Like its predecessor, the long-awaited Frozen sequel is a movie for children, but lots of
grown-ups are still watching it -- and if anything, Frozen 2 doubles down on bits that
seem aimed squarely at the adults.
Here's a look at some of the most memorable moments only grown-ups noticed.
This is it, the moment you've been waiting for.
Elsa finally, officially comes out of the closet!
Just kidding, she definitely doesn't, but Frozen 2 does throw in a scene that seems
to hint that Elsa could possibly be gay, even if it mainly just comes across as Disney throwing
a bone to fans who were hoping for some concrete proof of her sexuality.
In the film, Elsa and company venture to an enchanted forest in the hopes of lifting a
curse that has left the Northuldra and an Arendellian army unit trapped in the forest
for over 30 years.
While staying with the Northuldra, Elsa sits by a fire with a young Northuldra woman named
Honeymaren.
The two have a conversation about the spirits and the forest, and they learn that they share
a bit of history thanks to a song Elsa's mother sang to her when she was young.
Their interaction comes across as a very flirty meet-cute, and while it will fly right over
kids' heads, any adult can interpret this as Disney's very safe attempt at trying to
hint at Elsa's sexuality.
Ultimately, their interaction goes nowhere and they don't speak again for the rest of
the film, making the tension-filled scene something of a disappointment for the fans
who were hoping for Elsa's big coming out party.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a major cash cow for Disney.
Naturally, this sort of success has started to influence the rest of the studio's offerings,
as everyone wants a bit of that MCU magic for themselves.
And Frozen 2 is no exception.
Very early in the movie, there is a big battle scene between the Arendelle army and the Northuldra.
This is followed by a ton of action scenes — far more than the first Frozen film.
Frozen 2 is practically an action movie, and most of the action feels very big and MCU-esque.
Then there's the direct reference.
Near the end of the film, Elsa becomes frozen solid.
As a result, any magic she created begins to disappear.
This includes Olaf, who begins "flurrying" — as in, pieces of snow start flaking off
of him and floating away.
It looks exactly like the dusting that occurs in Avengers: Infinity War, and at one point
Anna even cradles the disintegrating Olaf in her arms just as Iron Man cradled Spider-Man.
You half-expect Olaf to say, "I don't feel so good, Mr. Stark" before he disappears completely.
One of the film's big reveals is that the Arendellian soldiers and the Northuldra who
engaged in a battle 34 years prior are still living in the enchanted forest.
That's pretty incredible, both that they went that long without killing each other and also
that they were able to find enough food to stay alive for over three decades.
But their survival isn't the most impressive thing about this ordeal.
No, that would be the Arendellian army's clothes.
When Elsa and company meet Mattias and the rest of the soldiers, they're all still wearing
their uniforms.
You know, the uniforms they were wearing 34 years ago.
That implies that they have no other clothes, which means they've worn the same thing every
day for decades, and they're still as crisp and clean as the day Arendelle marched off
to battle.
Kids will pay little attention to this, but adults might wonder where they can invest
in some of those most durable duds.
We don't know exactly what Anna and Kristoff get up to in the bedroom, but Frozen 2 makes
it clear that the new queen of Arendelle has at least one major kink.
At the end of the film, some of the characters dress up in some fancy duds to celebrate Anna's
coronation.
The clothes look great, but Kristoff hates them, finding them uncomfortable.
"You get this for one hour," Kristoff tells Anna.
"That's okay," Anna purrs.
"I prefer you in leather anyway."
*gigantic spit-take*
Anna, you naughty girl.
While kids will think that Anna is simply making a cute reference to Kristoff's regular
leather jerkin, their parents will get the joke: When the lights go out, Anna likes to
get a little freaky.
"This is awkward."
That's not the only racy comment in the scene, either.
After the exchange, Olaf — who's similarly dressed up — remarks, "I'm shocked you can
last an hour."
And if you don't get that one…
well, ask your parents, maybe.
Hamilton and Glee star Jonathan Groff, who voices Kristoff, didn't get a solo song in
the original Frozen, but Frozen 2 made it up to him.
In the sequel, Groff belts out "Lost in the Woods," one of the film's most memorable tracks.
Sure, Groff's performance is unsurprisingly spectacular, but what really makes "Lost in
the Woods" shine is its production.
The number doesn't just evoke old '80s power ballads.
It's also staged exactly like something you would've seen on classic MTV, with a few shots
ripped directly from Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" thrown in for good measure.
The whole thing is outlandish enough to be funny for everyone, but only adults will understand
what "Lost in the Woods" is parodying.
That's by design.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Groff says,
"It's... really kind of a gift for the adults watching the movie....
The kids are laughing too, but the adults are the ones that are really in on the joke."
Yes, it's true: in Frozen 2, Elsa and Anna wear pants.
As co-director Jennifer Lee points out, that makes sense.
As the filmmaker put it to the Los Angeles Times,
"Of course you're going to wear pants when you hear the words 'enchanted forest.'"
Frozen 2 is a rough-and-tumble adventure, and its heroes are princesses.
They should be allowed to wear whatever they want.
And yet, over the course of Disney's history, that hasn't always been the case.
Aside from Mulan and Aladdin's Princess Jasmine, every other Disney princess has been confined
to dresses or skirts.
Even Anna and Elsa were stuck in long, flowing gowns in the first Frozen, and only got to
wear more practical attire when the sequel rolled around.
According to Walt Disney Animation Studios president Clark Spencer, switching up the
duo's wardrobe was a way to bring modern sensibilities into a fairytale world, and a proclamation
that
"...there is more than one way to be a princess."
Kids probably won't notice the change.
Those of us who grew up on classic Disney features, though?
We know it's a big deal.
Frozen 2 is full of nods to other movies — especially other Disney films — but the movie's target
audience is going to miss at least one of them.
Do you know many children who are familiar with The Seven Year Itch, the 1955 comedy
starring Marilyn Monroe?
Yeah, we didn't think so.
Disney's animators snuck in a sly reference to the film anyway.
The Seven Year Itch is the movie in which Monroe stands over a subway grate as wind
from a passing train lifts her white dress.
It's one of the most memorable images in film history.
Well, Frozen 2 has a similar scene.
When the wind spirit Gale is playing with Olaf, the snowman's bottom half billows out
just like Monroe's outfit.
Olaf even calls the experience "delicious," echoing the line that Monroe utters during
the iconic scene.
"Oh, do you feel the breeze from the subway?
Isn't it delicious?"
It's too much to be a coincidence — and it's a reference that's going to go right
over most kids' heads.
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more Looper videos about your favorite Disney movies are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.