Frozen II is directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck and features the voices of Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell.
Frozen II is the sequel to the global phenomenon Frozen, which follows Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven as they venture to ancient Enchanted lands in order to discover the origins of Elsa's powers to save Arendelle.
Before any trailers or promotion, I didn't care or expect much from this sequel. I was 12 when the first was released, and now I am 18... I wasn't feeling a huge amount of anticipation. However, as we got to see more of what Disney had to offer, my anticipation grew, because it seemed like the scope was widening and we were getting more of a fantasy epic this time around. Thankfully, it lives up to this expectation, but the stakes don't feel as high as it seems they intended.
The expansion of this world feels natural and exciting, and the mythology that's weaved into the plot is intriguing and does a good job to enrich the story. The ice sculpture motif used to present memories and moments in time is stunning, and at some points devastating; the moment I am referring to is a highlight of the film - it uses the fact that it's an animated film to its advantage, combining the ice motif, powerful voiceovers, music and animation to perfection. Unfortunately, I think the greatest moments of Frozen II are undermined by the weak ways in which the writers get the characters from A to B. Character choices feel lazy, but the payoff is worth it. It is hard to justify though, because the character choices are unexplainable... this is also the primary weakness of its predecessor, like Anna and Hans' engagement leading to a dispute with Elsa leading to her outburst leading to her runaway. However, without Elsa running away, we would never have got Let It Go, one of the most impactful and phenomenal feats in animation of this age. And yes, there are moments in Frozen II worthy of that iconic musical number.
Show Yourself is easily the strongest musical number, and without doubt the best scene in the film. A key point in the plot, a key point in Elsa's emotional journey and another key point in the development of animation. The song and the animation culminate to create a show-stopping and emotionally gratifying sequence, inducing tears and chills. I believe it exceeds the iconic Let It Go. Let It Go is a character moment, but Show Yourself is a character moment and a crucial narrative moment. I can't believe the song has not been getting any awards love.
Also, I echo Grace Randolph when I say that Elsa is the perfect marriage of a superhero and a Disney princess, and this is especially pertinent in this film specifically. She really comes into her own, with an exuberance not felt in the first film, but also combined with guilt and fear, feelings she must learn to overcome. It is a very powerful character journey and I really hope it continues. The power, the strength, the weakness... She may be the ultimate Disney character; I just said that. If we were to get a Frozen III, however, I would hope for something even more centralised on Elsa. Even though the side characters are fun, the story of Frozen is the story of Elsa. However, Anna plays a significant part because such a key aspect of Frozen is the sisterly bond, and this, again, is built upon. Anna was more heroic this time round, following a clumsy introduction. Kristoff is under-developed - I feel like we are going to be seeing a Kristoff and Sven Disney+ mini-series at some point soon... the only question would be whether audiences are invested enough in the characters already to give it a watch. Josh Gad's Olaf is surprisingly not jarring here. His comedic moments hit beat after beat and it never gets too much. I was expecting that after him becoming a phenomenon in himself that they would overuse him - but they didn't.
Frozen II is an epic fantasy adventure with show-stopping musical numbers worthy of the big screen, and even Broadway stage. The way in which the writers get from certain plot points to another is lazy, but the moments we reach are extremely gratifying, regardless of how we get there. A worthy sequel.
B+
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