Photo Credit: Disney & my friend Caitlyn
We waited almost six years for this, y’all.
The first Frozen came out the year my Glass Slipper was born. By the time she was 2, she knew most of the words to “Let It Go.” She turned 6 this year. She has never lived in a world without Frozen. This movie is a big deal to her. As it is for all the kids who have grown up with Anna and Elsa. Disney has a lot to live up to with Frozen 2, a lot to deliver. So do they?
Run Time: 1 hr 43 min
Rating: PG, for action/peril and some thematic elements
Post Credit Scene: Perfection.
Reindeers are Better than: People
From the bottom of my heart and with no spoilers to speak of, I can honestly say I think Disney delivered a sequel that built on the ideas and themes in the first film, while showing us a wider glimpse of the world of Arendelle and new sides to characters we love.
The plot of the first Frozen was pretty standard fairytale plotting, but with a spin on all the familiar tropes (true love, talking animals, love at first sight, evil powers). Frozen took a format we thought we knew and turned it on it’s head. And it was delightful. Who saw that Hans twist coming? Who knew the heroine would save herself, and everyone else, by an act of sacrificial true love? Who knew trolls were actually rocks? Frozen changed the game, a fact that I marveled at all 66491 times I’ve watched it.
So going in, I was a little nervous. How do they top that? Turns out, they top that by not trying to top that. Frozen 2 takes us in a different, more action/adventure direction. We’ve all seen the trailers of Elsa battling a stormy sea, Anna cliff jumping in a chic new outfit. That sense of exploration, both physical and emotional, is definitely at the heart of this film. By changing the direction, the filmmakers have given us something new and exciting that also feels familiar.
Because Frozen 2 is a sequel, it has more room to breathe and more artistic room to explore. The time spent setting up characters and situations isn’t needed: we know these guys, we don’t need a bunch of introductions or backstory. The filmmakers use that time to craft amazing action sequences and incorporate stunning animation. By the very nature of the story (no spoilers!) the animators can play around with different animation techniques to convey different parts of the narrative and it’s just gorgeous. There’s one scene towards the end of the movie that looks unlike anything I’ve ever seen in any kind of animation and I was just kind of spellbound. The Frying Pan even leaned over and went, “Ohhhh, mama, look it.”
So looking at that PG rating, there is a little more action/peril than the first film. Our beloved characters are put in several tight situations, and because of the amazing animation, the stakes feel very high. That scene from the first trailer we all analyzed 200 times, where Elsa is trying to get through an ocean? That entire scene is stunning. It’s thrilling. I would go see the movie again in the theaters just for that scene. It’s unlike any animated action sequence around. But that realism, that excitement, can get a smidge intense for younger viewers. My four year old, who is a boss babe, had no problem with it. My six year old, who is a delicate flower, had a few moments of “Oh no!”, but she handled it like a champ. Which I think most kids will.
The filmmakers really double down on the theme of true love: love between family, love between friends, love between a significant other, and add in the idea of love for a place, a home. True love, in the world of Frozen 2, is real, supportive, encouraging, and faithful. It survives hard situations, it gives strength in moments of weakness.
I love that the characters are allowed to grow within their relationships, especially our main gals. The emotional work done in the shorts Frozen Fever and Olaf’s Frozen Adventure has paid off: these are sisters who know, love, and celebrate each other. The relationship was not reset to give the movie conflict. Anna and Elsa are on this journey together, but they’re each learning different things about themselves. These individual self discoveries happen amidst their sisterly support, as evidenced by Anna’s line (from the trailer, no spoilers!), “I believe in you, Elsa, more than anyone, or anything.”
Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven are also along for the ride, with the first two getting their own arcs and emotional beats. While Olaf is the comedic relief, he also gets a really sweet plot about learning how to process and handle change; remember he’s only been alive for a few years, so his life is full of learning and growth. Sven doesn’t get an emotional journey, per say, though he does get a new reindeer friend or two… Speaking of new friends, there are a few new characters, all of whom are necessary to the story, and one in particular who my kids went crazy for and I bet yours will, too.
If you’ve been looking forward to Frozen 2 solely so your kids will get a different song stuck in your head, rejoice! Your time has arrived. We saw the movie opening day, Friday, and my kids have listened to nothing but the soundtrack since then. While we may not see the likes of “Let It Go” ever again, my girls have been belting out “Into the Unknown” and “Show Yourself” on a loop. Kristoff finally gets his own song here, the fantastic “Lost in the Woods”, which is made so much better by the animation. This is what I’m taking about when I say the animators had room to play: because we know Kristoff, the payoff on the visuals of this song are so great. Touching, but also hilarious.
This movie is breaking all the records (biggest International animated opening ever!), dominating the national and global box office ($358 million internationally in its first weekend!), and I’m sure it will win 2 gazillion awards. Which it deserves.
Frozen 2 is a gorgeously animated, funny, exciting film that reminds us what true love looks like: it changes, it grows, but it never goes away. The people, places, and sandwiches we love are always a part of us.
Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey five years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!