Five Reasons I Loved Frozen II

There’s no hiding it: I’m obsessed with Frozen II.

I finally went to see it at the theater last weekend without any real expectations – and the film completely blew me away. The last time I felt this strongly for a Disney animated film (Disney-Pixar is a whole other thing and would require a separate post entirely) was Tangled in 2010 (and if I had been blogging then, you can bet your fern there would have been a whole post dedicated to that film). While I’ve loved the films that have come out since (Frozen included, as the heart of that original story still gets me every time), there’s something uniquely wonderful about how much I’ve fallen in love with Frozen II.

So, because I cannot seem to get over this movie (and I doubt I ever will), here are five reasons I loved Frozen II.

• My love for this found family (consisting of Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf) grew so much larger! I already loved these five after the first film but watching them come further into their own (particularly Elsa, Anna and Kristoff) as their journey continues was such an emotional experience. They each have their own situations to overcome in this film, and their arcs are handled beautifully. I could relate to something that each one of them is experiencing (except Sven, perhaps): Elsa and her warring desires between seeking out the unknown or staying in her comfort zone with her loved ones, Anna and her desire to always be there to protect and help her sister, Kristoff and his uncertainty about romantic gestures but his certainty about who he loves, Olaf and his fear of things changing as he gets older. They all grow so dang much in this movie and it's heartwarming to witness. (It certainly doesn’t hurt that I’m also obsessed with this cast – they’re such a personable bunch when they do interviews and promo.)
• The relationships are depicted in ways that feel real and relatable! The friendship that Kristoff and Elsa have (and I will forever be sobbing over the details that show this). The friendship between Anna and Olaf (still sobbing over this too). The sisterhood of Elsa and Anna (which continues to change because both continue to grow as people, and honestly, it’s so relatable to my real life experience with my sisters). The romance between Anna and Kristoff (I will go down with this ship because I love it so, and because it’s just too good and pure to have the two awkward potatoes in love with each other). And there are even a couple that pop up in this film that might have been brand new but were meaningful too. I truly love how this film did not pull any punches when it came to depicting relationships at their highs and their lows.
• The visuals were stunning! It stands to reason that as technology advances, so do the things that animators can do when they are telling a story. The colors and the details brought this world to life, and the entire experience is gorgeous from start to end. Since I don’t want to spoil anything, I’ll leave it at this: there are a few very specific scenes in this movie that struck me right in the heart, not just because of my feelings about said scene/characters, but also because of how incredible they looked.
• The story was compelling! While I did guess at some of the major plot points right away (and it’s truly not hard to do if you constantly consume similar stories), that didn’t take away from my enjoyment at all. When combined with the specific characters, setting and details that are unique to the Frozen world, it turned into a magical experience. I was initially wary when I heard about this sequel, as the trouble with sequels is that you’re going to have to see characters you love who already had their happily ever after now go through more difficult things in pursuit of further happy endings of any sort. But the journey to the new happily ever after was so poignant and emotional (and I’m still crying every time I recall it), and I really did end up sinking deeply into it from start to finish.
• The soundtrack is everything! I’m obviously obsessed with the songs I can sing along to, particularly because the lyrics hit me so hard with most of them and those hooks are so dang catchy. Plus, recalling exactly which moment any of the songs appeared in the film makes me emo… Ahem. But I also must hand it to the composers, because the melodies and transitions continue to blow me away as I listen to the entire OST on repeat. The way that emotions are alluded to, the callbacks to the first film? It’s all so clever, and it really continues to earn my appreciation for the way music can truly make or break a film.

Okay, that was a lot of rambling about an animated film that I saw less than a week ago. But the truth is, Frozen II is a film that left a strong emotional imprint on my heart. And in the end, that, my friends, is truly what makes this film magical and memorable, and why it means so much to me. I love Frozen II, and I hope you watch it and fall in love with it as well – if you haven’t already!