Frozen was
such a massively gargantuan hit that no one could've possibly predicted, even by the high moneymaking standards of
Disney, whose cultural impact can still be felt to this day that it’s hard to
believe that it only came out six years ago. Part of what made it so successful
is how it subverted the foundations of the fairytale tropes that the House of
Mouse had built their brand on for over seventy years. The female leads were
the ones who took action, the two charming love interests turned out to be a
villain and an emotionally supportive boyfriend respectively instead of a bland
pretty boy who had to step in and save the day, and the emotional crux of the
story rested on the love between two sisters. Plus, the themes of coming out
and embracing one’s true self proved to be emotionally resonant, even if every parent
has gotten sick of hearing “Let It Go” sung by their kids for the millionth time.
Naturally a sequel would be in the works, but can it recreate the magic?
Elsa (Idina Menzel) has
settled into her position as the queen of Erendel, having learned to accept her
ice power as her subjects having grown accustomed to them in turn. Even then,
she can’t resist the siren call (literally and figuratively) that calls for her
to learn more. After accidentally waking four elemental spirits that nearly
ravish the kingdom, Elsa, her sister Anna (Kristen Bell), Kristoff (Jonathan
Groff), Olaf (Josh Gad) and Sven set off on a journey that leads them to an
enchanted forest protected by a magical barrier that prevents anyone from
entering or leaving. The forest’s nature dwelling inhabitants were once allies
of Erendel until a horrible injustice left them isolated, so now Elsa must
discover the truth and set things right.
The most notable difference
between Frozen II and its predecessor is how much busier it is. The
first is a straightforward narrative about Elsa learning how to embrace her
powers and not shut herself out to those who want to help her, something she’s
still somewhat struggling with one movie, two shorts and a mini-series later.
Meanwhile, the movie is padded out with expanding lore and mythology pertaining
to the origin of Elsa’s powers, how the people of the enchanted forests (as
well as a few Erendel soldiers who were thought to be dead) and the truth
behind the disappearance of her and Anna’s parents. Much like how the first poked
fun at Disney tropes, this film does occasionally pokes fun at this surplus of
exposition and worldbuilding that most modern blockbusters are guilty of
indulging in, particularly during a funny scene where Olaf the goofy sidekick
snowman basically recaps the first movie in order to get everyone up to speed
(which, come to think of it, is kind of condescending considering that half the
audience has already seen it a thousand times over).
There’s also a plethora of
subplots to keep things on the light side, like Kristoff coming up with ways to
propose to Anna but continuously having them derailed, or Olaf having an
existential crisis and spouting outlandish theories about life and the universe
(one of which actually becomes a plot point). Those who are also hoping that
Disney will bite the bullet and explore Elsa’s love life will also be left
wanting, keeping the implications of her orientation to subtext. (Although,
considering that she has a big song number where she sings about opening up and
embracing one’s true self while running through a yonic cave, “subtext”
probably isn’t the right word.)
As far as the main plot, Disney’s
march to feigning progressiveness without making the actual steps to make a
real difference takes the form of accountability for the past misdeeds of our
ancestors and reparations. The mystery why the alliance between Erendel and the
people of the forest isn’t hard to figure out once all the clues are lined up,
and the thematic resonance would’ve been stronger if a sacrifice that one of
the characters made had stuck and weren’t undone by a deus ex-machina.
As hard as I may have been in
this review, I did genuinely enjoy Frozen II, even if all it does is bend
without breaking the conventions of family films. The animation is spectacular,
even when compared to the original, the voice acting remains impeccable, the
musical numbers are memorable and preformed with so much gusto, and while it
was clearly made in order to keep the Frozen cash machine humming
instead of telling a story that needed to be told, there were some interesting
elements, even if it doesn’t hit any new notes.
But seriously, if Elsa doesn’t
get a girlfriend in Frozen III, then the suits at Disney are either idiots or
cowards.
6/10
No comments:
Post a Comment