Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee
Starring the voices of Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Sterling K. Brown, Evan Rachel Wood, Alfred Molina, and Martha Plimpton
Backstory
I’m still frequently amazed at the longevity of Frozen. Normally, by now, Elsa and Anna would have been lumped in with the rest of the Disney princesses. But the film somehow managed to strike a nerve, and Frozen still remains it’s own thing. It’s been six years since the original hit theatres. I finally saw it back in the day, thanks to the ton of positive reviews, and I came out of the theatre back then thinking it was good, but not great. But I did get a few goosebumps from the trailers for Frozen II, and I am enough of a sucker for Disney animation, that I figured I had to give it a look-see.
Plot
It’s been about a year since the first film, and our heroes are mostly in a good place. Anna and Kristoff are working on their happily ever after, with Kristoff working up the nerve to propose. Elsa seems to be settling into her role as queen, but something troubles her. She keeps hearing a voice calling to her. While following the voice one night, Elsa accidentally awakens spirits of water, fire, air and earth, threatening her queendom. It turns out the spirits, the voice, Elsa’s powers…they’re all connected. In order to get to the bottom of this, our heroes embark on a quest to an enchanted forest, that remains enveloped in an impenetrable fog. Our heroes venture in, where they’ll discover long lost tribes, more magical spirits, and terrible family secrets. Will Elsa be able to save her queendom? Will Anna and Elsa’s sisterly bond survive?
What I Liked
There’s a lot to like about the film. Olaf and his comedic relief don’t feel as forced in as they were in the first film. In fact, all the characters are still just as we remember them, and each one seems to go on a journey of self-growth. There’s some great new concepts and characters introduced. And, this being Disney, the animation is, as always, spectacular.
What I Didn’t Like
As I mentioned, some great new characters are introduced, but we hardly get a chance to know them and find out what their deal is. And while the new songs are good, the musical numbers do feel a little like they’re forced in.
Final Verdict
While I felt that the first one was good but not great, I feel that Frozen II is also…good, but not great. I had a good time, I felt some feels, but it wasn’t quite a home run.