STACK #182 Dec 2019

CINEMA FEATURE

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apologising anymore for her power. She owns it and has a sense of pride about it,” says the actress/singer who has always celebrated Frozen as a feminist story. If co-director Chris Buck describes the world of Frozen II as getting a little grittier for the main characters, then Kristen Bell agrees, her character of Anna hitting a very low point in the film, prompting a solo ballad, Do the Next Right Thing . “That’s actually a mantra that I have in my own life when I’m anxiety-ridden or depressed – that’s the only thing you can do – the next right thing,” she says. “It’s baby steps for anyone who has experienced a hardship or is flat on the floor and feels they can’t pick themselves up.” In the world of Frozen , three years have passed since Elsa made snowman Olaf and today, with his new permafrost, he can finally really enjoy summer and behaves much like any human three-year-old would, curious about life and constantly asking questions. Josh Gad, reprising Olaf, also has own song, When I Am Older . “I want to apologise ahead of time because I think a lot of these songs are going to be earworms. I’ve played them in my own household and my kids will not stop signing them,” he laughs. Once again the themes of Frozen II might be perceived as a little dark for younger audiences, although co-director Jennifer Lee argues that this is nothing new. “Sometimes we forget but when we go back to old traditional fairy tales, they always have a moment that gets a little scary. And that’s part of what fairy tales are for, so that a child can experience things while being safely

Six years on, expectations are high for Frozen II , the sequel to Disney’s mega box office hit about two royal sisters and a magical snowman. Words Gill Pringle L ike a well-packed snowball, Frozen II offers far more than audiences might have bargained on; tackling everything INTO THE UNKNOWN

costumes, it also won two Oscars and a slew of other awards. Meanwhile, the film’s hit song, Let It Go – written by the Lopezes and performed by Idina Menzel – has been downloaded on YouTube more than two billion times. It sold almost 11 million copies in 2014 and became the year’s fifth best- selling song.

from environmentalism, symbiotic relationship with nature, colonisation, the dismantling of the patriarchy, reparations, the importance of self discovery, and so much more. Yes, of course we have our

While it’s hard to follow up lightning in a bottle, all odds are on Frozen II’s Into the

reliable singing princesses and a hug-loving snowman – but a mountain man and his magical reindeer that are in touch with their feelings? Love-struck Kristoff taking a lob at toxic masculinity, no less? Jonathan Groff’s ‘80s

...that’s part of what fairy tales are for, so that a child can experience things while being safely in their seat

Unknown – once again sung by Menzel in her powerful three-octave vocal range – to repeat the magic. Menzel believes her Elsa demonstrates strong values for young girls. “I love what Elsa represents. I think anytime we are able to see a woman

in their seat. And I think it helps cope with life. We grew up on those fairy tales and we didn’t want to be afraid of it,” she says.

B E F O R E Y O U G O

power ballad, Lost in the Woods , is quietly being celebrated by husband and wife songwriters Bobby Lopez and

personified who is embracing how strong and powerful she is, that’s a good thing. She’s not

Kristen Anderson-Lopez as a subversive win, and already being talked about as one of the funniest moments in the film. “That line: ‘You feel what you feel and your feelings are real’ – I think if that one message comes across to boys; that boys get to feel empowered to feel their feelings in a big or small way – then we’ve done a little bit in the war against toxic masculinity,” Kristen Anderson-Lopez tells STACK when we meet with the Frozen II team in Hollywood. If the original movie earned more than USD1.27 billion at the global box office while launching a gazillion Princess Elsa and Anna

Frozen II is in

cinemas now

S E E T H I S

DID YOU KNOW? Even greater than the sum of all its accolades, Frozen has changed lives, according to co- director Chris Buck. “People come to us and say that the movie brought their family back together; that it’s changed their lives. A lot of art students are now getting into art because of Frozen . “But the ones that we hear a lot are people who have been going through a tough time… but they saw the first movie and saw Elsa and her journey and the other characters and they are still here because of this movie. So for us, it’s very powerful. More than the money or whatever, it‘s all about touching people and the audience.”

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DECEMBER 2019

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