FROZEN II: Come for the Environmental Discourse, Stay for the Panic! At the Disco Cover

Frozen II, the second installment in the story of sisters Elsa and Anna, expands the world of Arendelle, moving beyond the ersatz nordic kingdom into the magical, wintery lands to its north. Showing the power of believing in yourself and the magic of friendship, Frozen II is a delightful film that will entertain young and not-so-young alike.

There is no doubt that the movie deserves its opening weekend haul of one billion dollars: it is beautiful and earnestly acted, and under the leaves of a magical forest or deep in the icy wilderness, Elsa and her friends demonstrate the power of co-operation and the magic of friendship as they and their allies save the Kingdom of Arendelle from natural disaster. Indeed, this plot point remains in my head as one of the most interesting elements of the film: the disasters ultimately arise because of human interference in natural ecosystems, and our heroes save the day through the cooperation needed to avert environmental catastrophe.

While that plot point may fly above the heads of younger viewers, Frozen II still delights with slapstick sidekick humor, the awkwardness of love, and big musical set pieces. Its single “Not Going Alone” (covered in the credits by Panic! At the Disco) invites an interesting contrast to “Let It Go” of the previous film. Whereas the latter celebrates the triumph of the individual over one’s naysayers, the former emphasizes the continuation of the bonds and interconnections between siblings and friends even though one may be far separated from them.
Indeed, it is interesting that the film presents its chief ballad on the benefits of togetherness and community alongside the challenge of human-caused environmental crisis. Earlier this year, forest fires erupted north of the Arctic Circle across Scandinavia. In Frozen II Elsa’s quest begins in earnest after the natural elements - earth, fire, water, air - deteriorate and cause Arendellian society to fall apart. One wonders, had the efforts of Elsa and her friends failed, where would the Arendellian climate refugees have gone? Where will we go for that matter? Frozen II does not answer that question because friendship and togetherness of its heroes solved the crisis. One hopes the same for our world.