Frozen vs Frozen II

Frozen (2013) and Frozen II (2019) marked and embraced a progressive change in the portrayal of the Disney princess. Many film enthusiasts and Disney fans alike agree on this idea. Like many good things, it is difficult to have common ground as to which movie is better than the other, and many arguments have been raised because of it, and the debate continues to this day. I, for one, consider Frozen II a better film than the first Frozen film. As such, I argue that Frozen II is a better film than Frozen I because of the following reasons: arguably better songs used in the film and better character development with little to no plot holes.

There is a debate as to whether “Show Yourself”, the feature song for Frozen II, is better than “Let it go”, Frozen’s feature song. Fans and critics are split on either side, with those arguing for “Let it go” insisting it propelled the film to greater success and is one of the main reasons the sequel exists. Objectively speaking, I concur with the critics who use this argument. However, looking at “Show Yourself” objectively, it carries much more emotion and has a very powerful message attached to it. “Let it go” encapsulates rebellion and freedom, while “Show Yourself” talks about Elsa uncovering the mysteries behind her powers and the mist covering the Enchanted Forest. The song is more like a plea as her need for answers grows. Other than “Show Yourself”, the rest of Frozen II has great songs including “Into the Unknown”, another great song that had a powerful message about Elsa’s desire to explore the world outside her kingdom to find answers about the voice she has been hearing. In conclusion, this goes to show how from a musical standpoint, Frozen II was better than Frozen.

While seeing Frozen for the second time, I could not help but wonder about the context behind Kristoff and his backstory and Hans’s portrayal in the film. Earlier in the film, we are introduced to a young Kristoff and Sven with other ice vendors. The scene clearly shows how Kristoff got into the ice selling business which is relevant later in the film. We, however, don’t get to see his family or how he ended up in the company of ice vendors. Another significant plot hole is Hans's true character. He helped Anna as she was about to fall into the water. At this point, we assume Hans did not know Anna was the princess of Arendelle. He also smiles after she leaves which plays into the idea that Hans might have been good at heart but corrupted by the desire to become noticed and valued. Frozen therefore paints Hans as all good until he betrays Anna in the final moments of the film which was a sharp turning point that did not completely make sense in my opinion. Hans is portrayed as a genuinely good leader as portrayed in some parts of the film which adds to the idea that he was not all bad as the final moments painted him to be and that Disney should have spread out his evil nature to some other parts of the film or at least hinted about it. 

Frozen II, however, has little to no plot holes and develops the characters well enough for us as an audience to understand where they are coming from in terms of how they act and behave throughout the film. Granted, the film did not have to introduce the characters since this was achieved in Frozen, which plays into the idea that Frozen II built upon the groundwork laid by Frozen, therefore making it a better film overall.

Overall, I loved watching both films and seeing how far Disney has come in terms of the portrayals of its princesses and the depth and meaning of the storylines developed for these 2 films.