Frozen II (2019) Review

Release Date: November 22, 2019 (USA)

Directors: Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck

Screenplay: Jennifer Lee, Allison Schroeder

Run Time: 1 hr 45 min

Budget: $33 million

 The original was a simple concept with a simple premise and a theme that felt like something fresh with a satisfying conclusion. Yet, thanks to an insane box office return and even more insane merchandise sales, here we are. Frozen II tries to do too much at once with not enough time to do it. Yes, kids are gonna love it, but shouldn’t a great movie also be good for adults, too?

It’s peace time in Arendelle when a strange voice calls for Elsa that no one else can hear. When a mysterious elemental force drives the citizens out of Arendelle, Elsa and the gang must journey into a barrier of mist to discover the truth of the past. How far will they have to go and how much will it cost? And how or why does Elsa’s ice powers give her the ability to create clothes out of thin air?

The problems of Frozen II lie solely on its script. It starts off  with a flashback to Elsa and Anna being told a bedtime story about an enchanted forest by their parents. This scene nicely sets up some mythology and world building that comes into play later. But as the plot begins to picks up steam, it becomes increasingly muddled and convoluted. The film doesn't slowly dole out details about what's happening, it just sort of stumbles around from song to song until the beginning of the third act when some revelations are finally revealed. And even then you're sort of left scratching your head. Other Disney movies, like the Pixar films, put story first and end up being incredibly entertaining for all ages. Frozen II knows its marketed towards young girls and focuses on the style over substance. 

 Josh Gad's Olaf is featured much more in this film, as he instantly became a fan favorite in the original Frozen. His quirky wit provided the most laughs in the theater, but he's not used for much else. In the first Frozen, Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) was a surprisingly unique character, in where he was an everyday guy, an outsider, who could communicate with his pet reindeer. Sadly, hes mostly left in the dust here. He falls into the “we have give him something to do” category, but has a moment that redeems himself slightly with a 80’s style solo number. After that, he disappears for half the movie. Some new characters are introduced here; a race of indigenous people who are in-tune with the forest, some rock monsters, and a cute little magic lizard. Sadly we never get to know these characters too well. The lizard just seems to be there because he'll sell toys. And like many other Disney films dealing with natives, they are used to push a narrative of colonialism that feels like a rehash of previous ideas. My last complaint is with Anna. In Frozen, she was a caring sister who wanted to help Elsa control her powers, otherwise the kingdom would be doomed to an eternity of cold. Here, she has the maturity level of a 10 year old and its supposed to be used for laughter, but it misses the mark. Even though her love and concern for her sister is her driving motivation, it doesn't feel like there's any development happening. It's just more of what we saw before. Though, I do like their scenes together. 

The music is once again great, and I'm sure the soundtrack will sell out and parents will be hearing it for years to come. There are numerous Let-It-Go-type songs that Idina Menzel (Elsa) belts out as she's so good at doing, but it didn't have as much of an emotional impact as "Let It Go" did. What Frozen 1 and 2 do so well is make you feel like you're watching a Broadway musical with grand set pieces. The visuals of Frozen II are gorgeous. If you took out the cartoony characters, you'd swear you were looking at a real picture. The full color palette contrasts well together; blues and pinks are featured prominently to accentuate the magic. 

The story seems a bit messy, predictable, and unfocused. But the visuals, humor, Elsa’s wardrobe changes, and the music are sure to please every fan of the original, both young and older. It doesn’t quite have that wonderment that captured the hearts of the world the first time around, but it’s got enough here that kids will adore it. I'm not the target audience for this, but I'm confident your little one will love it.