Frozen 2: The Review

Disney didn’t take its own advice and let it go this time. With Frozen 2’s release, the company even put aside it’s no mainstream sequel release policy for the first time since The Rescuers Down Under. At least, that’s the only one I can think of. And, well, thank goodness they went there. A sequel is rarely as good as it’s progenitor. Frozen 2 comes awfully close to it.

To get the nitpicking out of the way, I really wish they had come up with a more clever title. Still Frozen? No, that wouldn’t work. Thawed, perhaps? Eh, there was still a good amount of ice hanging around. Rediscovering yourself after years of living in seclusion and someone else’s shadow? I’m beginning to see why they stuck on Frozen 2. Shadows: The Frozen Story Continues wouldn’t have been so bad. I know. Brand recognition. Blah, blah, blah. Anyway, what it’s called really doesn’t matter.

This film was going to put butts in seats regardless of everything up to and including advertising. Seriously, Disney could have put out posters with only the name and release date. The result would be the same. There was a lot to like in the first movie. All of the main characters were relatable, even Hans.

Well, he was a severe jerk, so I don’t think anyone really liked him. Outside of the blatant villainy, he was the representation of what Anna and Elsa’s relationship could produce. Bitterness and an overinflated need for the spotlight. By putting him beside Anna, the audience gets to fully appreciate her lack of guile and genuine desire for sibling love. And Kristof rocks so Hans didn’t have a snowball’s chance on a beach.

This is a kids’ movie series! Why does an adult have such opinions on this type of thing? Because Frozen the first was only half a kids’ movie. And it’s sequel followed in its footsteps.

Frozen explored sisterly/sibling love and the need to let go of being afraid of who you are. Great lessons to give to kids right upfront. For us, adults in the audience, the lesson of not being afraid of who you are is something we didn’t always get. I don’t know about you, but the idea of fitting in and confirming was my number one priority growing up. And it’s something I’ve had to shake as an adult. Exploring this on the big screen and in cartoon form takes a lot of the intimation factor out of it.

In the sequel, I think the writers made the decision to tip the scales a little bit. Frozen 2 seems to give more time to targeting adults with its message. Not to say kids are left in the dust. Take a look at any Frozen 2 merchandise display, and you’ll see the childhood delight for this film. I thought the one I saw in Michaels was going to fall over if I looked at it for too long.

The ideas broken down in this movie are more complex. Adapting to change, doing the right thing, being someone’s support system, and the past isn’t always what it seems. The first two are consumable by the younger members of the audience. And again, good things to get in their heads from the start. The second set is most definitely targeted at the older members of the audience. Although, I would argue the theme of questioning the past and the stories you are fed is exactly the type of lesson we need to be giving to the next generation of thinkers. But that’s a post for another day.

It wouldn’t be a Disney movie without a musical element. The big song piece is Into the Unknown, sung by the incredibly talented Idina Menzel and Aurora. Hopefully, they don’t get John Travolta to read the Original song category at the Oscars again. They were shooting for another Let it Go, but I think this didn’t quite hit the same note. The song is currently running in my head as I write this so…yeah. I might be wrong there.

I preferred Kristof’s number to all others in the sequel. As my sister in law pointed out, it felt like an Air Supply music video. She is absolutely right. Kristof definitely made callbacks to the Hairband Power ballads from the eighties and nineties. It is a glorious montage filled with a lovelorn man and his reindeer gang. What else could you possibly ask for? Sven would say carrots. I would respectfully disagree.

Frozen 2 was well worth the wait. This is yet another example of animation being accessible to children and adults alike. And it’s the perfect time of year to be indoors and away from the sleet, snow, and ice. The cold always bothers me anyway.