In 2013, Disney released their original animated movie, “Frozen,” which topped the charts as one of the most popular Disney princess movies and one of the highest grossing animated films of all time.

The songs also reached No. 1 on Billboard charts, causing “Frozen” to expand into an entire franchise that captured the hearts of many young children, adolescents, and Disney fans alike.

Now, almost exactly six years later, Disney finally released the long-awaited sequel, “Frozen 2”.
Following the incredible success of the first film, it was clear that the film had a monumental legacy to live up to, and it is safe to say that it did not disappoint. “Frozen 2,” although very different than the original, eventually surpassed “Frozen” on the list of the highest grossing animated films of all time, and left many fans more than satisfied.

It recently was released for streaming on Disney+, where fans can now use to watch at home.

The film picks up only a brief period of time after the first, and takes viewers on a journey to discover the origin of the main character Elsa’s powers after she hears a mysterious voice calling to her from beyond the kingdom of Arendelle. Interestingly, Disney deviated from usual lighthearted adventures in this film, and explored darker and more mature themes such as dealing with grief and loss.

While this somber tone was unsettling to some, I believe Disney executed this theme well, and still communicated an overall optimistic and positive message by the end of the movie. Through this shift to a more mature theme, the movie was able to appeal to a larger age group, specifically to older adolescents and teens who had been children when the first movie came out. This strategic move led to increased popularity of the movie for people of all ages, along with the addition of several new songs such as “Into the Unknown,” “Show Yourself,” and many more, which were scattered throughout the movie and also became largely popular.

Along with discovering the mystery of Elsa’s powers, the movie also delves deeper into the past, and reveals hidden conflicts buried within the history of the kingdom of Arendelle. Characters like Olaf and Sven from the previous movie also return, providing comic relief throughout some of the tension and conflict.

Although the movie has received some criticism for not living up to the original, or being unimpactful, the overall consensus has been exceedingly positive. While I agree that the movie may have not been monumental, I still believe that it was worth watching and provided a satisfactory continuation and ending to the story of Anna and Elsa.

I also believe the movie is very effective in conveying the agelessness and ability of Disney to appeal to a broad range of people of all backgrounds and ages. By touching on emotional and sensitive themes, as well as projecting a message of hope and perseverance, the movie gains a universal appeal that I feel is what makes Disney the incredibly successful franchise that it is.

As the entertainment industry has evolved into one that openly discusses societal issues and the common human struggle, Disney has effectively evolved with it while still maintaining the nostalgia and childhood joy that makes it so unique.