Top 10 Things You Missed in Frozen 2

Actor Josh Gad improvised much of his dialogue as Olaf in the original film and he was once again given free rein to inject “a lot” of his own lines into “Frozen 2,” according to Sklar. Discussing Gad’s acting method with MsMojo, Sklar stated, “they do one or two passes at the words as written and then spends a long time riffing on that. And then we take the ones that don’t have expletives in them and those go in the movie.” As for which lines in particular he improvised, Sklar is “pretty certain” that Olaf’s shout-out to the nonexistent Samantha was a Gad ad-lib. Gad apparently cracked up because he thought the line was so funny, making Olaf’s laughter in the film genuine.

Fans of Studio Ghibli will notice a few parallels between “Frozen 2” and the works of Hayao Miyazaki, particularly “Princess Mononoke.” Much like that Japanese animated epic, “Frozen 2” primarily sets itself in a mystical forest populated by fantastical creatures. Both films also revolve around two feuding groups, one of which is grounded in nature while the other is grounded in modern industrialism. Yet, neither side is entirely right or wrong. Just as Ashitaka and San must find a compromise to bring balance, it’s up to Anna and Elsa to bridge two worlds together. Sklar says that Eastern animation wasn’t a direct inspiration on “Frozen 2” per se, although Disney is “influenced by that stuff all the time just because we love those movies.”

In the original “Frozen,” the filmmakers snuck in a little adult humor when Kristoff asks Anna a series of questions about her fiancé, eventually bringing up his “foot size.” “Frozen 2” follows up this innuendo with some more suggestive wordplay between Kristoff and Anna. At one point in the film, Kristoff trades in his casual clothing for more formal attire. Kristoff doesn’t plan on wearing his monkey suit for long, but Anna says that she actually prefers him in leather. All the kids in the audience will assume that Anna is talking about Kristoff’s ice harvesting clothing. Older audiences, however, will be able to see through every shade of grey in Anna’s choice of words.

Our heroes encounter several elemental beings in the unknown, including a water spirit known as the Nokk, or the Neck. Although some might assume that this character is an invention of the film, the Nokk actually derived from Germanic folklore. While the Nokk has taken on various forms in mythology, it materializes as a stallion here. The film’s interpretation thus shares the most in common with the “brook horse,” which translates to Bäckahästen in Scandinavian, and the “water horse,” which translates to Ceffyl Dŵr in Welsh. When asked how the filmmakers achieved such realistic water effects, Sklar said that “‘Moana’ really helped.” One can’t help but wonder if Elsa will ever ride the Nokk across the Dark Sea and meet up with Moana on Motunui.

Yet another trait “Frozen 2” shares in common with “Princess Mononoke” is the lack of a one-dimensional antagonist. Sklar doesn’t recall a version of the film that had a villain, saying, the filmmakers “wanted it to be more about [Anna and Elsa’s] relationship and how they were growing.” The movie establishes this new direction early on when Anna selects the word, “villain,” while playing charades. Anna makes an angry face and uses brutish body language to convey a traditional bad guy like Hans. As the characters discover throughout the film, though, conflict doesn’t always stem from “irredeemable monsters.” Sometimes, life’s greatest challenges are internal and can’t always be so easily expressed. It’s a subtle moment that cleverly foreshadows the larger theme of the whole movie.

During the same game of charades, Olaf takes full advantage of his shapeshifting abilities to pull off a victory. Among the forms he assumes are Oaken, the trading post owner we met in the first film, and a teapot, which we can only assume is nod to Mrs. Potts from “Beauty and the Beast.” Most notably, Olaf uses his coal to create two black mouse ears and a nose. Disney has a long tradition of sneaking Hidden Mickeys into their films and Olaf literally embodies the mouse here. Looking even closer, you’ll notice two extra white snowflakes on Olaf’s lower half, mimicking the circles on Mickey’s red pants. Also, Olaf really nailed Elsa’s “Let it Go” walk.

Kristoff’s “Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People” song is cute and all, but actor Jonathan Groff finally got a proper showstopper in “Frozen 2” with the 80s-inspired “Lost in the Woods.” Kristoff receives backup from Sven and a whole choir of reindeer, all of whom are reportedly voiced by Groff. Speaking of voiceover talent, the mysterious voice that lures Elsa “Into the Unknown” is supplied by Norwegian singer, Aurora Aksnes - known by just Aurora - who’s fittingly well-versed in songs about the cold. Those with keen ears also might’ve noticed that Elsa and Anna’s parents have different voices. Where they were voiced by Maurice LaMarche and co-director Jennifer Lee in the first film, the former King and Queen of Arendelle are now voice by Alfred Molina and Evan Rachel Wood, respectively.

During a flashback to Elsa and Anna’s childhood, the young sisters are seen playing with a miniature snow village. One of the figurines that Elsa has conjured, however, looks less like a snowman and more like a snow-bot. It’s none other than Baymax from “Big Hero 6!” Elsa created Olaf to give warm hugs and it appears she made a mini Baymax to do the same. Come to think of it, Hans can be spotted on a wanted poster in “Big Hero 6.” We’re not sure how it’s possible, but we’re starting to think that San Fransokyo and Arendelle are only a bridge apart.

It may be computer-animated, but the scenery and color schemes of “Frozen 2” were greatly inspired by a traditionally-drawn Disney classic. Anyone who’s studied animation will definitely notice parallels between the enchanted forest in this film and the ethereal backgrounds that artist Eyvind Earle painted for “Sleeping Beauty.” According to Sklar, the filmmakers were drawn to how “organized” and “graphic” the imagery in the 1959 fairytale is. This provided a nice balance to how realistic much of the film looks while also complementing the Scandinavian rosemåling decor. The result is a breathtaking fusion between two different animation styles, as if a silhouette is coming to life in a 3D environment.

For six years, people have been listening to “Let It Go” on repeat and we can see why. It’s just that catchy! Nevertheless, we can also understand how some people could get sick of the Oscar-winning song after hearing it so many times. It would appear that even Elsa herself is ready to let go. As Elsa explores a hall of memories that’ve been frozen in time, we’re given several callbacks to the first film. Walking past a memory of her signature power ballad, Elsa rolls her eyes with a mildly annoyed groan, as if she’s heard it one too many times. Even if Elsa is over “Let It Go,” our obsessions with “Into the Unknown” and “Show Yourself” are just getting started.