The Green Screen: Gator’s Eye Reviews Frozen 2

This poster was created by IMDb. It shows the main characters of this beloved new film.

This poster was created by IMDb. It shows the main characters of this beloved new film.

In 2013, the world fell in love with the kingdom of Arendelle and its two sisters. Now, six years later, we want to see if the sequel can compare. 

Frozen 2 focuses on Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf traveling to an enchanted forest in the hopes to calm the four elemental spirits. As they journey deeper into the woods, the team discovers that the past isn’t what it seems and it’s their job to fix it. The plot is different from standard Disney movies as there is no villain to fight–and while the story is very entertaining, it’s still weird to not see a “bad guy” for Elsa and Anna had to stop. However, that could be a great lesson for kids. There isn’t always villainy to combat, sometimes an adventure is about finding yourself instead. The animation is smooth and has the Disney look, and stills were the absolutely beautiful works of art that made the studio so successful. 

The main theme of this movie focused on transformation and growth, and they showed it very, very well. We see Elsa grow from a woman who shuts herself in to a queen who embraces her abilities and shows her love. Anna is wiser, Olaf is growing up, and Kristoff is embracing his feelings. When the film ends, every character leaves entirely different than they began, and it was beautiful to see them grow up along with fans who have grown themselves.

Even through the character growth was great, some were overshadowed, like Kristoff, who vanishes into the woods after his song and hardly plays a part in the film besides being romantic. Anna and Elsa also acted out of character in some times, including Elsa’s choices towards the end of the movie and Anna’s treatment of Kristoff at the start. Olaf was spectacular, though. He stole the show with both his humor and emotional moments.

One of the things that made Frozen such a big deal was its soundtrack. “Let it Go” became the biggest song of the year. This movie had great music too, including a Kristoff solo in the style of an Eighties music video, a tear-jerking Anna song called “The Next Right Thing” that’s just about the opposite of “For the First Time In Forever” in every way, and a beautiful Elsa song about embracing her power and loving who you are. Other songs included “Into the Unknown” and “When I’m Older,” and were just as beautiful and nostalgic. The music was fantastic, and while the first movie may have a more memorable soundtrack, I think that some songs in this one are even better than “Let it Go.”

Finally, let me talk a little about the hero of the story and why her arc is the best part of this movie (besides Kristoff’s song, of course.) Every little kid fell in love with Elsa in Frozen, right? Personally I was more of an Anna person, but that’s not the point. The point is that if you liked her before, you’ll love her in this movie. Elsa (literally) lets her hair down, lets herself in instead of shutting herself out, embracing who she is and what she can do. Her biggest moments focus on her trusting her instincts and loving herself and her powers. Her self love story is something different than the standard Disney adventure and it was twice as beautiful. 

All in all, we’d definitely recommend seeing this in theaters once, especially with friends who also grew up with the first movie. Frozen 2 was a magical adventure and managed to shine even through its less positive points. While nothing can beat the original, the nostalgia it brings, the songs you’ll be singing for weeks, and the sheer amount of Olaf will all make the trip worth it!