In the span of two weeks, D23 has hosted a couple of Frozen 2 events in Toronto, and Disney fans are ecstatic about the renewed interest in celebrating Disney movies in Canada’s largest city. The event was billed as the Canadian premiere of the mega sequel at the Scotiabank Theatre in downtown Toronto and drew a packed house of hundreds of fans eager to see the next chapter of the beloved characters.
Since I was early to the premiere, it gave me ample time to walk throughout the lobby of the theatre. Frozen 2 posters were everywhere, from the large cardboard marquee to the ever-changing digital posters. Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf were all around reminding everyone about the onslaught that was about to start at the box office. As the tickets were handed out there was time to spare before entering the theatre with crafts, face paint, and a free Frozen 2 glitter globe gift for attendees.
I decided that I should try my hand at the craft. Sitting alone surrounded by tissue paper, glue sticks and leaf templates, all I had to do was glue the tissue paper pieces on the leaf. The craft was inspired by the fall nature of Frozen 2, but quickly my tissue paper was sticking in the wrong places and my hand was caught on the table. Good luck to the person who sat in my spot after.
The major attraction of the preshow festivities was the life-size glitter ball. Inside were life-sized cardboard cutouts of Anna and Elsa going into the woods with the Frozen 2 sign in front. I made my way to the line and waited patiently to climb into the human hamster ball of fun. The theatre employee graciously took my photos, as I threw the leaves up into the air, like I was a part of the crew and off on an adventure into the unknown.
Prior to the movie starting, a Weather Channel representative came out to warm up the crowd (pun intended). It makes sense that when a film is titled Frozen 2 and has seen major events happen in Canada in the last two weeks, of course The Weather Channel would be a major sponsor of the event.
When the lights dimmed and the crowd fell silent as the picture came into focus, I couldn’t help but get this giddy joy of knowing that I was about to see something that was going to be popular before millions of other people. It seemed like every kid in the theatre was holding one form of merchandise related to the film. Frozen was a cultural phenomenon that swept the world.
Sitting in the theatre and watching the next chapter of the saga of Arendelle, I marveled at how gorgeous the animation is. It really is a work of art how the filmmakers created this story and used the visuals to a maximum. Even Elsa’s part in the Dark Sea near the later half of the film is two parts of animation brilliance, with the dark black color of the ocean, and the bright white light that envelops Elsa through her costume and personality.
By the end of the film, the audience was cheering, and I am certain that everyone in attendance will be heading back to the theatres to go into the unknown once more with Frozen 2. I won’t attempt to review the film, Kyle Burbank did an excellent job highlighting the pros and cons of the film. To me though, Frozen II was a perfect addition to the first film. I had no idea what to expect from the film, and what I saw was a bright new take on what sequels could be. The same characters were involved, but the plotline of the first film was not repeated.
Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck brought us back to a well-known world, but time has moved on. The characters are a few years older, outfits have changed and so have the people of Arendelle. Everything looks familiar, but things are different in Frozen 2 and that’s what makes this film surpass the original. This is a more mature story for the characters. They have grown and this new maturity is reflected in the storyline and the musical numbers.
I left the theatre with a smile on my face and excited to bring my family to the movies this weekend. Before I departed, I noticed something lurking in the distance from the blue wall of Frozen 2 and the glitter globe. A massive cardboard marquee of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker was getting ready for its closeup in a few weeks. Frozen II will no doubt be a massive hit at the box office, but it will be a short-lived stay at the top of the leaderboard. Entering the new box office blockbuster season, the holidays, Frozen 2 will certainly be dethroned but its appeal will undoubtedly live on long after this blockbuster season’s flame has fizzled out.