Frozen II (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'Frozen II' (directed by Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee) - sequel to Disney's 2013 surprise blockbuster hit - continues the adventures of Arendelle's magical Queen Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel) & her loving sister, Anna (Kristen Bell). With everything resolved from the 1st film, Elsa & Anna seem set to live out the rest of their lives happily ever after in their beloved kingdom of Arendelle, what with Elsa finally accepting her enigmatic magical powers, & Anna having a great boyfriend in Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), even if he can't find the courage or timing to ask for her hand in marriage; much to the dismay of his loyal, non-verbal reindeer, Sven. Even lovably goofy Olaf the Snowman (Josh Gad) seems content in Arendelle.
But things aren't altogether settled for Elsa who keeps hearing a faraway, siren call (Norwegian singer, Aurora) seemingly intended for only her. As the call strengthens, Elsa realizes that elemental magic {spirits of air, water, fire & earth} is hurting her kingdom. Gale force winds & an earthquake forces Arendellians to flee and, a troll leader informs the queen that "the past isn't always what it seems" {curious}. To this, Elsa & Anna {along with Kristoff, Sven & Olaf} seek out an enchanted wood their late father (Alfred Molina) once spoke of -- a mist-covered forest that holds secrets related to the source of Elsa's powers, the mysterious Northuldra people, Arendelle's checkered military history, and the mythical land of Ahtohallan. All are intertwined.
I was enchanted by these characters, the setting & the music all over again. On one hand, this musical sequel elevates themes of sisterhood, love & empowerment. Having said that, that actual plot for 'Frozen II' is less straightforward than in the original; and that's to its detriment. This time there are more characters, multiple character arcs and, young kids may not fully grasp the anti-Native American-like Northuldra storyline. There's a lot going on in the somewhat chaotic plot and, the 1st film's narrative simplicity was more appealing. I commend that it aimed to go deeper & richer in the Arendelle lore and, there's still humor in the script. But some of the narrative magic was missing. As for the animation, it's gorgeous. One example {of many} of its beauty: Elsa taming a water horse & riding it cross the sea in serene silence as its shimmering mane cascades down its galloping body -- movie magic.
The music - once again co-composed/written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez - entrances as it did in 2013. We see Anna & Elsa's mother (Evan Rachel Wood) in flashback and, the aural tone of this movie is set by Wood's haunting "All is Found". No longer gobsmacked by everything in the world, Olaf is maturing in a hilariously philosophical way; pondering the meaning of life & his place in it. I loved whenever he calls out for a certain 'Samantha' and, that's employed during his humorous "When I'm Older". Another funny segment occurs when Kristoff finally gets his big solo, "Lost in the Woods" {glad Jonathan Groff got a chance to feature his Broadway vocals}, which is presented in the style of an '80s power ballad music video.
Kristen Bell's typically optimistic Anna lends real melancholy to "The Next Right Thing". Though, there is no ubiquitous, instantaneous classic like "Let it Go", the big earworm song this time is "Into the Unknown", which features incredible background orchestrations to complement the emotional crescendo of Idina Menzel's soaring voice. That said, the epic "Show Yourself" gives that prior song a run for its $$, if only for the coinciding scene that plays-out. It takes place at Ahtohallan and, it's a show-stopping visual extravaganza that left my mouth agape. Despite some of the magic missing, I still loved this dark, but empowering sequel. With terrific vocal work, super songs & amazing animation, 'Frozen II' will likely rivet most kiddies, and adults ... like me.
But things aren't altogether settled for Elsa who keeps hearing a faraway, siren call (Norwegian singer, Aurora) seemingly intended for only her. As the call strengthens, Elsa realizes that elemental magic {spirits of air, water, fire & earth} is hurting her kingdom. Gale force winds & an earthquake forces Arendellians to flee and, a troll leader informs the queen that "the past isn't always what it seems" {curious}. To this, Elsa & Anna {along with Kristoff, Sven & Olaf} seek out an enchanted wood their late father (Alfred Molina) once spoke of -- a mist-covered forest that holds secrets related to the source of Elsa's powers, the mysterious Northuldra people, Arendelle's checkered military history, and the mythical land of Ahtohallan. All are intertwined.
I was enchanted by these characters, the setting & the music all over again. On one hand, this musical sequel elevates themes of sisterhood, love & empowerment. Having said that, that actual plot for 'Frozen II' is less straightforward than in the original; and that's to its detriment. This time there are more characters, multiple character arcs and, young kids may not fully grasp the anti-Native American-like Northuldra storyline. There's a lot going on in the somewhat chaotic plot and, the 1st film's narrative simplicity was more appealing. I commend that it aimed to go deeper & richer in the Arendelle lore and, there's still humor in the script. But some of the narrative magic was missing. As for the animation, it's gorgeous. One example {of many} of its beauty: Elsa taming a water horse & riding it cross the sea in serene silence as its shimmering mane cascades down its galloping body -- movie magic.
The music - once again co-composed/written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez - entrances as it did in 2013. We see Anna & Elsa's mother (Evan Rachel Wood) in flashback and, the aural tone of this movie is set by Wood's haunting "All is Found". No longer gobsmacked by everything in the world, Olaf is maturing in a hilariously philosophical way; pondering the meaning of life & his place in it. I loved whenever he calls out for a certain 'Samantha' and, that's employed during his humorous "When I'm Older". Another funny segment occurs when Kristoff finally gets his big solo, "Lost in the Woods" {glad Jonathan Groff got a chance to feature his Broadway vocals}, which is presented in the style of an '80s power ballad music video.
Kristen Bell's typically optimistic Anna lends real melancholy to "The Next Right Thing". Though, there is no ubiquitous, instantaneous classic like "Let it Go", the big earworm song this time is "Into the Unknown", which features incredible background orchestrations to complement the emotional crescendo of Idina Menzel's soaring voice. That said, the epic "Show Yourself" gives that prior song a run for its $$, if only for the coinciding scene that plays-out. It takes place at Ahtohallan and, it's a show-stopping visual extravaganza that left my mouth agape. Despite some of the magic missing, I still loved this dark, but empowering sequel. With terrific vocal work, super songs & amazing animation, 'Frozen II' will likely rivet most kiddies, and adults ... like me.