Frozen II Franchise Grows Up, Maybe Leaving Kids Behind
I had a seven- or so year-old sitting behind me for the duration of the screening of Frozen II. Under normal circumstances that wouldn’t bother me, Disney movies are for the whole family after all and children often get excited about things I wouldn’t think twice about. That said, I’m not entirely sure who Frozen II is for. I, a twenty-something-year-old woman was enthralled by the film but the seven-year-old behind me, I soon realized, started kicking my seat whenever she was bored and I’m amazed there weren’t dents in my seat.
This film is a sequel through and through. There is a hysterically funny sequence where Olaf recounts the events of Frozen. The film isn’t shy about its sequelness later making fun of “Let It Go” and several other moments from the previous film. And to be clear, Frozen is required watching. Musically and aesthetically this film feels like a continuation and elevation of the previous film. All the dresses and outfits are beautiful. The textures look so realistic that I felt like I could pull the garments out of the film and wear them. The snow is beautiful and the ice looks impeccable — don’t even get me started on the photorealistic water. The flames look crisp.
The music on the whole is serviceable. I’ve found myself humming “Into the Unknown” since I left the theater and Olaf’s song, “When I am Older” is a young adult mood. The score is sweeping and lovely and weaves in musical motifs from Frozen as well as the new songs. Kristoff’s number, however, introduced a weird level of meta and modern humor that while funny felt out of place in the film and dragged. The jokes in it also didn’t land with the seven-year-old who started kicking by the end of the first chorus. It also sounds like a Rick Springfield song, complete with power ballad style guitar that threw me off so much my jaw actually dropped.
The characters feel like they’ve grown (except for Kristoff, but we’ve covered that) but they still feel authentic. We get to spend some time with Anna and Elsa’s parents, who you’ll remember die in a tragic wreck in the upbeat “Do You Want to Build a Snowman” musical number in the last film. They introduce the plot of the film as a bedtime story to the young Elsa and Anna in a scene that is charming but also feels heavy handed. There a lullaby is introduced that helps us see how close Anna, Elsa and their mother were. It adds a level of gravity to what happens.
Complexity increases
That said this plot is layered and complex. I was being kicked for the duration of the (admittedly complicated and grim) end of the second act and into the third. This movie shines in its heavy moments, creating complex moments of mourning, confusion and fear. The comedy is often charming but at times creates an odd tonal whiplash, making it seem that the film is only funny or maybe too serious for the younger fans.
While taking the train home it dawned on me: this film isn’t for kids. The complex resolution and message of the film is not for a seven-year-old. If anything, the moral of this film may counteract the moral of the first film. I think this film is one to grow into. It’s for a young person who is trying to find their place in the world and I think I love it. It has a lot of Disney cliche problems and frankly I don’t think this needs to exist as a sequel to Frozen but I do love the story they chose to tell. The script could probably use one more pass (one inappropriately adult line got some strangled confused chuckles) but overall I’m glad this movie exists.
Frozen II (Walt Disney Pictures, PG, 1hr, 43mins) gets a warm 4/5.
