Frozen II

The kingdom of Arendelle needs to be evacuated when the forces of nature threaten to destroy it. Elsa, Anna, Olaf and Kristoff set off to find some answers. But Elsa has been distracted. She has been hearing an unfamiliar voice calling out to her in a strange tune. Led by her, the group follows the melody to find themselves at the edge of an Enchanted Forest with untold mysteries and dangers.

Rather than retracing the steps of its record-breaking predecessor, ‘Frozen 2’ tries some new thematic tricks. This time around, the surprisingly mature plot focuses on transformation and growing up. The film’s setup leading up to the climax appears to be promising, but its third act doesn’t quite live up to expectations. The conflict resolution lacks a sense of impact and feels rushed. This is particularly baffling since the first half tends to meander, focusing on songs than on purposefully furthering the plot. Additionally, the tracks are far too many and certainly not as catchy as the first film. Which isn’t to say they are bad – the compositions are layered, but it is yet to be seen if they have enough sing-along power to become as popular as ‘Let It Go’. Still, the picturizations of the music is incredibly captivating.

This extends to the rest of the film’s animation too, and some vibrant colors combine with photo-realistic visuals to create quite a spectacle. Minor details are noticeable as they enhance the essence of each character. While each of the group gets their moments, Elsa and Anna continue to be the focal points. The uncontainable chemistry of Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell, respectively, picks up where they left off without missing a beat. Olaf provides ample humor, either in visual slapstick or by Josh Gad’s endearing yet tongue-in-cheek, almost self-aware delivery. An interesting new character played by Sterling K. Brown is an immediate standout. However, a subplot involving Kristoff and Anna feels shoed in to give Jonathan Groff something to do besides...

While ‘Frozen 2’ isn’t as strong a film as I had hoped it would be, I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a disappointment. It’s still incredibly entertaining and I found myself engaged throughout. These films do have an undeniable charm, and outside of the now-completed ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ trilogy, ‘Moana’ and Laika’s ‘Missing Link’, these are the only major American animated films attempting the use the form to create a cinematic experience. It is a pity that the story never finds its feet; a combination of this level of craft and a real ripper of a yarn would have made this a slam-dunk. As it stands though, the magic of the ‘Frozen’ franchise is still there - dimmed, but there nonetheless.

• Daniel Lammin

Read Daniel's full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-frozen-2-elsa-and-anna-return-with-the-magic-mostly-intact

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As you should know by now, I enjoyed Frozen more than I expected. Therefore, I was genuinely excited about its six-year sequel. It’s one of the few movies in 2019 to which I went in 99% blind. I didn’t watch a single trailer, I barely saw any images or small clips, and I didn’t know anything about where the story was going. So, with my expectations moderately high, how did it perform? Very, very well. I’m going to write it straight away: I enjoy this sequel more than the original. For one simple reason: it possesses a more emotionally complex narrative, one which I think the target audience (basically kids) won’t even fully understand.

It’s really hard to create an animated flick with a story that works for both adults and children. The best of the best are the ones that are able to almost tell two different narratives: one simpler for kids with basic life lessons, and another for adults with more profound themes. Frozen II doesn’t reach this last level, but its layered screenplay allows for an exploration of Elsa’s powers that I genuinely didn’t expect. However, there’s an evident downside to the extreme focus on Elsa’s journey… The other characters are put aside with irrelevant subplots that only stretch the runtime a bit too much, and unfortunately, reach a certain point where out-of-character actions occur.

There’s even a period of time where a particular character simply vanishes from the story because Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck couldn’t figure out what to do with it during the last act. Despite the subplots not being impactful or not being able to further develop its characters, I can’t deny some sequences are entertaining and funny as hell. Olaf is the absolute MVP of the film, and just like in the original, he doesn’t exactly have an arc. Nevertheless, he has one of the most hilarious sequences of the year. I cried from so much laughter. His song and a couple of scenes where Jos...

Better than the first film which I found lackluster in almost every area outside the animation, this one had a stronger story and character development and while I can't say there was one highly memorable song, it did flow a bit better in the sequel. 3.75/5

Making a quality sequel can be tough, and even moreso when it’s a follow-up to a beloved modern classic. “Frozen II” has huge shoes to fill from the outset, and this second installment of the Disney animated tale of two sisters is a mostly unsuccessful adventure. Even the dazzling animation can’t make up for what’s lacking, including the absence of an instant hit song (nothing here even comes close to the brilliance of “Let It Go”), dry voice performances, and a mediocre story.

When ice queen Elsa (Idina Menzel) begins hearing a strange voice calling her, she and sister Anna (Kristen Bell), Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), snowman Olaf (Josh Gad) and reindeer Sven set out on a perilous journey to discover why Elsa was born with magical powers. It’s a surprisingly dark adventure that, despite beautiful set pieces, is generic. The plot is confusing yet somehow predictable, and everything is Disney-fied and wrapped up with a nice little bow by the final credits.

Most disappointing are the bland songs (by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez). There isn’t one number that stands out. It’s a particularly huge letdown after the timeless toe-tappers of “Frozen.”

The movie feels like it’s made more for adults than kids, and there are some scary moments (like Olaf wandering through a deep, dark forest and flashbacks to the death of Anna and Elsa’s parents) that may frighten a few children. The idea of an action-adventure animated film with two strong female leads is commendable, but the potential to be something special instead of merely adequate is frittered away.

While the magic doesn’t reach the highs of the first film, “Frozen II” is beautifully animated and visually impressive enough to recommend only to those who love animation as an art form. Everyone else would be smart to skip it.

Exactly what one can expect from a Disney princess movie.

Away from the 'Toy Story' franchise - Disney's greatest sequel to date? I believe so.

'Frozen II' is quality. I'd argue 'Frozen' is the better film, but this 2019 production is terrific. It isn't as funny (though still has its moments) as it is a more darker, deeper story. Considering this premise only really exists in this film, it is impressive how well it comes out and pays off. The score is improved, though the musical numbers aren't quite as memorable as 2013's.

All the cast reprise their original roles and are again very good; props to Idina Menzel (Elsa) and Kristen Bell (Anna). Josh Gad remains very amusing as Olaf, there's one recap scene in particular that stands out.

Entertaining, once more. No complaints from me.

Way better than the first. I still didn't like all the singing. The story was great. You get to see what she can do more with her powers.

I suppose a sequel was inevitable, but I can't help wondering if maybe they could have spent just a little longer on the substance of the story? This time around, "Elsa" has lost her powers and so, with the kingdom in peril - again - she, "Anna", "Kristoff", "Sven" and the scene-stealing "Olaf" are lured by a mysterious voice to a forest far away so they can find out what's gone wrong for "Elsa" and to try and restore her powers before her people - and those in the neighbouring "Northuldra" fall foul of an evil power that could destroy a dam and wash everything away. The animation is pristine, if not especially imaginative, and it's got a couple of belting power ballads - notably "Into the Unknown" and "Show Yourself" to help the soundtrack augment the pretty sentimental dialogue, that I found a bit wordy and quite dull. It's an Ok film, this - it was always going to be hard to follow the charm and the innovation of the first one. Plonk the kinds in front of it and no harm will be done. Plonk an adult in front of it and ennui might just set in.