Brow Beat

Does Frozen Include an Homage to Watchmen?

Frozen's "Let It Go" sequence (right), Dr. Manhattan on Mars (left)
Frozen’s “Let It Go” sequence, complete with crystal palace (right), seems almost modeled on the Dr. Manhattan sequence from Watchmen (left).

Images via DC Comics, Disney

Various people have noted that the “Let It Go” sequence from Frozen bears a surprising resemblance to the Mars sequence from Watchmen. Both sequences find our heroes (Elsa in Frozen, Dr. Manhattan in Watchmen) exiled in a distant, lifeless location contemplating whether to wield their powers, because they have been accused of being dangerous to others. Both sequences culminate in our heroes deciding to unleash their powers, which they demonstrate by raising giant crystalline palaces out from the ground.

Whether or not the most famous sequence in Frozen is an homage to Watchmen, this hasn’t stopped fans of each from mashing the two together in videos and fan art. The best of these mashups—and the one that best demonstrates the unlikely similarities between these two sequences—comes from Alex Wolinetz, who combined Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen illustrations with the lyrics from Frozen. We asked Wolinetz to reprint his mashup in full here, so you can check out the whole thing below and make up your mind for yourself.