Frozen II

Image credit: Event Cinemas

So, amidst the binging of Prime and Netflix; which is currently all I can do thanks to the country’s being on fire and the smoke being highly dissuading from going outside, I have managed to check out some films at the movies this holiday season. The first is the sequel that I think no one particularly wanted, but were given anyway because, money duh: Frozen II.

Queen Elsa (Idina Menzel) now lives in open comfort with her powers, ruling Arendelle justly and righteously. However, when a strange voice begins to haunt her she becomes restless and discovers that this call is coming from an enchanted forest from her childhood in need of rescuing. Determined to discover the source of the call she travels into the unknown with Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf to learn the truth about herself and save Arendelle from a grim fate.

While I don’t think it’s the sequel that anyone really wanted, Frozen II might actually be the movie we need at this time of year. With the close of another year bringing us all a step further into the future, this movie is actually a very clever depiction of the struggles of growing up. All the characters begin uncertain about what happens now, when the villain has been defeated and the happy ending achieved. Olaf is openly questioning everything, waiting for the day he’s more mature to understand, while Anna is oblivious to any future direction, and Elsa is unsatisfied with where her path has led. The various, intertwining stories of career, changing identity, and conflict with social norms actually makes this movie quite compelling, especially for the adults in the audience who have been or are going through the exact same thing.

Visually it’s another Disney knockout with a crisp and beautiful colour palette and gorgeous, glowing magic, musical, and action sequences. While some key plot points are kind of predictable, thus losing the intended surprise factor, overall it’s a very entertaining movie with a soundtrack of great new songs (‘Into the Unknown’ is no ‘Let it Go’, but still really good) and plenty of laugh out loud moments to balance out the scenes of sadness.

Image credit: Radio Times

While I believe that Pixar dissects and depicts complex themes infinitely better, Frozen II gave it a red-hot go and I have to give it snaps for its semi-successful efforts (the determination for a happy ending ruined a few of the more dramatic moments for me, but beggars can’t be choosers). It’s a great movie to check out this season because there is something in it for the whole family.

Director: Chris Buck & Jennifer Lee, 2019

Cast: Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff, Sterling K. Brown, Evan Rachel Wood, Alfred Molina, Martha Plimpton, Jason Ritter, Rachel Matthews, Jeremy Sisto, Alan Tudyk, and Ciaran Hinds