Slightly darker sequel charms with catchy songs, messages.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Violence & Scariness
some
Potential spoilers throughout this section. Several flashbacks to battle that involves weapons (mostly swords), injury, danger, nongraphic death (we're told of one death, and one other person is obviously killed -- they're shown moments before assassination). The sisters find remains of their parents' shipwreck in an unexpected place, which makes them sad; other references to their parents' deaths. Frequent peril and risk: Chases, smashing, panic, falls, etc. Enchanted Forest can be scary: enormous Earth giants are initially frightening (especially when they hurl boulders at people), as is a water horse. Air spirits use a tornado-like cloud to roughly grab, spin main characters. Elsa is repeatedly tossed around by huge waves. Various elemental spirits (air, earth, fire, water) magically threaten Arendelle; the whole kingdom is in danger at a couple of different points; citizens must be evacuated. Billowing smoke and swirling, magical-looking fire that burns quickly and endangers characters. Definite spoiler alert! At one point it looks like Elsa has frozen permanently, and Olaf melts/flurries away as a result (little kids may be quite upset by this, but it's not permanent) -- Anna is extremely sad after that scene.
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Anna and Kristoff are a couple, and they show affection for each other several times: hugging, a peck on the cheek, him carrying her, one big kiss and embrace. In flashbacks, Elsa and Anna's parents embrace.
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Nothing in the movie itself, but there are countless merchandise tie-ins with the Disney movie, from toys, apparel, and figurines to costumes, accessories, books, and games.
Language
none
One use of "butt."
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Themes include teamwork, courage, perseverance. Positive messages include accepting and getting to know people from different backgrounds, protecting and helping the people you love, knowing how to be supportive, moving past obstacles by "doing the next right thing," acknowledging and understanding history and the past, even if it's uncomfortable and/or problematic. Continues to promote unconditional love, bonds of sisterhood and idea that true love is about partnership, communication, mutual respect, understanding.
Positive Role Models
a lot
Anna continues to be a brave, kind, loving sister, as well as a good partner and friend to Kristoff (if somewhat impetuous). Elsa uses her powers to help her kingdom and her loved ones. Both sisters are strong, independent women who lead confidently, communicate with and support each other. Kristoff is a supportive, encouraging partner to Anna and loyal friend to reindeer Sven. Olaf is cheerful, loyal but also thoughtful, philosophical. The people of Arendelle are a diverse group. The Northuldrans have many similarities to indigenous Scandinavian people.
Educational Value
a little
Although it's not an educational movie, it offers lessons on importance of family and loyalty, of being open to the truth about the past, even when it implicates your own family or ancestors.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Frozen 2 -- the sequel to Disney's 2013 blockbuster -- continues the adventures of Arendelle's magical Queen Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel); her kind sister, Anna (Kristen Bell); and everyone's favorite snowman, Olaf (Josh Gad). This time around, the characters undertake a dangerous journey to a mysterious enchanted forest, hoping to discover the source of Elsa's powers. The sisters learn more about their parents' deaths and backgrounds; thanks to several flashbacks, viewers may feel even sadder about the orphans' loss. While there's lots of humor (thanks, Olaf!) and -- of course -- big musical numbers, the sequel is ultimately a bit more intense than the original. Expect perilous (though never graphic) scenes of elemental spirits chasing and attacking Arendelle/the main characters with wind, water, fire, and more. There are also chases, battle scenes with swords, dark secrets, and -- spoiler alert! -- a couple of upsetting (but temporary) deaths. Underlining everything are positive messages about sisterhood, empowerment, acceptance, tolerance, perseverance, and true love, and both Anna and Elsa are examples of strong women who lead confidently and communicate with and support each other. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Excellent - but might be too much for younger or sensitive kids
This review contains some SPOILERS.
My seven-year-old and I loved the movie. The animation is beautiful, and there are some more good songs (aside from Christoph's dumb "Lost in the Woods" song). Disney also takes a dive into colonization and Indigenous land rights, though of course they can't explore it too deeply in a 2-hour movie for kids.
The themes can get a bit dark, but they can also present good teaching opportunities. Elsa and Anna find out that the villain was ... their grandfather, and they have to right the wrong that he did. If your child has had a couple of years of school and has studied history at all, they may be able, with your help, to connect the events of the movie with events from history. Depending on your family's background, your child's ancestors may have been similar to Anna and Elsa's grandfather, or they may have been more like the Northuldra leader he tricked and killed. Again, it's a good teaching opportunity for them. My sensitive first grader has been open to discussing these issues, usually prompted by movies or books.
Some parts may be difficult for younger or sensitive kids, although my kid was fine. For several minutes of the movie, two main characters are thought to be dead and we see the intense grief of a remaining character. If this upsets your kids but they still want to watch, you may tell them the ending will be happy.
I, the parent, have several unresolved questions about the elemental spirits and Elsa's role with them! (Who was the fifth spirit before her? Assuming she's not immortal, who will be the fifth spirit after her? Are the spirits immortal? How was Elsa's mother connected with Ahtohallan? Why didn't she tell her daughters about her past? How much did their father know? How did she get by as a child in Arendelle, away from her family, or did she have some family who were not locked in the forest? Do some Northuldra live in the village?)
I think this movie is decent as far as sequels go, but definitely not for the targeted audience (3-8 girls). It has some very intense scenes and confusing ones that need a lot of explanations. I would recommend previewing it and deciding how sensitive your kids are and going from there.
What's the Story?
FROZEN 2 opens with a flashback to the king (voiced by Alfred Molina) and queen (Evan Rachel Wood) of Arendelle telling young Elsa and Anna a bedtime story about a magical enchanted forest and the indigenous people of Northuldra who live there, along with the elemental spirits of air, water, fire, and earth. In the present, Queen Elsa (Idina Menzel) starts getting distracted by a siren call that only she can hear. While Anna (Kristen Bell) worries for her sister, Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) prepares to propose to Anna, and beloved snowman Olaf (Josh Gad), secure with permafrost, matures enough to have an existential crisis. As the voice's pull gets stronger, Elsa realizes that elemental magic is hurting her kingdom, so she sets out to find the long-hidden forest accompanied by Anna, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf. Once they get there, they encounter a long-missing group of Northuldrans and Arendelle soldiers, who've been trapped for decades. Elsa must figure out how to use her powers to save Arendelle and restore peace with what's left of the Northuldrans. And, of course, Anna refuses to let her do it alone -- even if that means (accidentally) leaving Kristoff behind.
This charming musical sequel again elevates sisterhood, empowerment, love, and acceptance -- while introducing catchy new songs that are sure to please young Elsa and Anna fans. The storyline in Frozen 2 is less straightforward than in the original: There are multiple character arcs, and the youngest viewers may not understand one of the Northuldra plot points (it's reminiscent of an ugly aspect of U.S. history concerning Native Americans). But there are several musical interludes (it feels like even more than in the first movie) and enough humor to keep viewers happy and satisfied. No longer awestruck by everything around him, Olaf is maturing in a hilariously philosophical way. He wonders about the meaning of the universe and his place in it and at times comes off like a clever, angsty teen (audiences may think of Groot more than once in this film). Of the new characters, Wood is a standout as the girls' mother, as is Sterling K. Brown as a veteran Arendelle soldier.
The music (again co-composed and written by spouses Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez) doesn't include an obvious successor to the once ubiquitous "Let It Go," although "Into the Unknown" features the same emotional crescendo of Menzel's stunning voice. Several of the songs sound similar, but that's to be expected from composers who hit the jackpot with a particular musical style. Groff's Kristoff finally gets his big solo, "Lost in the Woods," which is presented in the style of an '80s power ballad video and should elicit more than a few laughs from Gen X and older parents. Anna's song "The Next Right Thing" is compelling and bittersweet, and Olaf's "When I'm Older" has the comical tone audiences expect from the adorable snowman. The romance here is already established, so that subplot is more about Kristoff wondering whether Anna wants marriage as much as he does, when she's so preoccupied with her sister's well-being. While fans shouldn't expect the exact same kind of magic as in the original, Frozen 2 is a fitting tribute to Elsa and Anna's promise to protect and defend each other -- and their kingdom.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the tone/intensity of Frozen 2 compares with the original. How much violence can younger viewers handle? Are the scenes of characters in danger or getting hurt too upsetting?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
suggesting a diversity update.
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
