Frozen 2 has been in the cinema since this week! In this blog we will investigate if Disney did succeed in bringing the unique magic of Frozen back to the canvas. Last but not least we have some awesome Frozen soundbites to already get you in the mood!
The success of Frozen
One could call it a miracle that the blockbuster Frozen has made it to the big screen. In the nineties, Disney Studios was already planning to turn the classic fairy tale The Snow Queen from Hans Christian Andersen into an animated film. Disney composer Alan Menken would write the music and draw would be done by hand. Then everything went wrong and The Snow Queen was cancelled… Years later, Disney tried it again. This time not by hand, but the animation of a snowy kingdom would be computer animated and the music was left to the relatively unknown composer couple Kristen Anderson Lopez and Robert Lopez. Their “Let it Go” not only won an Oscar, but also became the ultimate sing-along. Disney definitely did notice Frozen’s success. The merchandise is insanely popular and every little girl still wants to dress up as either Anna or Elsa.
The new movie
Frozen II: A spread out
After the success of Frozen, most people expected a great and original sequel to come. However, it is no surprise that Frozen II has become for a great part a repeat of moves. This is a shame. As the movie has again been put beautifully together with a lot of new songs. In essence, it is just like so many other follow-up films (of Disney): more of the same but then with a number of new characters added. The first part of Frozen revolved around themes such as about finding your inner strength and reconciling with your ability to turn everything into snow and ice, but this sequel has little new magic in store. Also the double feeling of a power that is both a blessing and a curse is hard to see.
The story line
We pick up the thread a few years after the first part. Now the kingdom of Arendelle lives peacefully under Queen Elsa. We learn more about the past and that is desperately needed because this past is starting to threaten the present. Princess sisters Anne and Elsa set off with their friend Kristoff, his reindeer Sven and the snowman Olaf to figure out what exactly is going on and how they can stop things. Along the way they learn more about themselves and about Elsa’s powers, which are being put to the test.
Too scary
All in all, it is an adventurous fairy tale with a number of scenes that seem to aim for a somewhat older audience. Kristoff sings a song in a kind of rock ballad video clip and a number of scenes might be a little too scary for children who cant read subtitles yet. As a counterpart to the somewhat darker tone, Olaf is given the necessary things to do and to sing, and a new super-cute little fire creature has been added.
More boring
Furthermore, the story is a bit duller this time, because everyone is in the same storyline and therefore less happens. The rock trolls just roll past because they did so well in the first film, but could easily have come out. Frozen 2 is just less magical than its predecessor. It is nice, however, that Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf get some more to do, but it is a shame that this is at the expense of the two ladies. The nice thing about the first part was that those girls did not need a man for the happy ending and that this time a marriage proposal is involved. Conclusion Some viewers think this film is better than part 1, but we disagree! The storyline of Frozen 2 is a bit too much spread at the expense of Elsa and Anna.
On the good side
Despite a poor story line there is a lot of strong visuals again. The animation has been perfectionized. It is especially noticeable that in the many scenes that take place in tree-rich environments, each leaf actually moves separately and is colored by sun and shade. There is therefore ample attention for the visual detail. Where the previous part showed many white hues through the snow, clear primary colors such as red and green dominate here. Frozen II uses its very own color palette and this creates a beautiful picture.
Conclusion
To conclude, you cannot escape the impression that this follow-up adventure feels a bit “too little too late”. From the funny side-by-side characters (besides Olaf a naughty lizard) to the attempts to broaden the world of Arendelle: it all feels like smart formula work. Frozen II therefore seems to have been built mainly to rake in more money. We can also forget a second Let It Go. This time the blast of Elsa is called “Into the Unknown”, but that does not seem to be that good. With a little less magic than the first part, it is still a wonderful family movie to watch with the kids! To warm you up we have selected the fives best soundbites of Frozen. Do not forget to share them with your friends!
Sound-clips
Top 5 Frozen sound-clips on Voicy
- Let it go click here
- Some people are worth melting for click here
- The cold never bothered me anyway click here
- I am gonna tell him click here
- I like warm hugs click here