The original Frozen has not aged well with Randie who was right on the cusp of the key demographic for that film. Soon to turn 13, she enjoyed the movie well enough at the time but has become rather cynical about it over time.
She absolutely hates "Let It Go" and do NOT get her started about Olaf.
So she was quite surprised by her reactions to the first trailer for Frozen II with Elsa's epic ice powered battle with a raging ocean and the scene of a caped Anna wielding a sword.
This sequel hinted at a darker tone and a more epic scale to the story.
And Frozen II does deliver on that.
Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff, and Sven embark on a quest into an Enchanted Forest following a mysterious voice that is calling to Elsa. In the forest, our adventures encounter the tribe of Northuldra and learn that Elsa and Anna's mother was from that tribe.
The sisters also learn of a dark secret about their grandfather and his betrayal of the Northuldra. It is a tangled web of deceit and also destiny that reveals the origin of Elsa's power and her ultimate role in bringing peace to Arendelle and Northuldra. It is a narrative that forces Anna, determined to follow and protect her sister, to make a drastic decision on her own that serious impacts both nations.
Also, Olaf ponders the nature and the meaning of mortality.
Seriously.
Along with the epic scale of this story, there is a lot more music in this film than there was in the first Frozen. Composers Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez appear to have gone into overdrive with not one but TWO epic showstoppers for Elsa, "Into the Unknown" and "Show Yourself". Even Kristoff gets a big musical showcase with "Lost in the Woods" that sounds a like a track off a 1980's Chicago album.
There may be some debate if Frozen II is better than it's successor. Well, my daughter thinks it is.
Me, it's a solid continuation of what has gone before with enough comforting familiarity we look for from sequels. But Frozen II does reach beyond it's core to do something different. And when the movie ends, the status quo is not the same as Elsa and Anna face real change for their characters.
If you enjoyed the first movie, you will love Frozen II.
If you are sick to death of the first movie and will defenestrate someone if you hear "Let It Go" one more time, you might find something like in Frozen II anyway.
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Later today, a 2nd Movie Monday post as we look at a 2nd movie the family watched this weekend.
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