Frozen 2: 9 Ways The Sequel Improved On The Original
Is it finally time to stop playing Let It Go for the millionth time?
Frozen 2 was a good, if flawed sequel to the surprise hit Disney musical, and though you could flip a coin as to whether someone who watched it liked it better than the first, there were definitely many ways in which this followup - coming six years after the original - improved upon the formula.
With a 92% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes versus a 77% critic rating, it's clear that while critics are divided on a fairly decent sequel to a decent animated film, many audiences found Frozen 2 to be an enjoyable, even fulfilling cinematic experience, and another to add to the list of visually stunning, worthwhile animated films of 2019.
That still leaves a lot to love about this bigger, and in some ways, better sequel, however, and this list will summarise some of its best bits with spoilers for the events of the film, assuming everyone who wanted to see it in theatres already has (though there's no harm in wanting to see it twice, for the visuals alone).
9. The Backstory
Frozen 2 answers some questions from the first film - though, to some people's chagrin, perhaps not all of them. For example, where in the world did Kristoff come from, and why was he raised by trolls?
That said, one of the biggest mysteries, and one central to a long-running and unusual theory (about Anna and Elsa's parents being Tarzan's parents from the film Tarzan), was definitely tackled in this film, alongside some intriguing and fantastic information about Arendelle and its history.
The revelation was surprisingly brutal for an all-ages Disney film. The fact that Anna and Elsa's parents drowned in a storm looking for the source of Elsa's magic, and the fact that they were able to see their parents' last moments in the form of a magical ice sculpture, was a bit of a shock, especially for Elsa - who felt guilty about inadvertently sending them to their deaths.
Another moment of surprising brutality had to be that of their grandfather straight up murdering the chief of the Nolthuldra. This adds depth to a story and history previously barely addressed, and opens up more interesting storytelling opportunities for the future.