"SAMANTHA?": What a Disney fanatic thought of Frozen 2
Illustration by Jaylynn Glaus
WARNING: This review contains Frozen 2 spoilers.
“Frozen 2,” one of the most anticipated movies of 2019, took the box office by storm with a monster debut. The film made over $8.5 million on opening night, Nov. 22.
“Frozen 2” kept their musical reputation alive with more fresh, catchy songs. Elsa’s dramatic “Into the Unknown” alongside Olaf’s relatable “When I’m Older” as just two examples. The film did not disappoint.
The sequel to Elsa and Anna’s journey shifted gears. The first film focused on Elsa fearing her own power and hiding her true self. “Frozen 2” begs the question: Are her powers and newfound sense-of-self enough? Not only to save Arendelle, but to save herself from emotional battles that has plagued her since the beginning?
Anna and Elsa must face four elemental spirits: earth, water, wind and fire. Described as “enchanting” but “dangerous” in the film. Kristoff, Elsa, and Anna go out in search of a haunting voice that has followed Elsa, drawing her out to an enchanted forest where these spirits lay to rest.
In the forest, the team stumbles across the Northuldra people who celebrate nature and magic as a unifying being that rules over them.
Yet, another obstacle occurs.
The people detest the Arendelle kingdom from an incident that happened between them and Anna and Elsa’s grandfather, King Runeard. In order to restore balance between the two kingdoms and spirits, the sisters must discover the dark truth of Arendelle.
Throughout their quest, Kristoff is struggling to propose to Anna (complete with a love song, “Lost in the Woods” which mimics an ‘80s love song music video) while Elsa learns more about a “fifth spirit” that has been missing from the forest. Then we’re introduced to new characters such as the adorable, tiny, wide-eyed fire spirit that takes a liking to Elsa, and a Nokk. A mythical water spirit that takes the form of a horse, terrifying earth giants that roam the forest with a heavy hand, and the conscious wind spirit, Gale, that fascinates Olaf the most.
We’re even introduced to Olaf’s “Samantha” who, sadly, was never discovered (RIP Samantha, you were the star of the show).
The film not only had over-the-top, impressive animation (especially with the Nokk), but was also extremely relatable to almost everyone. The storyline targeted heavy themes such as death, loss, guilt, shame, letting go, justice, hitting rock bottom (no, like actually. Anna was sobbing on a giant pile of rocks when she realized Olaf and Elsa were gone in a not-so-subtle metaphor) to ultimate transformation and rebuilding a new sense of identity.
“Frozen 2” was an ideal balance between conflict, progression of plot, epic storyline, and comic relief.
The only other Disney movie that has come close to this transformative revelation within a character was “The Lion King,”. Since, I’ve been starving for a story that pulls on your heartstrings, makes you reflect on your own identity and place in the world. It’s even better when a story achieves this in some unexpected, epic, and dramatic way that leaves you feeling like the story has finally found it’s glorious ending.
And also makes you feel somewhat - understood.
Personally, that’s what I’ve been missing from recent Disney films. As much as they are about growing up as well, it didn’t hit right. It was always somehow an epiphany that adults and growing up means you’re more responsible in general and that there are consequences to your actions… whoo hoo? (“Princess and the Frog,” “Moana,” “Brave,” as a couple of examples). There were always attempts to show the idea of transformation, but to me, “Frozen 2” was the first recent, modern Disney film to actually achieve it.
For the first time, a hero failed. In a sense, anyway. Elsa did not make it out alive when she discovered the truth. There was no Hercules to dive in and save her soul, she was just - gone. Completely alone, and frozen (sorry, I didn’t mean to make a pun but it happened and now we’re here). Like yep, Elsa, me too. Growing up does entail a sense of survival and teaches us how to deal with trials and tribulations all by yourself. Usually, we aren’t prepared. Then life hurts more.
Transformation is painful, and in life we do lose people and sometimes you can’t be the hero, and yeah sometimes you don’t have a shiny prince or a man to save you from certain DOOM (@Tangled @SnowWhite @SleepingBeauty @Cinderella @Aladdin @Hercules @TheLittleMermaid- you get the point, right?). I thought that this more realistic approach in film is what made it much better.
The film coerced belly laughs from the audience at Olaf’s “This is fine!” quote followed by a gigantic wind tornado sweeping him completely off his feet finishing his “When I’m Older” song to fat, alligator tears as Anna learned Elsa drew her last breath in return for the truth about Arendelle and lost Olaf within the same five minutes.
It almost affected the audience the same way Mufasa’s death did in “The Lion King,” which was impressive. I haven’t seen a lot of meaningful, soul-gripping deaths in Disney movies since.
An absolutely immersive journey from start-to-finish, “Frozen 2” was an epic quest about self-discovery. It wasn’t just about what love could do, a life lesson the first movie focused on, but about what each person could do for themselves, to not only save each other, but themselves.