This is part of my series “Thoughts on Disney movies,” where I’ve gone back to watch all of the animated Disney features, starting with Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs, and then share my thoughts on the blog. Today I take a look at Frozen 2.
Highlights: It was inevitable that Frozen was going to get a sequel, and it was also inevitable that people would have crazy expectations for it (good or bad). I’m one of those people who really loved the first Frozen but I was skeptical of a sequel. While I will say I still think the original Frozen is better, there was a lot of great stuff in this movie. The film is visually beautiful. In addition to the classic ice and snow backdrops you also have fall vibes with leaves and the colors of autumn. The costumes are gorgeous too. And I thought the movie did a great job at balancing some of the more dramatic or emotional moments with plenty of laugh out loud things too. It was really funny at times! I also just want to call out how much I liked Kristoff’s character in this one. Disney has finally created a male character that can embrace his emotions and support his significant other in her own adventures. I loved that.
Low points: My biggest issue with the movie is actually the overall plot and main idea of the film. It focuses on the 4 elements (water, fire, air, and earth) and Elsa thinks a 5th element is calling to her. This is a lot of totally new stuff that didn’t occur in the first movie, and it kind of felt like a brand new story that just had a Frozen wrapper on it. I would have preferred to see plot as its own film with new characters, rather than trying to fit it into the already existing Frozen universe. It just felt a bit disjointed at times.
The music: The music in this one definitely grew on me as I watched it again and listened to the soundtrack more. Initially it didn’t stand out to me like the first Frozen, but now I really love the whole Frozen 2 soundtrack. It has a lot of different styles and great lyrics. My initial favorite was Kristoff’s song “Lost in the Woods,” because it’s so catchy and funny while also being heartfelt. As a disillusioned adult I have a lot of love for Olaf’s “When I’m Older.” I think Elsa gets another great ballad with “Into the Unknown” (“Show Yourself” is beautiful too but it didn’t quite grab me). But kind of a late bloomer for me is Anna’s song “The Next Right Thing.” It’s slow and possibly a bit boring for kids. But the emotions and lyrics of this song are really well done. As someone who struggles with anxiety and depression the song speaks to me in that way as well so I felt very connected to it.
The villain: Here Disney has been continuing their more recent pattern of not really having a main villain or a “big bad.” Arguably there may be some characters that are antagonists, but it’s typically more complicated than your standard fairy tale villain. Instead what the characters are up against is much more about relationships, internal struggle, growing up, etc. I’m not sure this works for every Disney film but I felt like it worked here.
Fun fact: The idea for Frozen 2 actually started with the ending. As early as mid-2014 the creators of the first Frozen film started thinking about a sequel, and at that point they knew the goal for the ending was for Elsa to give up being queen and have freedom, and for Anna to take over as Queen of Arandelle. They just had to spend the next 5 years figuring out a good story to get the characters there!
Where in the World: Of course Frozen is all over Disney World, and there are touches of Frozen 2 as well. A whole portion of the Norway pavilion in Epcot is now dedicated to Frozen, including a boat ride attraction called Frozen Ever After and a meet and greet with Anna and Elsa (pre-pandemic they were wearing costumes from Frozen 2). Disney previously hosted a nighttime experience called the Frozen Ever After dessert party which may or may not come back in the next year. In Hollywood Studios you can visit the Frozen sing-along stage show (and when character meet and greets return, you’ll find Olaf in Hollywood Studios too!). The characters also make various appearances in shows and parades throughout the parks, including Mickey’s Royal Friendship Faire and Festival of Fantasy.
My rating: 8.5 out of 10
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What do you think of Frozen 2?
One thing I will say is that Into the Unknown and Lost in the Woods are two of the best Disney songs ever written!
Lost in the Woods is definitely one of my favorites!