So Disney has decided it wants to continue milking the cash cow that is Frozen. (Insert Let it Go pun here.)
Even those who consider Frozen overhyped cannot deny that it’s become a phenomenon that has little girls (and boys) screaming for more Elsa, Ana, and Olaf (…not much love for Kristoff.) Elsa and Ana’s story has driven tons of feminist think pieces about female relationships, the modern fairytale, and stories that don’t need to end in love triangles. While it is not the first film to break the mold (Mulan, Lilo and Stich, Brave, etc…) it has certainly become one of Disney’s most successful, artistically and financially, releases to date and a true reinvigoration for the animation studio.
Some of us remember the period where Disney decided to release direct-to-video sequels of classic stories and while some of them did well (Aladdin 2 & 3, Cinderella III, The Lion King 2), most were sub-par at best (The Little Mermaid II), or just painful (Bambi II). Frozen’s sequel certainly has a lot to live up to and a rather cringe-worthy legacy to avoid. Only time will tell how it will fare.
Here’s what we would like to see in the next installment.
(1) More Diversity:
The Disney empire tries to be diverse, but most of its attempts end up falling short of expectations. The fact is that when it comes to Disney Princess movies, audiences just don’t show up in the same numbers for films featuring a non-white royal lead. With the Frozen audience already rearing to hand over their money, it would be great to see the writers add more diversity with secondary characters. I mean, they live in a port city and have finally opened up the gates for others to come. It practically writes itself.
(2) More Personality for Elsa:
Elsa may be the most popular character, but when it comes down to it, besides her anxiety, she is very underdeveloped as a character. Maybe we can find out what her hobbies are this time around.
(3) More Sisterly Love:
The relationship between Elsa and Ana was the key hook in the first film, so in the sequel we’d love to see them actively catching up with each other. Perhaps they could team up to save Kristoff from the main villain(ess)?
(4) A Real Villain(ess):
This is a big one, because Hans…well he didn’t really cut it. Especially since The Snow Queen, the original fairy tale upon which Frozen is based, features one of the most interesting female villainesses in Western lore. Elsa was originally supposed to be more of an anti-heroine in the first movie and I think we missed out.
Avoid At All Costs:
(1) Love Interest For Elsa:
Unless it’s a girl no one is interested. Sorry.
(2) More Male Characters:
Again…unless they are MoC (men of color), no one is interested.
(3) More Love Guru Trolls:
They were the worst part of the movie. Did the Gargoyles from The Hunchback of Notre Dame teach you nothing Disney? When you have Olaf what more could you need?
In the spirit of diversifying, check out this awesome video of the hit song “Let it Go” featuring translations of over 20 different languages!
Image c/o Disney
