Frozen is probably considered one of the best animated movies of all time, with a stellar cast, a dazzling story, and some of the best songs in the Disney Songbook. Frozen 2 returns with the same stellar cast, some more great songs, and a solid if not somewhat uneven narrative. Here are my thoughts on Frozen 2:
Six years ago, Disney released Frozen, which turned into a juggernaut at the box office, both worldwide and domestically. It has since become one of Disney's most profitable franchises, which only made sense that there would inevitably be a second Frozen movie. A second movie was certainly a necessity for Disney, considering that the movie made over a billion dollars at the box office and it has since become the highest grossing animated film of all time. It made sense to capitalize on Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf, some of the most recognizable characters in the Disney landscape. It made sense to have Oscar winning duo Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez return to write some surefire Disney hits. All of it makes sense. So does it pay off? In the long run, it doesn't matter because this movie will certainly make bank at the box office. It's the way Disney is manufactured at this point. Sequels and remakes are a major part of the lifeblood of what makes Disney run at this point, but most importantly it's what makes Disney money. However, with all that being said, Frozen 2, directed by Frozen directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, is a solid sequel. The plot of this film: Elsa hears a mysterious voice calling to her from the Enchanted Forest, which may be linked to the dangerous powers that are threatening Arendelle, so she and Anna, Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf go out to investigate and seek answers, which also includes Elsa's self-discovery of herself and the origin of her powers. Whereas the last movie was primarily Anna's movie, this is Elsa's movie, presenting her as the central protagonist and giving her way more to do than the last movie. She is portrayed as brave and fearless, a strong empowered female hero who don't need no man (or woman as some people may speculate), a recurring theme that Disney has done extremely well recently. The relationship and sisterly bond between Elsa and Anna is also explored further in this movie as well, setting up for some good drama, especially considering there is no clear-cut antagonist in the film (more on that later). Anna, the goofy and light-hearted central protagonist in the first movie, is portrayed more neurotic, skeptical, and anxious in this film, which makes sense as she is more careful to not let Elsa out of her sights due to the events from the last movie. Regardless, Anna and Elsa's relationship is pushed to the forefront as one of the most important elements of the movie. While Anna and Elsa get plenty of screen time, their male counterparts are not utilized as much. In fact, I honestly forget by a certain point that Kristoff and Sven are even in the movie. Kristoff's storyline, finding the perfect time to propose to Anna, gets buried in the narrative, rending it almost forgettable except for the brilliant 80's-influenced power ballad "Lost In The Woods". For the most part though, as much as I love Kristoff and Sven, I feel like our favorite human-reindeer duo are hardly in the movie. Olaf, everybody's favorite snowman, gets a couple of moments to shine. The hilarious reenactment of the entire first movie is probably the single best scene in Frozen 2. Olaf's storyline, which I guess is about maturation, doesn't get the resolving payoff that I felt like it deserved. But Josh Gad, being the excellent thespian that he is, still brings his all and his comedic timing/relief is perfect. Other characters, such as Sterling K. Brown's Lt. Mattias, also don't really get much to do and are not fleshed out at all, which is a shame because they seemed interesting but in the end you don't really get to know them. The biggest issue I have with the movie is the narrative. While the main story with Elsa zips along at a decent pace, every other story stagnates, gets sidelined, and as a result bogs down the movie, making the movie move at a snail's pace. It doesn't mean the other stories are bad, but they also don't possess the same sort of depth as Elsa's primary storyline. While there is conflict in the movie (more person vs. self and person vs. nature), there's no antagonist in the movie, which isn't a huge problem except for the fact that in the first movie, Hans, the surprise villain, progressed the conflict and the story with his evil and charming ways. There's also a shortage of charm, a certain bit of magic that's absent from this movie. Not saying that this movie doesn't have magic because it most certainly does, but there's a lack of dazzle that had made the first movie so great. Frozen 2 is definitely darker in tone than the first movie and it did have some charming and magical moments in it for sure. With that being said, the sluggishness of the story and the lack of charm did weigh down the pace of the movie. Whatever the story lacks the music certainly makes up for, which brings me to the best part of the whole entire movie: Robert and Kristen Anderson-Lopez (who also get story writing credits for this movie as well) returning to write the songs for the Frozen franchise. Right from the get go, we are presented with "All Is Found", a beautiful lullaby that essentially sets the stage and story for the entire movie (also, who knew Evan Rachel Wood had such a great voice?). Then the main four (Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Gad, Jonathan Groff) join forces to give us "Some Things Never Change", a nice little upbeat tune. Jonathan Groff gets to showcase his best Peter Cetera impression for the 80's Chicago era-inspired power ballad "Lost In The Woods" during probably one of the best yet most ridiculous scenes in the entire movie. But nothing can compare to the powerhouse of a song that is the surefire future Academy Award winner for Best Original Song "Into the Unknown", sung by Idina Menzel's Elsa. "Let It Go" may have gotten rightfully popular, but "Into the Unknown" is without a doubt the song that should be popular. It is the Lopez's best song that they've written for Disney by far (considering they also wrote for Coco as well) and I consider it to be one of the best songs in the Disney songbook. Coupled with the other Idina Menzel power ballad "Show Yourself", the Lopez's have solidified themselves as one of Disney's best and most reliable songwriters. The computer animation is beautiful and breathtaking, with some of the most gorgeous Disney scenes that have ever graced the big screen. One scene that sticks out to me is the scene from the very first trailer for the movie: Elsa using her powers to fight back against the relentless sea. While I won't give any spoilers, the payoff is true Disney magic in every sense of the word. Any scene with Bruni the fire spirit (who is so cute by the way) is simply a joy and a wondrous marvel in design. There are plenty of other spectacular scenes, but it would do me no justice to ruin all of the magic. All in all, Frozen 2 is a solid if inessential sequel. However, even if it seems unnecessary, Disney all but deems it necessary for purely financial purposes. Disney knows what it wants, and what it wants is your money and the box office crown, even if it means there's some sacrifice and flaw to the overall narrative and consistent character development. Even with flaws though, Frozen 2 delivers with humor, heart, some magic, good character work with Anna and Elsa, and some of the best songs that Disney has ever had. Oh, and hardly no trolls? I can get behind that. Rating: 7.5
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AuthorBuster Bigelow: 30 year old lover of movies, cinema, and music. Whether you agree or disagree with my reviews, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments! Archives
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