Elsa the Snow Queen and her sister Anna embark on an adventure far away from the kingdom of Arendelle. They are joined by friends, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven.
Now we were all thinking the same thing. “Another Frozen movie? Really?” The first film’s catchy music and silly plot had kids around the world fall in love with Disney’s plucky crew. Personally I remember when the first movie came out. I was in high school and dealing with a lot back at home, so the musical was a great way to escape for a bit. Yes, I acknowledged some of the plot holes. I didn’t care though and continued to annoy my best friends with the soundtrack (he didn’t really find it as funny as I did lol).
So what makes it’s sequel different? I’m gonna be bold and say nearly everything was different. In fact a main plot point of the movie was how everything was different from their first adventure. We start off our adventure in Arendelle, 3 years after the first movie. Everyone's a little older and more mature. Elsa is not as frigid, Anna carries herself with more confidence, and Olaf is rapidly educating himself on the world around him. In the first film we learn about letting yourself be you, and not letting fear control you. This film however tackles much bigger messages. Breaking generational curses, battling depression, and dealing with grief and loss are the main themes Disney decided to go with.
When the trailer was first released, the first reaction on social media was how dark the movie looked. After watching it twice in the theater I can confirm this is true on some levels. Disney did such a beautiful job of touching on deep and difficult topics, while also keeping it lighthearted for the youngest audience member. Even Anna gets a solo where she expresses her inner depression and grief, singing about wanting to succumb to the darkness inside her. As she sings you can feel the entire theater’s attitude shift. We watch the bubbly, warm, and enthusiastic Anna fall apart. We’ve been there, we’ve felt that. Seeing that portrayed on the screen helps remind us that it's okay to feel that way, as long as we get up and “Do the Next Right Thing” .
The soundtrack itself makes such an impact on you when you listen to the lyrics. Admit it, you also blasted Let It Go in the shower when the movie first came out. That song was certainly the highlight of it’s soundtrack. Frozen II however is full of songs that are bolder, stronger, and more replay worthy than Let It Go.
Frozen II also did an amazing job of giving each sister her moment. Now when I first watched this movie, I took my little sister as an early Christmas gift. Elsa was the star of the first movie, and the characters in it’s sequel even acknowledge this fact. But Elsa couldn’t have saved the day without Anna and it’s very blatant. They need each other, they rely on each other, and both sisters are equally beloved and important. While watching I could almost feel my sister get excited. The little sister is always second fiddle in these kinds of movies, and it was so beautiful to see them as equals.
If you haven’t seen it yet, you should. Doesn’t matter if you’re a parent or a sister. Not only is it such a good movie that it almost erases the sins of the first one, but it will also encourage and lift you up from any hard or dark place you might be in. Hats off to Disney for creating such a good story that discusses such hard topics in a positive and encouraging way.
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