Frozen 2 is Hot

Catching lightning in a bottle is a once in a life-time experience. It isn’t supposed to happen twice. It’s a one and done and then life moves on. So when Disney announced they were making a sequel to Frozen my first thought was, ironically “Let it go.” The film didn’t need a sequel.  Yes, the characters lives would, in essence  go on after the credits, but their stories were done. Leave happily ever after alone.  Also, other than a handful of exceptions, Disney sequels are not that good.

However, besides being a fan of Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, and Jonathan Groff, I’m also Disneyphile. So, not only did I decide to go to the film on it’s opening night, but also at the world-famous El Capitan – which is the home for Disney in Hollywood.

I chose the latest show possible (9:50pm) because I thought that it would be too late for parents to bring their super-young kids. But apparently, parents in Hollywood don’t give a damn about little things like bedtime or common curtsey Babies in a movie theatre are annoying. I paid $30 for Frozen, not your crying demon-spawn.

Stay at home, Karen: you selfish self-important cow.

When I took my seat, I saw a set of parents with a little boy, maybe five or six, seated directly in front of him. The little boy was dressed as Elsa. Yes, I am sure it’s a little boy because the parents called him Johnny and told him to be a good boy, because people paid a lot of money to see the movie.

Being a curmudgeon my initial thought to their warning was “Please, for the love of God, be as good as you look. I don’t want to hate this movie because of a little boy living his best life.”

The film started. The art, the music, the story. Every second of this film was wonderful. More mature than the first Frozen, Frozen 2 was the story I didn’t know I needed and honestly, was better than the original. You read that right. It was better than the original.

Of course it’s got the magic, and the talking snow man, and everything that made the first film beloved by children everywhere – it was also very adult, and had some really gut-wrenchingly emotional moments. Also, unlike the first film, Jonathan Groff’s Kristoff had his very own song and it was an 80s power-ballad that’s a wonderland of catchy comedic perfection. Hands down best song in the movie.

What was great about this film was the fact that while it dealt with some pretty serious issues, it didn’t take itself too seriously. It even goes as far as to pokes fun at moments in the original film (not in a cheesy wink wink at the camera way, but in a way that worked with the story). I’m 100% going to go again.

But, the film itself was not the best part of the experience.  I think a lot of why I enjoyed this film was because of the actions and reaction of Little Johnny Elsa who was sitting in front of me. This little kid is a superstar.

He did listen to his parents, and was actually really well behaved for as young as he was. But, that beings said, he was a little kid who clearly loved Frozen – so his excitement was uncontainable.

His reactions, were like most of the adults around me to the film – his were just audible. He gasped at the beauty of the film, said that Elsa looked pretty in her new dress – which he would be asking Santa for for Christmas. He was right. The dress. That dress is spectacular and if Disney doesn’t do a designer doll of Elsa in the epilogue dress – they’re missing a major opportunity.

As the film continued I realized something. This kid knew EVERY SINGLE song. Not because he was singing aloud, but because he was lip-syncing for his life in a way that would put every single queen on RuPaul’s Drag Race to shame.  I mean, this kid was ON FIRE!

I remember the first time I saw one of my favorite properties on the big screen for the first time. It was Rainbow Brite and the Star Stealer. I was three, but I was captivated. I didn’t dress up, but I did bring my sprite Twink (a major character in the Rainbow Brite franchise) with me.  So I knew exactly what this kid was experiencing.

So to reiterate, Frozen 2 not only lives up to the hype, it surpasses it. To little Johnny, keep being yourself and to little Johnny’s parents –  you’re doing amazing.