Parents' Guide to

Olaf's Frozen Adventure

By Joyce Slaton, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 5+

Sweet, charming holiday special is better than you heard.

Movie G 2018 22 minutes
Olaf's Frozen Adventure Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 3+

Based on 10 parent reviews

scarlettthedragonmaster
scarlettthedragonmaster Adult
December 9, 2020
age 5+

happy holidays

it better than I remember it it about where Olaf hears about Christmas Traditions and feels bad for Elsa and Anna when he finds out they don’t have any so he ventures out with Sven to find them some it got a lot of good songs and of course a few funny bits when it comes to Olaf and in the end he did bring out something special to Elsa and Anna if your kiddos liked frozen they’ll definitely like this
K.schmidtt
K.schmidtt Adult
November 5, 2020
age 2+

Adorable

Saw this with my 3 year old. Very cute, she likes it and it has a cute message about holidays being about family, not stuff. The shirt plot: Olaf travels Arendelle to gather “traditions” for Anna and Elsa (since they don't have any). In an accident, he loses all the stuff and gives up. Meanwhile, looking through keepsakes - the sisters realize making a snowman & snowman themed crafts has always been their tradition. They find Olaf and show him that he’s their tradition - and then cheer him up with a song about how they don’t need presents or bells, being together is the best gift. There are obviously sad parts -the girls not having a tradition, Olaf losing his sleigh and feeling like a failure. That’s part of life and they work through it. If you want to let your little one watch a short holiday-themed film this is a good one. *Note: Though the theme is obviously Christmas, there is not any real religious content.
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What's the Story?

Holiday special OLAF'S FROZEN ADVENTURE picks up during the very first holiday season in Arendelle after the re-opening of the castle gates (and the events in the movie Frozen). When a party that Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell) throw goes awry, the sisters discover they've forgotten all their holiday traditions. It's up to Olaf (Josh Gad) to visit all the families in Arendelle to discover traditions that he can bring to Elsa and Anna. But when Olaf almost doesn't make it back from his journey, our friends discover that the true meaning of the holidays is togetherness.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (10 ):
Kids say (4 ):

Widely derided when it appeared as a (pretty long) short before Coco, this holiday special is both charming and delightful when it stands on its own. Surely you must spare some pity for all those who worked on Olaf's Frozen Adventure, which, like all animated features, took years and lots of care to craft, only to be received with nearly universal mockery from viewers and critics alike. The problem, it turns out, is that 22 minutes is too long for a pre-movie short, but it's just right for a holiday special to watch after dinner and before wrapping presents. Olaf is as silly and quippy as he was in Frozen, dashing off slightly salty asides that will make parents smile (and may pass over kids' heads); Anna and Elsa are as sweet, even if the stakes for this special are considerably lower than the apocalyptic winter scenario Frozen was built around.

The special's four songs are no "Let It Go," but they're fine, tuneful, hummable enough, and kids will love the holiday traditions Olaf explores: Knitting socks! Rolling lefse! Gathering with your friends and family for a festive holiday sauna! Watching together may encourage discussions of your own family traditions: What do you do every year and why? When Elsa and Anna sing that "I will always feel at home when we're together, it's my favorite time of year," it may even make you lean over and squeeze someone's hand. What more could you ask for from a holiday special?

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Olaf's Frozen Adventure's message. What do the characters learn over the course of the movie? How can you apply these lessons to your own life?

  • Holiday movies and TV shows often feature music. Why? Do you still hear songs from holiday movies and TV shows played on the radio or elsewhere, even years after the movie or TV show came out?

Movie Details

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