Review: The folks at Disney would’ve been foolish not to make a sequel to their 2013 smash hit FROZEN – what with it becoming the highest-grossing animated movie around the world, winning tons of awards and the hit song “Let it Go” becoming the earworm you can’t get rid of without serious electroshock therapy. It was only a matter of time, and six years later the time is here for more emotional ballads, magical ice powers, and huggable snowmen, but half a decade later it’s a possibility the young audience who belted the tunes non-stop before would no longer be interested in such things. What makes FROZEN II such a well-crafted, and in many ways better, sequel is how it understands the core audience who loved the first is now more grown-up – perhaps facing immense changes in their own lives – and is tailored to them with a far more epic story, bolder animation, and a surprising level of maturity.
Set a few years after the events of the first – wherein the ice princess Elsa (Idina Menzel) ran off to the mountains and built herself a palace to make the Fortress of Solitude look like a bungalow – we now find her queen of Arendelle and using her powers to dazzle the townsfolk. Also living the good life is her sister Anna (Kristen Bell), who after saving her big sister last time around with the help of Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), his reindeer Sven and the goofy bundle of snow Olaf (Josh Gad), is settling into a routine with the whole gang. But per the reason for a sequel, a new threat arises that may tie into the disappearance of their parents, and after a big song or two, they are sent on a quest across the vast region, the montage, with the scenic path they take in a reindeer-drawn cart a showcase for the gorgeous animation all by itself.
While the whole gang goes on the quest, it’s once again Elsa and Anna’s journey. The former, accepting a place as a queen with remarkable powers, is confronted with a missing piece of herself that going on the adventure may fill, while the latter is doing what she can to ensure her sister is safe after almost losing her last go around. Even Olaf, as wide-eyed and the snowy embodiment of joy he is, is going through a bit of a crisis, coming to terms with what it means to grow older (whatever that means in the lifespan of a snowman) and how to make sense of the big world. Then there’s Kristoff and Sven, the first being a romantic interest for Anna and does little else but deal with his serious case of foot-in-mouth disease, and with his reindeer companion being simply a cute reindeer companion. What's a movie with so much snow without one of them, right?
Writers Jennifer Lee (co-directing with Chris Buck) and Allison Schroeder, understand these characters and where most of them need to go not just for their own arcs, but for the little ones watching them. Reflective of what returning and young viewers may also be going through, the themes of accepting change and discovering your own strength are very prevalent over the course of the story. This is handled all sorts of ways across a much, much bigger and more mystical tapestry, but best through the music, like with Olaf’s delightful solo song (“When I’m Older”) about everything magically making sense when you’re older, or Anna’s learning to persevere with “The Next Right Thing.” The latter comes at a particularly dramatic point, with lyrics that should be equal parts accessible and poignant to all ages.
From learning to accept that not everything is going to stay the same forever and even to dealing with matters of accountability, there are a lot of heavy topics being covered, to the point where it can even seem convoluted to try and piece together everything it’s trying to tackle. As the gang moves forward and is trying to figure out what is behind such disastrous events that cause stupendous set-pieces – dealing with four mystical natural elements of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth – Elsa is figuring out how her and her powers fit into it all. Those are two big mysteries on one large canvas, and it very much feels more and more like her quest, with Anna’s own place feeling a bit diminished in comparison, her conclusion even a bit out of the blue. And yet, while it still feels favored towards one of them the connection between the two is meaningful, and the exploration of sisterhood is pushed deeper across this fantastical adventure.
But some of these gripes come out of the larger narrative, with the character interactions leaving a strong impact and overall themes being well-explored with plenty for young ones (especially young girls) to leave empowered by. At the very least, the mechanics behind the story are where FROZEN II shines brighter than the original. Funnier and more self-aware, the goofiness and even self-deprecating nature of Olaf makes for consistently silly gags, and the action doubles down on the ice powers and features some mystical creatures, such as a water horse, because dammit, it's time to go big and weird or go home.
As for the music, each character gets their big moment (or a two) to rival the original’s soundtrack. While no “Let it Go”, Menzel busts out her pipes with “Into the Unknown,” a power ballad that comes a little too quickly in the story to have as much emotional impact but is still an invigorating, catchy anthem that is sure to be blasted on family sound systems. Gunning for second place, Kristoff may not have the same placement in things as everyone else, but his song “Lost in the Woods” could be a fan favorite, brought to life like an over-dramatic 80s-90s rock track music video. Strange and incredibly silly in execution fit with singing reindeer, Groff has the pipes to make it a worthy ballad to stand alongside “Into the Unknown,” which again, will dominate parents’ ear canals for months on end.
A more mature story across more epic circumstances requires some hefty animation, and FROZEN II is never not dazzling in that department. A lot has changed in the time since the last movie, as far as the technology behind digital animation is concerned, and the results are instantly stunning. Traveling between canyons, through rich autumn forests and alongside pristine rivers, the depth, detail, and scope of the animation ranks it among the work seen in this year’s HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 3 and TOY STORY 4. Beyond more detail in everything from the bedazzlements on Elsa’s dress to the mightiest mountains, the way light, shadows, and colors are showcased gives colorful personality to the fantasy elements and a surprising level of drama to heavier ones.
A battle scene is given impressive scale with the sunset light basking on the clashing forces; a grey, stormy night on the sea seems suitably dangerous as Elsa tries to scale the waves and; stranger scenes are brimming with kaleidoscopes of vibrant color. No locations look or feel the same, making for a more transportive, always visually arresting journey. These movies are starting to look like something shot by Roger Deakins, with the light and darkness blending together with an abundance of color to make everything look unbelievable but closer to reality than we’ve seen from even recent animated movies.
While I felt the story was trying a bit too hard to tackle some major topics, the vision behind FROZEN II is more than commendable. Kids don't just need sugary, crazy animation to be distracted, even if distracting a child is the only thing that will bring some people sanity. Here there are valuable lessons to be learned, and ones kids won't have to wait until their older to appreciate. We're all going through changes, and this movie teaches kids to embrace the ones that are going inside and around them with strength. The stunning animation grabs you in, the music carries the emotion, and the humor wraps it all up in a warm sweater, making FROZEN II an animated epic that treats viewers of all ages with respect as it sweeps them away into the exciting unknown.