Slider image from Flickr.
Spoiler Alert: This review discusses the plot of the film and contains information about its ending.
We all know the movie of our own childhood. The movie that we watched over and over and never got tired of. “Frozen,” directed by Chris Back and Jennifer Lee, was one of those movies for me. “Frozen” is well known for its music, visuals, and themes. It was a huge success, bringing in tons of money for Disney and impacting millions of children. Whether you were a young child or a teenager when it came out, we all know that this is a movie that will have a place in our hearts for a very long time. But will “Frozen II” live up to “Frozen’s” name? Only time can tell, but the messages in this film are just as powerful, if not even more, than the original film.
Geared towards older audiences, “Frozen II” touches on mental health, focusing on anxiety, depression, and grief. In the original “Frozen,” a major theme was Elsa learning to accept herself and her powers. Instead of her power being something bad that holds her down, Elsa is able to turn it into something that is beautiful, and she uses it to help her.
This movie’s message speaks to mental health as well. Instead of letting anxiety or depression weigh you down, we have to turn it around and learn to accept ourselves the way we are. Sometimes, the things we want to hide the most from others are the best things about ourselves.
Another great theme in “Frozen” is shown by the sisterly relationship between Anna and Elsa. Their close connection shows us that we cannot always do things on our own; sometimes we have to let people help us.
“Frozen II” has some in-between-the-lines messages as well. “Frozen II” is mainly about Elsa learning where her powers come from. One of the main messages in the film, is the idea that life might get worse before it gets better. There are two examples of this message in the movie. When Elsa first begins to explore the voice she is hearing, she accidentally awakens the nature spirits: earth, water, air, and fire. When she does this, Arendelle is attacked by the spirits, and everyone must evacuate.
The second example is that the historical dam that connects the two kingdoms must be destroyed in order to save the forest and calm the spirits. In doing so, there is a possibility that Arendelle will get flooded. Not to worry though, things do get better. Arendelle was attacked by the spirits so that it will be vacant of people when it is flooded. Elsa is able to save Arendelle in a heroic act of stopping the huge wave using her powers.
The movie also discusses grief. When Elsa goes to Ahtohallen, a glacier that ‘knows all,’ she leaves Anna behind. Elsa ends up going too far into the glacier and freezes. Anna learns of this after Olaf ‘dies’ because of the absence of Elsa’s magic. Anna also realizes that she must go on and destroy the dam. She takes a second to deal with her grief, and then she decides that she must push through and do “the next right thing.”
This teaches teens that sometimes we have to push through our anxiety, depression, or grief and do the next right thing. “Frozen II” finishes with a happy ending where Anna destroys the dam, Elsa unfreezes, Olaf comes back to life, Anna and Kristoff get engaged, Anna becomes queen after Elsa steps down, and Arendelle gets the happy ending it deserves.
In a generation that struggles with mental health more than ever before, it is important that teens learn these lessons, and what better way to teach them then through a Disney movie. The “Frozen” franchise teaches people to embrace their faults and what they want to hide. It teaches that life might not always be great and that sometimes we have to push through and do what is right. It teaches us that sometimes we have to look into ourselves and follow that voice in our head.
The “Frozen” franchise does a great job at creating relatable characters that show teens that they can get through their struggles. The movie touches on mental health, but it is also a great movie in other aspects. It features great visuals, meaningful music including “Show Yourself,” “Into the Unknown,” “The Next Right Thing,” “When I am Older,” and “Lost in the Woods,” and a deep storyline. If you like Disney movies that have meaningful story lines and deep messages, then you should definitely see “Frozen II.
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*The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of HBHA’s student publication. The editorial student staff of the “Rampagewired” places the highest value on student-run journalism and responsible, free expression.*
