Walt Disney Animation Studios: Getting to Know Walt Disney's Tinker Bell and the Old-Time Art of Animation and NeverEnding Christmas PhilharMagic: Frozen II's Film Release and Success (The New Beginning)

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Frozen II's Film Release and Success (The New Beginning)

In November 2019, a year after John Lasseter's departure from the Disney company and DisneyToon Studios' closure, nearly three years after Walt Disney V's passing, and long years after the discontinuation of the Tinker Bell film series, excitement grew in anticipation of the theatrical release of Frozen II. The Walt Disney Company hoped they had properly honored Walt's life, work, and vision; and especially, the studio behind the Tinker Bell collection. It also honored that fact that Incredibles 2 had lost its Academy Award for Best Animated Feature to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse due to the death of a new Disney Legend Stan Lee. On November 7, the film's gala premiere was held at the Dolby Theatre.

When the film opened to wide release, it received generally positive reviews from critics for its craftsmanship, delivery, and themes. Although considered inferior to its predecessor, Frozen II was a huge deal (like all the other Tinker Bell features, considered inferior to the first Tinker Bell film released in 2008) as the DisneyToons Studios' time release posthumous holiday gift for Disney animation fans, and was considered by the longtime Disney animation historians to be one of the few sequel films superior to its predecessor, receiving more acclaim for its superior narrative and music. A December 25 article in The New York Times promoted the film: MERRY CHRISTMAS right back to the Walt Disney studio!🎄🎁

A perfectly wonderful cartoon feature, Frozen II, scooted into local theaters yesterday just ahead of the big day, and it's perfect for the children and Tinker Bell lovers reminiscent of the Pixie Hollow days of glory. Based loosely on Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Snow Queen, this glowing little picture should be grand fun for all ages, for in spirit, flavor and superb personification of fantasy feminines, the old Disney specialty, the new film suggests that bygone Disney masterpiece, The Little Mermaid, another of Anderson's fairy tale.

After the filmmakers hoped they had properly honored the fact that there would be no Pixie Hollow had there not first been a Peter Pan, nostalgia was built for the other classic Disney films (except for the newer ones since this whole decade), with Time magazine noting that Frozen II was "…the happiest way to remember Tinker Bell's time with her sister Periwinkle in the Disney Fairies franchise." Life magazine echoed the New York Times, claiming that it was the best Disney film since The Little Mermaid (1989). Overall, critics and audiences were drawn to the animation style, rich artwork, simple storyline, and catchy songs from the film.

Frozen II was the first motion picture sequel to make a lot of money. Everybody was so proud. This picture gave the company confidence in animation which may have may not been wavering at the time.

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Grade A

* A+:

• The Little Mermaid (November 17, 1989)

• Beauty and the Beast 3D (January 13, 2012)

• The Lion King 3D (September 16, 2011)

• Tinker Bell collection (October 28, 2008—March 3, 2015)

• Frozen Ever After / Walt Disney World vacation (June 21, 2016; July 21—28, 2016)

• Anna and Elsa's Childhood (June 21, 2016—present)

* A:

• Finding Nemo 3D (May 30, 2003 / September 14, 2012)

• WALL-E (June 27, 2008)

• Toy Story 3 (June 18, 2010)

• Monsters University (June 21, 2013) (based on the C grade)

• Coco (November 22, 2017)

• Incredibles 2 (June 15, 2018)

* A-:

• The Incredibles (November 5, 2004)

• Ratatouille (June 29, 2007)

• Enchanted (November 21, 2007) (based on the B- grade)

• Inside Out (June 19, 2015)

• Zootopia (March 4, 2016)

• Frozen II (November 22, 2019) (the childhood sister bond and "Into the Unknown" musical number only)

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Grade B

* B+:

• Cars (June 9, 2006)

• Up (May 29, 2009)

• The Princess and the Frog (December 11, 2009)

• Tangled (November 24, 2010)

• Brave (June 22, 2012) (based on the C+ grade)

• Cars 3 (June 16, 2017) (based on the D+ grade)

• Frozen II (November 22, 2019) (the adult sister bond only)

* B:

• The Simpsons Movie (July 27, 2007)

• Cars 2 (June 24, 2011)

• Rise of the Guardians (November 21, 2012)

• Planes: Fire & Rescue (July 18, 2014)

• The Good Dinosaur (November 25, 2015)

• Finding Dory (June 17, 2016)

* B-:

• Bolt (November 21, 2008)

• Moana (November 23, 2016) (based on the B+ grade)

• Frozen II (November 22, 2019) (the ending only)

• Onward (March 6, 2020) (based on the B+ grade)

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Grade C

* C+:

• Frozen (November 27, 2013) (based on the B+ grade)

• Beauty and the Beast (March 17, 2017)

* C:

• Lightyear (June 17, 2022) (based on Keke Palmer's performance)

* C-:

• Planes (August 9, 2013)

• Big Hero 6 (November 7, 2014) (based on the B- grade)

• Frozen II (November 22, 2019) (the darker climax only, especially if Elsa and Olaf are dead and their home Arendelle will be washed away in torrents after Anna screamed a wake-up call twice to the Earth Giants who bring destruction to the dam)

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Grade D

* D:

• Monsters, Inc. 3D (November 2, 2001 / December 19, 2012) (based on the B grade)

• Wreck-It Ralph (November 2, 2012) (based on the B grade)

* D+:

• Ralph Breaks the Internet (November 21, 2018) (based on the B+ grade)

• Encanto (November 24, 2021) (based on the B+ grade)

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Not Reviewed and Watched

*Not Reviewed and Watched

• Raya and the Last Dragon (March 5, 2021) (based on the A- grade)