It has been six years since Frozen blasted into theaters and blew audiences away with a new look at Disney princesses and fairy tales. Since then, fans have been eagerly waiting and forming their own theories on what might come next for Elsa, Anna and their friends. While the filmmakers can’t fulfill our every hope and fantasy, Frozen II is a great next chapter for our beloved characters, full of laughter, tears, growth and more unforgettable songs.
This sequel takes place in autumn and despite a song titled Some Things Never Change, we can tell that big changes are coming for Elsa, Anna and all of Arandelle. It starts as Elsa hears a mysterious singing voice only she can hear. Is it calling for her? She, Anna, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf venture out to a fabled forest for answers. There they meet indigenous people of the land and characters from stories their parents told. Secrets of Arandelle’s history and the royal family will be revealed as Elsa journeys into the unknown, taming the elements and searching for the source of that voice calling to her.
While Elsa and Anna are focused on the adventure at hand, Kristoff is busy worrying about how to propose to Anna. After one attempt goes wrong, he even sings a power ballad about his feelings for her. Lost in the Woods is easily my favorite song in this movie! It’s so refreshing to see a young male character like Kristoff so open about his feelings and romance, which is something we usually only see female characters do. Even better are little moments where Kristoff shows that he is an equal and supportive partner to Anna. When the couple meet up again in a moment of action and peril he doesn’t try to fight for her, but with her and says, “I’m here. What do you need?” I love that my young son gets to grow up with a role model like Kristoff.
As much as I love these new songs, I am so glad I resisted the urge to listen to any of them before the film. None of them contain any huge lyrical spoilers, but you may connect some dots. And with any animated film, it’s just so fun to discover these songs visually. I especially enjoyed the gags and references in Lost in the Woods. And if you listen to Olaf’s solo tune, you have no idea what is going on. The Next Right Thing had me in tears, and Show Yourself is the new Let It Go. If you really need to get a taste of the music before seeing the movie, Into the Unknown is a safe track.
There are so many wonderful things going on in this movie. There are themes of love, loss and grief that are so important for children to see in a way they can understand. But it’s so hard to talk about these in more detail without spoilers. I will say that while I understand some people are a little disappointed in this film when compared to the perfection of the original, I fully love and appreciate it and the effort that everyone behind it put in. Frozen was lightning caught in a bottle. Something that amazing rarely happens twice. But Frozen II is a wonderful, warm, pure attempt to do it again. Some might focus on the imperfections or simply want what they’ve been hoping for, but I see some major sparks within this beautiful film.
“I can’t freeze this moment but I can still go out and seize this day!”
The Best Picture Project 