So for this month’s theme, I could have gone, ahem, into the unknown and picked an obscure Disney film from their past catalogue. Instead, I decided to let it go and pick something a bit more contemporary. After all, the in-house animation studio has produced nearly 60 films, most of which are absolute classics. Whether it’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarves or Fantasia, the choice of what film to discuss today was going to be difficult. Then I remembered we’re slowly transitioning from Autumn to Winter and that made me think of Frozen II.
Frozen is quite possibly the biggest success story from Walt Disney Animation in recent years. The first film achieved an iconic status thanks for its balance of music and visuals which influenced the storytelling, instead of the other way around. Frozen discarded a traditional romance story to a story about the relationship between two sisters. This is what Disney does best, they subvert our expectations on what a Disney film could and should be. So it did seem like a cash grab at first to make a sequel to such a hit film, but I can happily say that we were wrong. The visuals and storytelling felt equalled to the first film, so let’s talk about why.
The first film had such a wintry, comfortable feel to it. There was a lot of emphasis on snow, ice and on a particular traditional festive season. This time they’re showing a new part to the world of Arendelle and they’ve focused on the browns and yellows of Autumn. Visually this scene just pops more than the first film. The colours feel more natural and the rustic-like quality of the animation gives it a realistic sheen that has not been seen before in animation. The story goes deeper and more personal as we learn the background behind Elsa’s powers, and in doing so opens the scope of the film much wider than the previous film.
There is more emphasis on the contrasts of ice and fire in this film. With the natural elements being a focal point for the purpose of the story. The animation yet again is sublime, with different colours popping out for the fire, and of course where there is ice and fire then there must be water. The water animation in this film almost feels a little too real and trust me, that’s a compliment. Even though the characters get more involved in the action it appears that mother nature seems to dominate the film more than the main characters do, highlighting the theme of mankind versus nature.
Of course the songs and music are just as catchy and dramatic as the ones in Frozen, but the set-pieces seem more grandeur than before. This set-piece highlights the self-reflection of Elsa as she asks the question of who she is. This is taken both metaphorically with the music and literally with the visuals. You can see herself and her memories bounce around on the ice, with Elsa’s reflections giving her the power to transform as a character. The journey Elsa goes through this film climaxes in this film and you do notice an evolution towards her personality.
Over the course of the film each character, whether it is Olaf, Anna, Elsa or Kristoff, goes on a personal journey where they have to re-discover themselves and more importantly their place in the world. It sounds like a deep message and you have to remember this is a kid’s film, but this is what Disney does best. They tell an engaging story with amazing animation, relatable characters as well as epic musical ballads.
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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