Frozen II, like the original film that came before, is a bonafide hit. The sequel has grossed over three-quarters of a billion dollars worldwide so far and it seems certain to become Disney's sixth billion dollar film of 2019, which is insane all by itself.
The movie may not be getting quite the critical reception that the original movie did, but it's still largely being praised, and audiences are clearly still in love with Anna, Elsa, and all the rest. Having said that, the primary audience that seems to truly be embracing Frozen II is the younger set, that's being brought to the theater by mom and dad.
Those adults that find themselves checking out the movie seem to be having more fun poking fun at Disney's newest animated musical. Jeopardy champ Ken Jennings took to Twitter to suggest that Disney missed the mark when titling Frozen II.
An animated Disney movie is a pretty safe bet when it comes to family entertainment. Especially during the holidays, it's just the sort of thing that a family might share together. For a lot of us a Disney movie was probably our first theatrical experience. You can bet that Frozen II is probably becoming the first movie a lot of kids have seen in a theater.
Of course, kids and movies don't always mix well. They can have trouble sitting still, they don't always stay quiet, and the really young ones can get fussy. Also, other problems can pop up.
And if you've just sat through a movie in a theater full of little kids, you may become very much in need of a different kind of Frozen II.
As the father of a two-and-a-half-year-old who clearly can't sit still for a 90-minute feature film, I'm not yet at the point where I'll be bringing her to the movies. Even when I do, I can guess it will be a chore. Although, I have hopes that, as the daughter of a professional film critic, I'll be able to bring her up to appreciate film the same way this dad apparently has.
While it makes sense that kids are going to be Frozen II's real audience, there's actually quite a bit in the movie for parents to enjoy. Some of themes of the film are a bit darker and might resonate more with those who have lived life a bit longer. Olaf's song "When I Am Older" is going to mean something entirely different to parents than it will to their kids. And Everything about "Lost in the Woods" is going to be lost on anybody who doesn't have a functional knowledge of music from the 1980s.
Disney has always tried to be family entertainment, not simply children's entertainment, and Frozen II succeeds in that, even if it is easy to poke a little fun.
