not due until today (Wednesday 6th December). The drama-comedy, which is receiving some awards season attention and stars comedy mega-powers James Franco and Seth Rogen, seems to have drawn the attention of those in the know, so it will be interesting to see if the cast and premise amount to a considerable mainstream run.

Frozen, which was last week’s number 5, maintained its spot on the chart this week, squeezing in at number 14 to add another £124,075 to its bountiful kitty, while Polish production Listy do M3 has out-performed Polish counterpart Botoks, at least in weeks on the chart, by managing to maintain its spot for a 2nd successive week (despite earning £200,000 less overall).

Next week, The Disaster Artist and Christmas-themed horror film Better Watch Out will be looking to exploit the chart’s currently depleted overall strength, with the former looking to challenge Paddington 2 for the number 1 spot given its strategy to open on a Wednesday (allowing for a 5 day weekend). We will also know more about whether Paddington 2 will be able to stake its claim for the year’s top 5 above Thor: Ragnarok and we’ll have more on Justice League. For now, make sure to subscribe to us on YouTube for first access to our weekly Top 5 UK Box Office Films video (posted every Tuesday), bookmark our home page, like us on Facebook and subscribe to us on Twitter.

Aided heavily by the release of a new Disney animated short about Frozen favourite Olaf, the re-release of Frozen has surpassed £1million this week, placing its overall earnings, across its 3 year stint, at around £43million. While it does look set to be for only one week, its presence in the chart is indicative of the cult phenomenon the film has become and may, along with the success of Paddington 2, indicate a desire from audiences to experience more wholesome, family fun during the holiday period. It seems, then, that Disney’s somewhat controversial choice to delay the release of Coco – a record setting film in Mexico and the winner of this past weekend’s Thanksgiving weekend box office in the United States – which has been paired with the Frozen short in those regions, may have been a good one, with the reemergence of Frozen likely to be act 1 in a 2 act money-making story from Disney’s animated realm.

Debuting at the top of the chart and placing itself in contention for a strong run in the UK given the coming weeks’ lack of big releases is Daddy’s Home 2, which seems to have capitalised on the coming Christmas fever and some good will from fans of the original to sledge its way to a £4,919,051 opening, some £3.3million higher than the original’s debut in 2015.

The movie, which stars a slew of household names including stars Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg was, however, pushed heavily by previews that equated to just over half of its weekend earnings and ultimately gave the film a 5-day opening total as opposed to a traditional 3-day (Friday to Sunday) total. If we were to take Daddy’s Home 2 on the basis that it only ran Friday to Sunday, the film would be sitting at no. 3 in the chart behind Paddington 2 and Justice League at £2.3million.

As regards the hugely controversial Justice League, there was an expectation that the picture would fall below Paddington 2 for this past weekend and that has come to pass. The superhero franchise film, with the financial mite of Warner Bros behind it, seems to have suffered from a mix of bad timing – being released between Thor: Ragnarok (still in cinemas) and Star Wars: The Last Jedi (set for cinemas December 14th) – as well as general audience dismay at the direction of the universe, making for a poor financial return that may see the production actually lose money once outside factors, including fees to advertise the film, are factored in. The picture made £2,990,473 at the UK box office this weekend, bumping its total up to £12,917,287 ($17,251,036) in the region so far, but with an estimated total cost of $480million to cover, and subsidiaries for multiple parties expected to be paid, seeing Justice League teeter at the $480million mark as regards worldwide takings and therefore covering only its cost to this date, means that this superhero team-up may be the first major studio superhero failure since Green Lantern in 2011.

In stark contrast, the Studiocanal distributed British independent Paddington 2 has been outperforming every expectation thus far, holding onto its audiences with a bear-like grip [pun intended] throughout its 3 week run, hitting £4,545,218 in weekend no.3, a figure higher than many top earning superhero movies tend to earn in weekend no. 2 of their runs – Thor: Ragnarok was £4.5million for its 2nd week and£3.1million for its 3rd week, for example, and that picture looks set to be a top 5 film of the year once all is said and done. Somewhat incredibly, Paddington 2 is all but guaranteed to out-gross Justice League and may, given the current trends towards both films, actually reach double the box office takings than its much more expensive competition. Surely it too cannot penetrate the top 5 for the year? Well, it’s £8million off, but we do have some quiet weeks ahead…

Here are the actuals for the entire top 15:

1. Daddy’s Home 2 – weeks on release: 1 – weekend: £4,919,051 – total: £4,919,051
2. Paddington 2 – 3 – £4,545,218 – £22,990,836
3. Justice League – 2 – £2,990,473 – £12,917,287
4. Murder on the Orient Express – 4 – £1,373,756 – £20,442,641
5. Frozen – 156 – £1,115,689 – £42,996,289
6. Thor: Ragnarok – 5 – £596,034 – £29,306,199
7. Battle of the Sexes – 1 – £552,521 – £552,521
8. A Bad Moms Christmas – 4 – £398,450 – £6,756,130
9. Listy do M. 3 – 1 – £397,737 – £397,737
10. Suburbicon – 1 – £231,412 – £231,412
11. The Star – 1 – £204,497 – £204,497
12. Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool – 2 – £108,411 – £585,204
13. The Death of Stalin – 6 – £74,659 – £4,736,799
14. The Florida Project – 3 – £64,196 – £605,735
15. Blade Runner 2049 – 8 – £51,451 – £18,918,361

Debuting at number 9, Listy do M. 3 is significant as it seems to have further established the power of the Polish-speaking communities in the United Kingdom as regards the current box office landscape.

Following in the footsteps of the unbridled success of Polish-produced Botoks in mid-October, which made £792,957 in its opening weekend and even broke into the chart’s top 5, the third instalment of the country’s star-studded Christmas film series Listy do M has outperformed George Clooney’s Suburbicon – starring Matt Damon and Julianne Moore – which debuted some £146,000 lower than the Polish language film, and seems to have solidified the picture’s success. Listy do M, much like Botoks, will therefore likely be considered as an important release for Polish language cinema in the UK moving forward as it could prove to be one of the catalysts for an influx of distributors to the country, each investing in the film industry and looking to sell the products to the UK market.

The seasonal Polish film was only the 2nd highest debuting picture of the weekend however, with the star-studded Battle of the Sexes hitting £552,521 and sitting in 7th. The film, which features 2017 Oscar winner Emma Stone and comedy powerhouse Steve Carell in the lead roles, perhaps suffered from being too much of an American tale to truly translate. The true story upon which the film is based was reportedly big news in the country, and has become something of a cult phenomenon, whereas the knowledge and understanding of the event in the UK is far from being at the same level, and clearly this was too much of an obstacle for even A-List stars to overcome with wider audiences – this is a problem that may also face I, Tonya, the tale of disgraced US skating champion Tonya Harding that is set to star Margot Robbie. With a debut weekend of over £500,000 and a 2nd weekend likely to remain relatively strong courtesy of a lack of major competition, expect Battle of the Sexes to surpass £1million by the end of next weekend; a tidy amount for a relatively small film that likely didn’t expect to perform in the region anyway.

And finally, Film Stars Don’t Die In Liverpool dropped off as it was outlined to do in last week’s chart breakdown, earning £108,411 over the weekend to take its total to £585,204. There is a December release date for the film in the US, and it may have traction given that it’s a true story about a beloved American star, but the likelihood of the Annette Bening and Jamie Bell starring picture turning a profit seems more and more bleak by the week.

So that about does it for this week’s box office breakdown. Next week we’ll likely welcome Wonder to the chart, though it will be interesting to see whether the Julia Roberts starring movie can out-perform Paddington 2. We’ll be back next Wednesday with a full box office report, but to gain access to the top 5 before anyone else, make sure to subscribe to us on YouTube. You can also stay up to date with the latest news, reviews and features we have to offer by bookmarking our home page, following us on Twitter and liking us on Facebook.

Number 30: Hercules becomes a God –Hercules (1997)

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Number 29: Higitus Figitus. Merlin works his magic – The Sword in the Stone (1963)

Number 28: The Evil Queens evil plan – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Number 27: Pink Elephants on Parade – Dumbo (1941)

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Number 26: Copper saves Todd – The Fox and the Hound (1981)

Number 25: Ohana means family – Lilo and Stich (2002)

Number 24: Mulan gets ready for war – Mulan (1998)

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Number 23: Ray is united with Evangeline –Princess and the Frog (2009)

Number 22: Pocahontas meets John Smith –Pocahontas (1995)

Number 21: Under the Sea – The Little Mermaid (1989)

Number 20: Alice goes down the rabbit hole – Alice in Wonderland (1951)

Number 19: True love’s kiss – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

Number 18: 101! – 101 Dalmations (1961)

Number 17: Aladdin wishes Genie to be free – Aladdin (1992)

Number 16: Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo – Cinderella (1950)

Number 15: Steamboat Willie – Steamboat Willie (1928)

Number 14: Everybody wants to be a cat – The Aristocats (1970)

Number 13 – I’m a real boy – Pinnochio (1940)

Number 12: The Bare Necessities – The Jungle Book (1967)

Number 11: Bambi goes ice skating – Bambi (1942)

Number 10: Let It go – Frozen (2013)

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Number 9 – The Circle of Life – The Lion King (1994)

Number 8: Ariel gives up her voice – The Little Mermaid (1989)

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Number 7: The Floating Lights – Tangled (2010)

Number 6: Off to Neverland – Peter Pan (1953)

Number 5: Maleficent crashes the party – Sleeping Beauty (1959)

Number 4: Bella Notte – Lady and the Tramp (1955)

Number 3: Mickey’s dancing brooms – Fantasia (1940)

Number 2: Long Live The King – The Lion King (1994)

Number 1: The Dance – Beauty and the Beast (1991)

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