Like every cast member at Disney in 2014, I was drowned in the nonstop sounds of one Frozen. The film was a massive hit, and grossed more than a billion dollars worldwide. At the time of its release, Frozen actually became the fourth highest grossing animated film in the domestic box office (behind Shrek 2, The Lion King, and Toy Story 3). Disney put a lot of resources behind the property, and the property quickly made its way into the parks at Epcot. Not long after, it became clear that Disney would make a sequel, making it only the fourth film in Disney’s history to receive a theatrical sequel under the Walt Disney Animation brand. Today, we got our first look at the new trailer, and it has taken a surprisingly epic turn.
The trailer showcases Elsa (Idina Menzel) as she attempts pushes the limits of her power. As she dives headfirst into the ocean, it is clear that this film looks to take a darker tone, both literally and figuratively. There are some objectively cool shots that populate the trailer. Christoph (Jonathan Groff) riding Sven the Reindeer, and Anna (Kristen Bell) grabbing a sword and striking both seem to indicate the ambition of this film is grander. In many sequences, this feels more like an action film.
Perhaps the most exciting this about the film is the giant step forward the animation itself will take. With each of the glimpses into the Frozen world, including Frozen Fever and Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, the world has felt cartoony. That’s not a bad thing, but it never felt like cutting edge animation. In all honesty, I expected Toy Story 4 to run away with the animated feature race, at least on the Disney side of things. Now, I’m not so sure. With definitive camera movements and a grandiose approach to the material, Frozen 2 looks to have more in common with How to Train Your Dragon than other Disney films. It’ll be curious to see how this pans out.
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