Over Thanksgiving break I went and saw the immensely hyped  Frozen 2. I first saw Frozen when I was in third grade. Being a mere eight years old this trip to my local movie theater was life changing. I watched the adventures of Anna, Elsa,Olaf, and Kristoff as they battle their way through the Norwegian mountains to save Anna and reunite two basically estranged sisters. It’s a classic tale of love, coming of age, sisterly bonds, and even betrayal. The story is well thought out detailed masterpiece and was an instant classic. So when I went to the theater to see this new sequel to the beloved tale, I had high hopes but also a sense that it had already failed to meet the standard. How could a movie beloved by millions be followed with an equal new story? It seems impossible. So after close examination of the plot and music even the animation I have come to a conclusion. Here are my thoughts on the new Frozen sequel.

The story begins with a flashback to Anna and Elsa’s childhood much like the first. This showed a little bit of a lack of originality ( the first one started out in the same manner) at first but as the flashback progressed, it made sense to use this storytelling medium to set up the plot. The story tells of the late King whose father built a dam with the native people of the enchanted forest. The writers made it seem as though it was a good relationship when this “peace offering” was made although it was a rocky connection between both civilizations.

One thing I noticed in the beginning but I was assured more of throughout the story progression were the new diverse characters and attempt to include different races. This is an issue Disney has faced throughout it’s decades long reign  with exceptions such as The Princess and the Frog, Mulan, Moana, and Pocahontas. But we really haven’t had the inclusiveness of these previously mentioned movies in the Frozen franchise. They introduce the people of the enchanted forest who are of Eskimo origin and townspeople of black heritage and more. This may not be historically accurate sa my research couldn’t find many people of color living in Norway in the 1800’s but it really shows that Disney is stepping up and giving the young boys and girls of color hope that people that look like them are fairy tales and that is something I really appreciate.

When I saw this  I was afraid of for the new movie was the music. The songs from the first movie were iconic even if you haven’t seen Frozen you still know “ Let it go” and so on. Knowing this I had a really high bar set for the score and the musical numbers throughout the movie. And let me tell you, they didn’t disappoint… except for one. Kristoff’s number, “Lost in the Woods” was nice in theory but just cringey to watch.  The animators decided to go for a mock 80’s themed sequence and while it was a cute idea it just didn’t match the rest of the movie. And maybe this is a hot take but I really think it threw off the vibe for me. I mean it was a nice change of pace but compared to the Broadway caliber of the rest of the score it really didn’t hit me in the right spot. But the rest of the music was top notch. The very first song was great it set up the plot while showing the maturity and growth of the characters since we have seen them last. Olaf had a great number singing, “When I am Older” a hilarious little tune that really summed up his character in this movie perfectly. Idina Menzel killed the vocals as Elsa (as always) and I really think that both Kristen-Anderson Lopez and Robert Lopez really hit the bar when it comes to meeting the standard of the last film’s music. However I do not think that the songs from this movie will become as big of a hit as its predecessor did.

For being a sequel this movie really stepped it up and gave us a whirlwind of a story. Holy moly I was lost half the time. One thing that did bother me about the script was that it was too self aware. The movie knew about its popularity and it’s ego was inflated. There is a point in the movie when Elsa is walking through the magical ice palace, I honestly don’t remember the name but anyways she is seeing flashbacks of her and her family and she sees one of her singing Let It Go. And while a cute gimmick, it really set the tone of the movie being aware of its popularity. And maybe that is just me but I really think it degraded the genuine feel the rest of the movie gave me. So in conclusion, this movie was great a solid 8/10. Some elements weren’t as good as I know they could be but overall this movie killed it. Definitely a winner especially for a sequel and I highly recommend going to see it. Or if not then wait for it to come out on Disney Plus.