The Revolutionary Themes of “Frozen II”
As was the case for many Americans, the early arrival of Frozen II on streaming prompted me to visit the smash sequel, which opened to huge box office last November. Once again, I was struck by just how progressive and bold the film’s themes are.
A Very Brief History of Frozen
Following their critical and commercial resurgence in 1989 with The Little Mermaid, Walt Disney Animation Studios managed to churn out a decade of fare that was (mostly) enthusiastically received by both critics and audiences. But after 1999’s Tarzan, the studio churned out a number of uninspired duds and a few just-fine films that were not even close to enough to reverse the slump. Things started looking up with 2010’s Tangled and 2012’s Wreck-it-Ralph, which grossed over $1 billion and received strong notices from critics. But by this point, the studio was so strongly overshadowed at the box office and awards ceremonies by Pixar that it was not really even a competition anymore.
Then came Frozen.
Released on November 27, 2013, Frozen grossed an astonishing $1.28 billion worldwide, won two Oscars (Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song), instantly became an indelible piece of popular culture, and had critics and audiences making comparisons to the studio’s Golden Age.
