Disney's Frozen was such a big hit, so it really is no surprise that they made a sequel with Frozen II. The two movies are very different, yet same in the way that they don't portray a lot of the cliche ideas of love and beauty that other Disney movies portray. In regard to comparing the two movies, I argue that Frozen II is a better movie, which is a bold statement coming from someone who doesn't really think sequels are necessarily as good as the first one in most cases. The movie portrays real-life lessons, love, and tugs on the emotions of the audience in a way that is not quite seen in the first Frozen.
I honestly think that it is quite amazing that Disney did such a good job with making the second Frozen movie, clearly showing that they had the audience in mind by appealing to the young kids who watched the first movie that are now growing up. Olaf is a portrayal of growing up and realizing things you never thought of when you were carefree and young. He tells Anna that he feels an anger in him, and she validates this feeling by telling him that this is totally okay and he has every reason to feel like this. Watching this part of the movie really brought to my attention Disney's intention to show that processing emotions is okay, which is further represented when Anna is really upset in the cave because she believes that Elsa and Olaf are both gone forever, but she soon realizes what more she has to live for. This is an extremely powerful message to portray to the young people of America, and I commend Disney for this.
Additionally, the portrayal of love in this movie is very different from the other movies. Instead of Kristoff being Anna's savior, he rather is portrayed as someone willing to help her and is also in pursuit of marriage rather than Anna. When Anna tries to recruit the monsters to break down the dam, he asks her what he can do for her rather than him being her protector as we see in a lot of other Disney movies. The deviation from focusing on love in this movie and rather focusing on getting life's answers and protecting others shows how much more there is to life than love at first sight and beauty standards.
The realistic nature (besides all the magic) of the messages portrayed in Frozen II make it better, in my opinion. While the first Frozen focuses on a journey, Frozen II portrays a transformational adventure rooted in love for family rather than that of the romantic love that Anna so deeply desired in the first Frozen, and this appeal to real-life struggles and emotions drives my argument that the second Frozen is better than the first.
I think I may also like Frozen II better than the first, Caroline. (It's a toss-up, I think...Olaf might be funnier in the first one. And Sven gets more humorous moments too!)
ReplyDeleteWhat did you think of Elsa's journey in Frozen II? You touched on Anna and Kristoff, but did Elsa also have a "transformational adventure"?
I definitely think that Elsa did have a transformational adventure because she realized her position as the fifth spirit, which is definitely a defining moment in her identity. She was also the one to uncover the truth about the past, which is sort of the main focus of the movie and the cause of all the challenges faced in the movie, so not only was this an individual transformation but a transformation of knowledge for the town of Arendelle in knowing what really happened in the past.
DeleteI'm also someone who doesn't like sequels. I usually think sequels pointlessly try to carry on a story. When I first watched Frozen II, I really didn't like it. But looking back, I think I told myself I wouldn't like it before I even watched it (and that definitely influenced my opinion). I don't think I truly got the messages that Frozen II displays until I watched it back for this class. We really see growth in the characters and I have to now agree with the points you made about how different this movie is for Disney. Do you feel this way about other Disney sequels or do you not like those as much as the original?
ReplyDeleteHi Alison! I totally agree that I didn't pick up on the messages until I watched the movie for this class, which points to the fact that maybe young kids also don't pick up on these messages which is interesting. I think I feel this way about all sequels because the first movie is usually more exciting and new because it is completely on its own with an entire new story line and set of characters, which we don't see in sequels.
DeleteI think that Frozen was an excellent movie with even better songs that 6th grade me absolutely loved. I think the profound diffrence between the two was that when I watched frozen II I was in a stage of metamorphosis, as an 18 year old who had a pretty tough year it was exactly the movie I needed. It had characters that weren't too mentally taxing to remeet and a message that I needed to hear and resonated with, which are two vital characteristics of a sequel. Like you said the movie portrays real life lessons. This is what makes it a good sequel, it doesn't just rely on its characters and past plot points but expands off them with a new message, its an extension of the characters journey and of your understanding of the world around you! I love comparing sequels, to originals and I'm glad we agree on this one!
DeleteHello Caroline! I also thought Frozen 2 was a better movie than Frozen because it just went so much deeper in the character development for every character. I like that you focused on validating the feelings of children across America, and specifically noting how Anna validated Olaf's new feelings of anger against Elsa for hurting him. I'm wondering what you think about Elsa and Anna's developments of their relationship and how they weren't together for a large part of the film? Do you think this shows a growth in their relationship or a regression?
ReplyDeleteI feel like this is neither a growth nor regression in their relationship because I feel like it has more to do with a realization of identity. Elsa realizes her role as the 5th spirit, and Elsa then becomes queen. Rather than changing the relationship between Elsa and Anna, this movie focuses on a shift of identity and role in society.
DeleteElsa did not become queen.
DeleteI MEANT ANNA OOPS
Deletethats okay I forgive u
Deletethank you so much it means the world to me :)
Deleteyou mean the world to ME!
DeleteLOVE YOU BESTIE
DeleteLOVE YOU TOO!!!
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