Frozen 2: Into the Unknown
Back in 2013, when the first trailer for Frozen came out, everyone was excited about the new Disney princess: the ice queen. The movie met all of our expectations and more, starting with the fun storyline, amazing and endearing characters such as the beloved Olaf, the fun and beautiful music, and lastly the hidden comedy that makes the movie appealing to people of all ages. More importantly, Frozen broke the princess stereotype, featuring an independent and strong female character, contrary to the typical hopeless princess saved by the charming prince seen in Cinderella, Rapunzel, Ariel, Snow White, and more. Frozen stayed in the theaters for months with many repeat viewers who soon were singing along with Elsa and Anna to iconic songs like “Let It Go” and “In Summer.” As soon as the news broke that Disney was planning to release a sequel to Frozen, the country squealed with excitement ready to be taken on more of the adventures with the people of Arendelle. Stakes were high, as the movie had possibly unmeetable expectations. But the whole team pulled through, resulting in an equal if not better sequel.
As a Frozen fan myself, I was ready to see Elsa and Anna take the stage again. The new story takes place 3 years after the first movie, Elsa is serving as the Queen of Arendelle, Anna and Kristoff are living happily in the castle, and Olaf is living his dream of perpetual summer. Frozen 2 takes us through the journey of Elsa and Anna searching for the truth about what really happened to their parents in order to save Arendelle and open the gates of the enchanted forest. Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Sven, Olaf, and other new characters journey through the forest, finding answers to the secrets of their past.
When embarking on the journey of Frozen 2, songwriters Kristen Anderson Lopez and Robert Lopez had a difficult challenge to take on: creating music equal to or better than that of Frozen 1. The song layout was the same. Idina Menzel, who plays Elsa, had another powerful and emotional song with a dramatic crescendo similar to “Let it Go” called “Into the Unknown”. Josh Gad--Olaf--sings a comical song called “ When I Am Older,” which replicates the playful tone of “In Summer.” Kristoff and Sven share another bluesy melancholy duet called “Lost In The Woods” and Anna has another mournful song in the midst of a struggle called “The Next Right Thing.” Although the songs were similar in pace in tone, the Frozen 2 soundtrack lacked some of the innovational lyrics that make Frozen that much better. The album is not necessarily inferior, just more emotional than the lighthearted and playful Frozen soundtrack.
Overall, Frozen 2 is a must-see movie. I highly recommend heading to your closest movie theater, grabbing a bag of popcorn and your favorite candy, and immersing yourself in the whimsical world of Arendelle so you can travel along with everyone’s favorite Disney sister team as they take on the enchanted forest. And if you're anything like me, you may be returning to the theater multiple times!