WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Frozen 2, in theaters now.

Frozen 2 deviates from most Disney films in a number of different ways. It eschews a number of Disney movie tropes while exploring the growth and development of Elsa and her sister Anna as they learn more about their family history.

Perhaps the biggest shift from classic tropes is that Frozen 2 doesn't include a traditional antagonist.

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THE CONNECTION TO MAGIC

The original Frozen had fun with the reveal that Hans, Anna’s princely suitor, was the movie's bad guy. That reveal came late in the film and impacted events throughout the story. While there's a similar reveal in Frozen 2 of a seemingly good man being crueler than expected, it doesn’t change the overall trajectory of the film as much as Hans’ actions did. This is because the betrayal happened decades ago and is only just now coming to life.

When Elsa accidentally reawakens the magical forces of the Enchanted Forest, she discovers they aren’t malevolent and don't specifically want to kill people. Instead, they're more like an untamed spirit that’s lashing out.

Elsa and the others head into the Forest to find the source of the chaos. But it’s not the elemental spirits. They largely act on instinct and can even be won over by Elsa and Anna. Instead, the real criminal is revealed to be the sisters' grandfather who tried to expand his power and diminish magic by constructing a massive dam meant to contain it. He also killed the chief of the Northern tribe, setting off the conflict that led the Enchanted Forest to cut itself off from the rest of the world.

Anna and Elsa's grandfather's actions had consequences, and the crisis at hand is in proportion to those actions. But his actions don’t hinder the heroes. Instead, they force them to right his wrongs by bringing down the dam and unleashing the river, restoring magic to full power. Anna and Elsa are even able to do what their grandfather thought was impossible and find peace and unity by becoming the bridge between humanity and magic.

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THE LACK OF EVIL

Frozen 2 trailer

Frozen 2 isn’t about the politics of Arendelle or even the mission to release magic fully back into the world. For the majority of the film, the main focus is on exploring and expanding Elsa’s character. She grows throughout the film, learning more about her heritage and her abilities as the story continues. It’s a movie about self-discovery and self-acceptance, all building to Elsa choosing to leave the throne to remain in the North. This isn't done to correct the wrongs perpetrated by her family but for herself.

There are no evil witches to defeat or usurpers to stop. Even the soldiers who fought for the sisters' grandfather, led by Mattias, don’t turn on the heroes or try to stop them from freeing magic. Instead, they nobly work with Anna to get the attention of the Rock Giants so they can get them to destroy the dam.

This benefits the film overall, which is driven by internal growth. There’s no distraction away from Elsa and her journey. The film gets to focus all of its time on the characters and how they develop as the story progresses. And it works extremely well because the filmmakers take the time to make that growth natural. It turns out a Disney movie doesn’t require an outright villain, it just needs protagonists with passion and purpose.

In theaters now, Disney's Frozen 2 reunites directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck and producer Del Vecho with voice actors Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad. Returning musical talents include Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.

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