Frozen was a kid's movie with a simple theme of familial love aimed at kids to dispel the superficial notion of the idea of true-love's-kiss...well...I think Maleficent also did that...but yeah, cynical reinforcement through animated entertainment is always a good idea. Frozen 2 keeps the theme that true love's kiss is still stupid as in the paraphrased words of Idina, "I wouldn't idolize Ariel. Giving up her voice for a boy wasn't a very good idea." Although it wasn't a kiss that saved her, her naivety with boys caused her well deserved struggle. Let's admit it, a lot of Disney princesses were not very good role models prior to the last few ones. I want to throw an apple at Snow White, prick Aurora, cut Ariel's tongue, enslave Cinderella, and bury Jasmine in the desert...Belle...I like, she's a bit of an exception without discussing the whole Stockholm Syndrome thing.
Growing up in the 90's, my Disney princess was Belle because unlike the others, her love story didn't take 3 days to turn into a full fledged romance, it took seasons. Although I do understand the timeline because we're talking about falling in love with a beast and not some prince charming...but you get the idea. There was friendship before love, and I'm an advocate of that! Puppy love is a pet peeve of mine, while love at first sight is overrated. And yeah, beast turning into a prince has always been my favorite Disney scene but was later ruined by Dan Stevens because the cartoon version was the embodiment of how I imagined prince charming should look like, not the lanky guy who doesn't suit well with a long blonde hair. Dan Stevens wasn't it. On the upside, I loved Emma Watson as Belle and liked the live-action version, it was a missed opportunity to capture that magical transformation moment. And so when Elsa came in as this regal but socially awkward super queen with a knack for design, I said screw Belle, I'm going with Elsa. She is by far the most powerful princess out there and she don't need a man to complete that point. This is repeatedly shown with her overcoming other elementals and taking on a tidal wave, twice. What I find fascinating in Elsa's character though is her impression on romantic love because she is where I'm at right now. There's nothing more fulfilling than going on an adventure of self-discovery without having to be a damsel in distress to any man.
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| Oh yes, I like this comical homage they did to Let It Go. |
She don't need no man! She's a strong-independent woman!
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| Quite a powerful scene this is. |
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| One of my favorite scenes, after her taming the Nokk. |
Personally, dare I say, Frozen 2 is better than the original Frozen because of how I connected with the premise on a personal level. I was so enamoured and giddy at the end of the movie that the following day I had to go back to the cinemas and watch Knives Out just to bring myself back into a stable adult mindset. You know that feeling you get when you get butterflies in your stomach as the credits roll and it stays there so you end up watching the interviews and all-things related? I did, for a few days at least...which is why I ended up making this post just so I can express and release this unsettling energy as a creative output...of sort. And after a week of not getting over it, I ended up watching the movie again the second time. The first time I watched it on IMAX and ended up being so engrossed that on the second time I watched it in 2D I was able to see the other details outside of the focus and man the world that they made is beautiful. Watching it in 3D blurs out the foreground and background. I didn't get to see the meticulousness that they've done of the blades of grass or the wet pebbles that they did...which made me fall in love with the movie even more the second time around. Not to mention how I loved the textures and embellishments on their outfits.
I listened to the soundtrack Into the Unknown and Show Yourself the most because Some Things Never Change is too happy, The Next Right Thing is too depressing, Lost in the Woods too retro that actually made me cringe in the theater because it felt out of place in the recurring theme, while the rest I'm still in the process of convincing myself to listen to again. The point is, I can't get that damn line with a beautiful E flat note off my head! "Into the unknoooooooohooohooohowwwnn~"!!! When the words were belched out to its highest octave, that sent chills down my spine and that set the tone of the movie for me. The genius of the composers come in the poetry of their lyrics mixed in with the theatrical melodies of their songs...add to that the compatibility of the cast's voices and interpretation, the result is magical. Lyric-wise and plot timing, Show Yourself takes the cake in delivering the climax. I seldom get goosebumps in movies, but the blending of the music and visuals made made me curdle in my seat a number of times. If you listen carefully to the lyrics and make connections, you'll realize that some lines are repeated all throughout to make it cohesive.
Quick Synopsis with Spoilers:
Three years passed since Frozen and Elsa is queen but with inhibitions. Olaf is having to deal with adulting and being woke. Kristoff is trying to propose to Ana. Ana finally gets knocked with some sense after experiencing rock bottom. Elsa gets a calling that caused her to break her promise with Ana and Olaf in search of that mysterious voice which turned out to be her mother. She transfigured into the fifth element by the end of the movie. They sing a lot in between. But all in all Frozen 2 is about Elsa, the rest had their respective character arcs but the story's main focus is clearly Elsa.
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| I love the detail they did with the castle Elsa made from the first film. |
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| I like this song and moment. |
I found Olaf a little annoying in the first Frozen, but in Frozen 2 he made me giggle a bit more than I should. I suppose this is due to his script with less slapstick jokes and more witty lines of ridiculous humor. Ana was still Ana, and I love Kristen Bell as a person nevermind that her character has an unhealthy dose of optimism and clinginess. At the end part though, she showed she had some smarts in her and not just emotions. Actually, Ana became a likable character because she's matured up quite a bit and made more responsible decisions than...let's say...accepting a marriage proposal after one song with a total stranger. A good move when they considered her to be queen. Kristoff I'm not that much into as he's not as refined as other Disney princes are, but he does have redeeming lines and is chivalrous in his own cloddish way that adds a plus to his character. Sven is still a reindeer that talks. The new characters from the Northuldra tribe are likable. The Nokk is gorgeously enchanting, Gale is fun, Earth Giants acting appropriately, and Bruni appallingly cute...because I have an unwavering loathing towards salamanders, and it taking up over five feet on the big screen is not very good on my bowels. One very nice detail that they added that I heard Ana and Elsa whisper on a whim that I didn't hear the first time I watched the movie was the line, "Thank you." I totally appreciated Disney for doing that, a really subtle valuable line that kids─adults alike─should hear and learn to practice saying!
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| Love this concept artwork, although I don't remember this scene happening as depicted. |
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| This is a scene where I found Elsa with the most expressive emotions within a span of a few seconds. |
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| Look at the contrast between the earthly and the ethereal. |
People want to label Elsa as gay if not asexual, but I simply see her character as a normal person who has her priorities sorted. This is where I can relate to Elsa as a Disney princess the most, her love for the 3 F's that Lady Gaga also mentioned in her 73 Questions on Vogue: Family, Friends, Freedom. Top that with the fact that I don't do well with the idea of those 3 C's...commitment, codependency and what's that word again? Oh yeah, COMPROMISE. But to conclude this, in the words of Kristen Bell in her SiriusXM interview about having an opinion on Elsa's love life, "I took the same undercurrents of the movie and I had to remind myself, oh you know what a more important thing is? It's none of my business. That perhaps a more important message to the broader audience is, oh you don't need to worry about who's Elsa's gonna choose because that's up to her, and if she's not there yet you literally don't have to think about it. It doesn't affect you." Even Frozen 2 director Jennifer Lee said, "The fans are making us look smarter than we actually are." So yeah, for a supposed animated film, it sure does hover on with layers of subtly implied themes that eventually pokes you at one point or two in the story that actually goes beyond than it should. I've seen the opinions, fanarts, fanfics and theories...but to those who has actually worked with the character in the studio, Elsa is just not in that place right now...you know, society's standard of normalcy for a woman of supposed age. But the fans are open to interpret whatever it is that is isn't there.
So there...Frozen was a kid's movie that made the numbers and was the first installment to break the mold which is why it got so big at made the critics write praises...but Frozen II is my cup of tea.
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| She actually had a lot of costume changes and beautiful clothing. Those sparkly things attached are just spot on. |
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| I also noticed their nails. They have a proper-looking long nails people! Details! |
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| No Bruni, try not to show yourself. |
Lyrics that really struck a chord:
Into Unknown
I'm sorry, secret siren, but I'm blocking out your calls
I've had my adventure, I don't need something new
I'm afraid of what I'm risking if I follow you
Show Yourself
Every inch of me is trembling
But not from the cold
Something is familiar
Like a dream I can reach but not quite hold
I can sense you there
The Next Right Thing
I won't look too far ahead
It's too much for me to take
But break it down to this next breath
This next step
This next choice is one that I can make
Image Reference:
YouTube screenshots and www.youloveit.com for the last 4 images
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