Frozen 2 Movie Review
Nathan Swank
November 22nd, 2019
There’s nothing quite like the comfort of the Disney brand. After the huge success of 2013’s FROZEN, Elsa (Idina Menzel), Anna (Kristen Bell), Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), Sven, and their forever optimistic snowman friend, Olaf (Josh Gad) are back for another adventure in FROZEN 2.
In FROZEN, Elsa feared her powers were too much for the world. In FROZEN 2, she must hope they are enough. Quite the dramatic punch, but the tag does give the appropriate quick jolt of anticipation for a sequel. FROZEN 2 dives deeper into the backstory of who Elsa and Anna’s parents were and why Elsa has her powers. The fab five venture to an unknown enchanted forest that appears to threaten their kingdom Arendelle. The sisters face a dangerous journey to find the truth of their past and reveal a magic that has been hidden for many years.
A mischievous fiery lizard, a powerful sea stallion, a leafy wind current, and a few stoney giants are just some of the remarkable magical elements that kids (and adults) will love. However, there seems to be a bit too much exposition and explanation that might get kids (and adults) restless. Some of the more adult themes about death and betrayal might spark some conversations with younger ones, but nothing that isn’t unreasonable and I believe it’s mostly handled quite well.
Elsa is once again a powerhouse in voice and leadership, while Olaf rules the cheery comic relief. There’s a nice running gag of Kristoff trying to propose to Anna which matches the easy nature of many of the jokes. Anna still leaps into danger with good intentions and the extra knowledge about the girls’ parents only strengthens my classification of them as two of Disney’s worst parents. Lacking any true surprises, FROZEN 2 will be recognized as far more generic and predictable than the clever originality of FROZEN by adults. One emotional scene feels eerily similar to Pixar’s brilliant INSIDE OUT. But then again, I was not overly impressed with my first viewing of FROZEN as I am now. So perhaps a second view might soften some of my problematic areas. Regardless, none of these criticisms will stop the kids from loving it.
While not as uniquely clever as the first one, FROZEN 2 is still an enjoyable journey with our favorite characters. The action sequences and imagery are terrifically animated. It’s hard to top the incredible and catchy music from the original, but FROZEN 2 still manages some fun musical numbers right out of the gate, including another strong performance from Elsa (Menzel) with her “Into The Unknown” and an homage to 80’s music videos by Kristoff. Maybe I’m wrong, but the song itself seemed inspired by KARATE KID 2’s ‘The Glory of Love’ by Peter Cetra.
I was lucky enough to be able to take my 5-year old daughter to the screening who was captivated the entire time. Her review: The rock giants were a bit scary, “but not too scary” and she “LOVED” the ice horse. As usual, Olaf was “hilarious.” She was fearful for all the characters and vocally cheered them on, proving the effectiveness of the intensity. Ultimately, she loves it! And her opinion should hold far more weight than mine.
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