t’s hard to believe that it’s been six years since Disney’s Frozen first hit the big screen and started something big. Merchandise was everywhere and ‘Let It Go’ was every child’s favourite song to belt out at the top of their lungs. And now, watch out, because just in time for Christmas, Frozen Fever is back. Royal sisters Elsa and Anna are back in Arendale, along with Kristoff, Sven and Olaf and just when everything seem’s to be going swimmingly, Elsa begins to hear a strange voice calling her into the unknown.
Disney are the masters of creating a good and interesting story, and Frozen 2 is no exception. We are quickly introduced to a mysterious tale, told to Elsa and Anna as young children by their father, a story and a legend that stays with Elsa as she grows to become the queen of Arendale. When she begins to hear a voice that no one else seems to hear, she finds herself being pulled away from safety and drawn towards the enchanted forest her parents had once told her about. What follows is an epic journey into the past, as Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven join Elsa to discover the truth and to make peace with the mysterious magical spirits.
You simply cannot deny that with every Disney film, the animation seems to get better and even more beautiful. Frozen 2 is a lovely blend of Winter and Autumn colours, swirling designs and flowing lines. It’s gorgeous to look at, transporting you away to a magical land full of spirits and mythical creatures. This is a movie littered with sparkle and a wonderful attention to detail, something that Disney has become very well known for.
Without forgetting that this is a Disney film, a film designed for Children, Frozen 2 expertly handles some rather grown up topics. Whilst the first film certainly does include elements of danger, this sequel takes us deeper into the very grown up topics of truth and grief. We see Elsa and Anna having to come to face with the secrets of their past whilst coming to terms with all that they had been through. There is constant feelings of both wanting to protect each other, and each having to make their own decisions about what is best for themselves.
What this film does very well is balancing these more serious topics with comedy. Once again, lovable Olaf comes to the rescue with his light and optimism, yet even the much loved snowman has gone through some changes since the first film. He is suddenly obsessed with the thoughts of growing up and seems to be developing some much more human-like emotional reactions but still he makes us laugh with his reactions to all that is happening around him and his charming song ‘When I am Older’ even though this isn’t anywhere near as catchy as his original film song ‘In Summer’. Kristoff is less a hero in this film and more of a lovesick tag along, obsessing over something he wants to do as soon as Anna is finished trying to save Arendale. Whilst it’s shame to see him take a back seat when it comes to the action, we do get to see him interacting with a gang of adorable reindeer’s and finally getting his own song, so silver linings and all that.
Something that made the first Frozen film so popular was the music, even though some parents may have grown to hate it after a while and it’s really no surprise that Frozen 2 has introduced us to many new songs that are sure to be just as popular. That being said, as good as some of the songs are, I just don’t think that they are as instantly attention grabbing or as catchy as those in the first film. As much as Elsa’s 2 big numbers ‘Into The Unknown’ and ‘Show Yourself’ are performed wonderfully and are great lyrically, I can’t imagine children singing these day in and day out. ‘Somethings Never Change’ provides a warm fuzzy feeling but doesn’t quite have the appeal of ‘For The First Time in Forever’ whilst ‘The Next Right Thing’ might just be the secret little wonder of this film’s soundtrack. A softer song with a darker topic but one that illustrates the process of dealing with grief in a very grown up and touching manner.
Whilst some parents may delight at the idea of the songs not being as annoyingly catchy, I would suggest that they still keep a careful eye on the purse strings with Christmas approaching as this film not only introduces a number of new adorable creatures with will undoubtedly be the sell out soft toys of the season, but Elsa and Anna also have at least three or four beautiful new dresses each. Let’s just say, it’s not just the films that Disney makes off of.
To conclude, Frozen 2 is a film that the whole family can enjoy. The children will love seeing these now beloved characters going on a whole new adventure, whilst the adults may enjoy how well the film touches upon grown up topics and handles them with such grace. There are some moments that are genuinely touching, whilst others will make you laugh out loud. This is a film that truly highlights just how good Disney are at doing what they do, creating new imaginative stories that can take anyone, young or old, on magical wonderful adventures whilst touching on elements of the real world.