Even though Ralph Breaks the Internet came out first, the first Frozen movie has got to have been the catalyst for Disney to decide to work on some cinematic sequels. The first Frozen was a juggernaut and Pixar has set a trend reeling in big bucks at the box-office and through merchandising, by producing sequels to their most famous properties. Before this year, Disney had only released one pure animated sequel in over 80 years, and that was The Rescuers Down Under in 1990; I’m surprised it’s taken Disney this long to finally decide they want some of that sweet sequel-money. Frozen II was bound to eventuate, and here it is.
Personally, I think the first Frozen is good… there’s a few things that get my goat, like the shoed-in rock-troll love song while Anna is dying, and while the rest of the movie is trying to subvert love-at-first-meeting, and the tired surprise villain plot device. But Olaf is lovable enough and it felt like a classic Disney tale. The decision to turn The Snow Queen fairy-tale into a story about sisterly love was a masterstroke and I can’t begrudge the legion of fans behind Frozen, even if I prefer Moana. Frozen is made for girls after all, so what do my thoughts matter?
Frozen II is directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, and shows Elsa hearing a mystical call from the wild. She leads Anna, Christoff, Olaf and Sven into an enchanted forest shrouded in mist, where the girl’s grandfather once fought against wildlings who worship elemental abilities – earth, fire, wind and water, (if you love Avatar: The Last Airbender, you will love this). Within the mist, everything has been preserved, and the group catch up with wildlings and Arendelle soldiers unable to escape the forest. Our heroes must unlock the secret to the mist, whilst the distant call beckons Elsa, and could provide insight on the significance of her ice powers.
The animation is flawless again, with the video-realistic sequence of Elsa running along ocean waves the highlight for me. Even more thrilling is the score, especially during action scenes; whilst Elsa is taming the water-spirit and Anna lures the earth giants to the dam wall. The score could be considered one of Disney’s best someday, and that’s high praise! Collectively, I’d say the songs are on par with what we got in Frozen – obviously there isn’t anything to comparable to ‘Let it Go’ but there are no weak spots. Christoff parodies some of the great rock ballad video clips of the eighties, in his heartfelt solo that will definitely have the adults smiling; it’s the most Rock-of-Ages thing Disney has done and it’s very cool. The songs are filled with positive messages – Olaf channels the voice of a small child singing how the world can seem scary but everything will make sense when he’s older. Anna advises us that when we are dealing with sadness, or the future seems uncertain, all you can do is “the next right thing.” And Elsa’s second song is all about letting us know that we are all we need, and we don’t need to wait for someone else to show ourselves – positive messages are big for me, and I think children can latch onto them to guide them for years to come.
Unlike the first movie where Elsa and Anna are separate for almost the entire time, the sequel is able to show how the sisters have become friends and what they mean to each other. I love how the movie gives us time with our heroes (Elsa, Anna, Christoff, Olaf and Sven) to show how they have celebrated their victories of the last movie and where they are now. Anna and Olaf have some time just sitting on the grass, and the entire gang participate in games night. It’s a relaxed entry point that sets up how our characters have evolved, and what they might learn in this movie. Olaf has earnt eternal life, and now contemplates what it might mean to mature. Christoff has gone from a loner to being in love with Anna, and faces challenges surrounding supporting another person – the movie does push the threshold of how daft Anna can be, to give Christoff something to contemplate, but it’s fine. Elsa was very isolated in the first movie but now she has found joy amongst friends, even if she fosters a secret urge to grow, into the unknown. But Anna got everything she wanted in the last movie – her sister back, the kingdom gates open – so she is the most reluctant for things to change, even if the movie is adamant that change is constant. Anna is almost needy when it comes to insisting Elsa stay by her side, as she doesn’t want to lose her again.
The movie expands on the Frozen universe, actually giving Anna and Elsa’s parents some relevance, unlike what they had in the first movie. I was captivated by the drama, and the imagery of nature that sometimes reminded me of Pocahontas, with the deep red and green colours of the wind. When Olaf fades away, it makes sense because Elsa is incapacitated, and I bought into the moment – in the first Frozen, there is no way that Anna is gone when she freezes to death and so that always felt anti-climactic to me. You’d pay the price of admission just to here Adina Menzel sing, but there’s so much more going on here, in this smart and mature adventure. Disney has had a habit lately, of making fun of their own brand, highlighting that the beloved Disney Princesses they have created in the past are not aligned with the values that they advocate today, but I feel like Frozen II is the first time (‘in forever’) they’ve offered a resounding alternative. I’d be proud to stand behind Elsa, and I would now consider her a worthy cinematic female heroin.
There are some obviously flaws, like the fact that Anna thought it was okay to wipe out her entire kingdom by breaking the dam without any certainty that Arendelle inhabitants would be out of harm’s way. Also, where would they live? The Lando-Calrissian soldier is quick to agree with it too, but I’ll give the movie the benefit of the doubt that it wanted to keep up its snappy pace so to not have our characters talk too long about the life-threatening implications of their decision making. Thank the Lord that Elsa was unfrozen in time to turn the rushing water away from the castle, otherwise this movie might’ve had a catastrophic ending – I know there was an earthquake and the city’s inhabitants scattered, but I’d reckon a few of them probably went back in, displaced from their homes and not knowing how long Anna and Elsa might take to return. Also, what decides the creatures that will represent the elemental spirits in this movie? While Elsa brilliantly battles the noble Alolan-Rapidash water-spirit, the GEICO gecko fire-spirit gets bested by getting cornered. They’re both cute though, so marketing will be happy.
I certainly wasn’t expecting a dud movie, but I wasn’t expected to love Frozen II so much. The year is coming to a close but I feel Frozen II is going to make me reconsider my favourite ten movies of the year. I love a movie with positive messaging for children and Frozen II has it in spades. Even when Olaf is advocating the theory that water has memory, it made me wonder how many children might go home, run the tap and ponder a larger world than their own; maybe ten children, maybe a thousand. Frozen II goes to show how you can look forward to a sequel, even if you don’t love the original, in the hopes that writers can shape a movie that’s learnt from past mistakes. Go see Frozen II and go see it again – this is some phenomenal work.
5.0
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