The Snow Queen (2012 film) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Snow Queen |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Release date(s) | 31 December 2012 (Russia) |
| Running time | 74 minutes |
| Country | Russia |
| Budget | $7.0 million |
| Money made | $13.6 million |
The Snow Queen (Russian: Снежная королева, romanized: Snezhnaya Koroleva, lit. 'The Snow Queen') is a 2012 Russian 3D computer-animated fantasy adventure family film written by Vadim Sveshnikov and directed by Vladlen Barbe and Maxim Sveshnikov. It was produced by Wizart Animation and is based on the 1844 story of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. Co-produced by Moscow's InlayFilm, and distributed by Bazelevs Company, the movie was one of the most anticipated projects to come out of Russia in 2012. The movie was produced by Timur Bekmambetov, Alexander Ligaiy, Yuri Moskvin, Sergey Rappoport, and Olga Sinelshchikova. The movie was released on 31 December 2012 in Russia. In the United States, it was released in video on demand on 10 October 2013.
Like the fairy tale, the main character and heroine is Gerda (voice of Nyusha and Jessica Straus) who is an orphan living in the boundless space of a fantastic country. The Snow Queen created the world of eternal winter where the polar wind cools human souls and clearness of lines obscure emotions. A young man named Kai is taken prisoner by the Snow Queen. It's up to Gerda to rescue him. Gerda with sidekick weasel Luta journeys across an icy land, facing difficult obstacles and meeting wonderful new friends like the trolls (voice of Ivan Okhlobystin and Doug Erholtz). Together they set on a polar quest to rescue Kai.
Evaluation of the The Snow Queen in 2012 at an international film market set the stage for international distribution. The cartoon received positive reviews from critics. An Annecy review noted the movie's ambition is reminiscent of the golden age of Russian animation. The film also achieved significant commercial success, earning 233 million rubles domestically while total box office amounted to $13 million. The movie became a milestone in the history of Russian animation as it received accolades from Moscow Film Festival and Zelenograd International Youth Film Festival.
Plot
The Snow Queen covered the world in ice. Only Master Vegard stands in her way, whose mirrors reflect not only appearances but also souls. One day the polar wind takes away Vegard and his wife Una, but they hide their children Gerda and Kai. Years later, the Snow Queen's servile troll Orm (who can shape shift into a black weasel) locates Kai, who is deemed Vegard's successor, at the orphanage St. Peter’s Kids Shelter. At the orphanage Gerda sews mittens. After a tangle between both siblings and Orm, Kai is abducted by the polar wind to the Snow Queen's palace. Gerda embarks on a journey with Orm and her pet white weasel Luta across the icy lands to rescue her brother.
They first enter a garden dome run by an old lady who seems nice, but her true intentions are to drug and enslave Gerda to grow and sell flowers. Orm and Luta catch wind of the scheme and thwart it, but the lady sends out her carnivorous plant, Ivy, but the trio make their escape. Meanwhile, in the ice palace, Kai arrives and the Snow Queen leads him to her throne room. The Queen's mirror, after examining Kai, reveals that Master Vegard has two heirs. Kai tries to hide the truth, but the Snow Queen reads it in his heart and sees Kai's painting of Gerda.
Gerda thanks Orm for saving her life and they begin to warm up to each other. Then the three stumble into Imana's caves, the birthplace of trolls. Orm briefs about how the trolls' age of peace was tainted by the Snow Queen and turned their clans to fight each other, until only the cowardly Orm survived, and the souls of the trolls remained trapped in the lake Gow. While Gerda and Luta look around, Orm is contacted by the Snow Queen with orders to bring Gerda to her. Orm helps Gerda and Luta cross the evil lake Gow and Gerda avoids its curse, much to Orm's amazement.
Outside the cave, the trio encounter a king on a royal hunt. The king tries to hunt Orm (in weasel form) and Luta, but he bumps into a tree. The trio are escorted to the king's castle. The king has had a trouble in which his children have literally half-shares in his property after the Snow Queen split the castle in half and Queen Anself was lost. The king takes Gerda as his prisoner, until she shows compassion for her brother. The king and his children have an argument and start a fire but Gerda saves them. As a reward the trio are given a sleigh for their journey.
The trio are captured by pirates and taken to their ship, but Gerda is able to persuade them to let them continue their quest, and the captain's daughter gives them a reindeer for the journey. Meanwhile, in the Snow Queen's ice palace, Kai is frozen by the Snow Queen. Gerda meets the Lady of Lapland in a tent, who recounts the Snow Queen's origin. As a girl, Irma, who had a gift of magic, was ostracized and went to Imana's caves where her ill wish upon the people, granted by the lake Gow, turned her into the Snow Queen. The Lady of Lapland grants the trio a snow boat and sends them to the Snow Queen. The palace of the Snow Queen is located in Spitsbergen.
Orm tries to protect Gerda and make her change her mind, but Gerda is determined. Inside the ice palace, Gerda finds her brother frozen then the Snow Queen appears. Orm turns down his reward to be free and beseeches the queen to spare Gerda. Since the queen will not listen to reason, Orm ceases to serve her. The Queen summons ice trolls and giants, but Orm transforms into a polar bear to defeat the monsters and allow Gerda to reach the throne room. But both Orm and Luta are cornered by the polar wind.
Gerda finds the queen's mirror and walks through it, entering the mirror realm. The Snow Queen tries to freeze her heart but, guided by the spirits of her family, she regains hope and retaliates with the magic mirror. The Snow Queen's curse is finally broken, Irma is transformed back and Gerda banishes the evil curse from returning. Irma revives Kai, Orm turns back into a troll and Luta wakes him up and the eternal winter is finally ended. With that Gerda, Kai, Orm, Irma and Luta all set off home. And Gerda and Orm finally accept each other as best friends.
During the end credits, there are scenes showing the lives of people they met throughout their journey after the Snow Queen's defeat and started living happily.
Cast
| Character | Russian voice | English voice | Description |
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| Gerda | Nyusha | Jessica Straus | The main heroine from The Snow Queen. She's a brave, kind, and honest girl with a strong will.
Growing up in an orphanage, she is always quick to embark on any adventure and has a warm perceptive heart. |
| Orm / Troll | Ivan Okhlobystin | Doug Erholtz | Orm is a very ordinary troll. Despite not seen at "troll" standards, Orm's strengths are not physical.
His true merits lie elsewhere, namely in cunning and savviness. |
| Snow Queen | Galina Tyunina | Cindy Robinson | The ruler of an icy palace in the Laplands.
The Queen has the power to invoke polar winds that turn the lands into a winter land. |
| Kai | Ramilya Iskander | Marianne Miller | Gerda's brother. A dreamer, artist, and poet. He is willing to help alongside Alfida and Gerda. |
| Luta | Erin Fitzgerald | Luta is a pet weasel. She is Orm's true friend conscience and most agile character.
She will risk her life for Orm at a moment's notice, but is also quick to point at all of wrongdoings. Luta always wins in arguments with Orm. |
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| Daughter (Alfida) | Liza Arzamasova | Wendee Lee | A true pirate. Alfida is strong, authoritative, and determined-but she has a kind heart, and an acute sense of justice. |
| Shopkeeper | Olga Shorokhova | ||
| Flower Lady | Lyudmila Artemyeva | ||
| Lapp Woman | Anna Ardova | ||
| Housemaster | Dmitry Nagiyev | Kirk Thornton | |
| Una | Olga Zubkova | Erin Fitzgerald | |
| Princess | |||
| Prince | Mikhail Tikhonov | Christopher Smith | |
| Master Vegard | A mirror craftsman who can construct mirrors that reflect souls. Vegard is the father of Kai and Gerda. | ||
Other English dub voices:
- Doug Erholtz as King, Robbers
- Kirk Thornton as Servant, Red Head, Robbers
- Cindy Robinson as Robber Hag
- Erin Fitzgerald as Mirror, Lake Gao
- Christopher Smith as Robbers
Concept
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