Frozen II Parent Guide

The turbulent events of Frozen behind her, Queen Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel) is ruling Arendelle with the support of her loyal sister Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell). Kristoff (voiced by Jonathan Groff) is bumbling through his attempts to propose to Anna, to the despair of his reindeer, Sven. And thanks to Elsa’s magic permafrost, Olaf the snowman (voiced by Josh Gad) is free to bask in the sunshine and meditate aloud on his growing maturity.

Then Elsa starts hearing voices.

When Elsa answers the voices, the power of the elemental spirits of earth, air, fire, and water is unleashed. Windstorms batter Arendelle and the earth heaves, forcing an evacuation of the kingdom. Desperate to save their people, Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff head north to a mist-encircled magical forest, home of the Northuldra people, where Elsa believes she will find a way to appease the elements.

Frozen II is a very different movie from the 2013 blockbuster hit; darker and more complex. The first Frozen was a movie about love in romantic and sisterly guises. This sequel is a sterner film, about duty to country, duty to the truth, and duty to oneself. It’s less about following your heart and more about following moral imperatives, however agonizing the consequences. “Do the next right thing”, King Runeard told his daughters before his death, and that maxim guides the conduct of both girls, now powerful young women, in their perilous quest. When Anna believes all is lost, his words are what keep her moving as she sings the emotional centerpiece of the movie, “The Next Right Thing”.

The film isn’t all dark; Kristoff’s inept romantic efforts provide some comic relief and Olaf elicits one laugh after another. At the screening I attended, the theater was regularly swept with waves of laughter as the kids chortled over Olaf’s physical missteps, jokes, and irrepressible (often misguided) optimism. The soundtrack ably supports the story, although without a breakout hit like “Let It Go” (which will probably be a relief to parents). Olaf sings about how everything will make sense when he grows up, to wry chuckles from adults. And Kristoff belts out an angsty love song that looks and feels like an ‘80’s music video.

The light moments are needed because the film’s story is fraught with peril. There are a few battle scenes and some people are killed off screen. Magical fire traps characters, the cast are swept up inside a tornado, Elsa is attacked by a water creature, and rock giants throw boulders and try to stomp people. And to make it much worse, two major characters have death scenes. This really isn’t a movie for preschoolers, especially if they cry easily.

For kids who won’t be scared by the dangers inherent in the story, Frozen II, has a lot to offer. Its messages about integrity are supplemented by its examination of environmental stewardship, relationships with indigenous peoples, moving past fear, and righting past wrongs. Far from being frozen in a fairy tale formula, this movie has a lot to say in today’s world.