Frozen II stands alone as smart, fun sequel

Spoiler Alert: There may be spoilers for Frozen 2 for the ones who haven’t seen it. 

Six years after the original Frozen came out, the canon sequel had officially opened itself to the public eye. Frozen II or ‘2’ brings new, challenging and genre-defying songs as well as a perspective into the truth of the trademark sisters backstory that wasn’t what it seemed to be in the first movie. 

The movie came out on November 22, and kids and adults alike filled the theaters to watch the loving movie we all remember. It grossed $1.325 billion worldwide and has scored some amazing awards. Highest all-time worldwide opening for an animated film, a second-highest-grossing animated film of all time, the third highest-grossing film of 2019, and the 14th highest-grossing film of all time. The Frozen fanbase is not one to be messed with, as it had a wide audience. 

A short synopsis of the movie for those who haven’t watched it: Frozen 2 takes place three years after the first movie, the story following the main cast of characters who explore this mysterious dark wood from a voice that calls out to Elsa, the main character of this tale. She adventures beyond Arendelle, their kingdom that Elsa now rules alongside Anna, to follow a strange voice, and set things straight in the world with spirits and elements. 

It received praise from critics for its animation, interactions/plot, and music, which I will be judging on today. However, many people go to Rotten Tomatoes for reviews, and the original Frozen had gotten a 90%, while Frozen 2 got a 77%. 

General Overview: 

If I hadn’t seen a Frozen movie before, I would only be a little confused by this movie, but it seems pretty okay to watch it alone without seeing the first, as it completes the plot. What kept me watching the movie was the depth of the plot and the music. 

It’s well thought out, and I can see Elsa’s (and every other character’s) struggle in each song to where mature audiences can appreciate that, but the overall visuals and animations to go alongside it also appeal to the children, like in “Lost In The Woods”, sung by Kristoff. It’s hard to appeal to all audiences, and the Frozen franchise pulls it off almost perfectly. 

From Olaf’s existential crisis of a retelling of Elsa and Anna’s past, Kristoff’s failed attempts to propose to Anna, Elsa rediscovering herself in an independent and proud way, and Anna being extremely good at charades and an extremely good sister: Frozen 2 is a movie you will not want to miss out on. 

Other students besides myself enjoy this fantasy movie, like junior Abel Alvarez. Alvarez stated, “It was better than the first and more mature. I like how the music was more Broadway-style, and it gives more character development.”

Animation: 3/4

Frozen 2 does some daunting stuff with its animation, and it’s not just how pretty Elsa is at any given moment, or the expressions of a snowman. But, this may just be me geeking over non-human animation and pretty girls with magical ice powers. 

Something that stuck out to me was the water, as funny as it sounds, and the general animation with posing for songs. Water is very hard to animate because you have to consider all forces of physics, the reflections, opacity, the way it moves, and so much more. Marlon West, co-head of the film’s effects animation, spoke about how challenging it was. 

“[This water] doesn’t look like ‘Moana’ water or ‘Big Hero Six’ water,” said West. “This is actually very specific to the ‘Frozen’ universe.”

A scene that conveys this is Elsa’s confrontation with a translucent water horse underwater, as well as riding this horse a couple of scenes later. 

“All of a sudden you get these weird reflections,” West explained. “And if you can see through his body, then when Elsa’s riding it, you can see her other leg, and it doesn’t look as cool.”

Other than that, as a person who enjoys art and effort in storyboarding and animation, it looks clean, well thought out, and the amount of detail that goes into every frame is impeccable. Whether it be by easter eggs, the smallest details in Elsa’s outfits and expressions, or in the broader scenes: the backdrops and scenery, which is beautiful and well animated. Overall, very good animations. 

Interactions/Plot: 4/4

This movie made me laugh really hard at some parts, and it did make me cry, and not necessarily because of a sad part. If you can get that emotion out of someone, I’d say the movie did a fantastic job of pulling jokes and heartstrings in the span of 103 minutes. Allow me to quote those two scenes.

When in the woods, they have to retell the story to two groups in order to bring them together and stop the spiritual rage the past has caused. Olaf takes the initiative and tells the story in a very fast and funny way that would make the kids laugh, but adding the dark humor that makes the mature audience chuckle as well. 

The part that jerked me to tears wasn’t necessarily sad, but it was brought on by the despair-inducing failed proposals by Kristoff to Anna. Every time he failed, many people in the theater alongside me laughed, but when the time finally came for Kristoff to propose to Anna at the end of the movie, I couldn’t help but shed a tear. 

Character development is huge in movies, and it’s something I truly appreciate. Through the failures it was hilarious and almost humiliating due to the fact that Kristoff and Anna overthink and clash together, making it hard to choose the right words. Their relationship truly made me laugh, yearn, and even cry. 

Music: 3/4

I’m not gonna lie, I went home with my friend after the movie and immediately replayed the soundtrack, memorized all of the words, and struggled to sing “Into The Unknown”, because it’s super iconic. I would not shut up about this soundtrack. 

I asked a fellow music lover, junior Sean Ryland, about his analysis of a couple of songs in the soundtrack. “‘Some Things Never Change’ breaks the fourth wall and shows us how [the kingdom] has changed between movies. ‘Into The Unknown’ is an amazing song that showcases [Elsa’s] voice and insane range. ‘Show Yourself’ can be annoying at first, but the song is a masterpiece on its own.”

Ryland is absolutely correct in all parts. I adore every single song on this soundtrack, and it even good standalone. But, it’s amazing inside the movie. A truly iconic song and moment from the movie that makes everyone laugh by the visuals (that reminds you of old music videos) and the emotional aspect of the song is ‘Lost In The Woods’.

However, the main song of the movie is ‘Into The Unknown’ and the trademark mysterious voice that is definitely a motif in the movie. It really encases Elsa’s insecurities in one song and the battle between staying in Arendelle or going out, as she did in the original Frozen, to figure out her powers once more. The decision she made is obvious, but it’s easy to see her battle with the self as she’s ruling Arendelle, but still needs to go out and save her kingdom again. 

Conclusion: 3/4

Frozen 2 was a movie I would definitely recommend to anyone. It has the perfect mix of hilariousness, emotion, and maturity to appeal to all audiences. It seems to still be trending now, especially with the LGBTQ+ theory of Elsa’s sexuality. However, the answer will only be solved if you watch the movie. 

Between the time and effort that goes into the animation as well as the songs and plot, Frozen 2 is a smart and good fantasy movie that was done well. It deserves a lot more recognition, and it’s so deep and funny and the ending is very satisfying. It’s still being shown in theaters, so take a leap into the unknown.