Frozen II (2019) - Have I actually found a Frozen film I like?...

Ever since it’s theatrical release, I’ve struggled to see what makes 2013’s Frozen so special in the eyes of audiences. The story wasn’t anything special, (very similar beats to 1994’s The Lion King) it put a lot of emphasis on how they avoided certain Disney tropes, while still conforming to others. Elsa wasn’t a very interesting character, and the mystery behind the magic made little sense. The biggest praise I had was the gorgeous animation, but it didn’t make me excited for a sequel, and neither did the trailers for that matter.

However, after picking up a copy and watching through it, I was thoroughly impressed by Frozen II, far more than I expected to be. And the big thing was how it focused more on world building, and giving a clearer and more established realm for Elsa (Idina Menzel) and her ice powers. The whole world felt more established by the end of this film, which makes it more intriguing to watch. I was also far more interested in Elsa’s character this time around, mainly because she actually made an effort to achieve her goals this time around, rather than seemingly making very little effort like in the previous film. Additionally, you felt she genuinely wanted to understand her life more, which makes the audience feel more invested. The biggest problem with Elsa before this film was how hard it was to be intrigued and entertained by her, when she was far too closed off. She still shuts people away here, but it only occurs when she wants to focus on understanding something before others get involved, or because she’s genuinely concerned about someone’s safety.

Olaf (Josh Gad) was also a bit funnier in this film, still maintaining the softly spoken and warming nature that was established before, but also putting more emphasis on the comedic delivery. A lot of Olaf’s comedy in the first film personally fell flat for me, but it was great to see a vast improvement. The songs were also a lot better in this film. They greatly benefit from not being overplayed like those from the first film, but they also flow better within the narrative, rather than often dragging the narrative to a halt like the first film. Some are obviously just filler, but the big tunes (Into The Unknown/Lost In The Woods/Show Yourself/Next Right Thing) are incredible musical moments, that I’ve been humming to myself since seeing the film.

I’ve already praised the wonderful animation from the first film, but this second instalment blows the roof off with it’s stunning visuals, nearly every scene has a moment of artistic beauty. The facial expressions on the cast have improved, giving us so much more range and detail. The spirits all looked incredible, and moments such as the song Show Yourself are visual highlights for this film.

Sadly, this instalment does have it’s issues. The only big problem I have is the near constant references to the first film. I think the audience will realise that this is a sequel to the highest grossing animated film in history, just through reading the title. It doesn’t need to be constantly shoved in the audience’s face. Granted some of these references such as a recap involving Olaf did get a good laugh out of me, but these moments are the biggest examples of unnecessary fan service, which seems to be sadly becoming common in Disney’s recent work. Beyond that, it comes down to a slightly sluggish first act, and small moments that a film fanatic like myself will be bugged by, but others may either not notice, or simply not be bothered by.

I’m really glad I gave Frozen II a chance, it was a vast improvement over the original in all departments. I’m sure fans of the first film will feel differently, considering the first film’s monstrous popularity, but as someone who can’t find a lot of entertainment value in the first film, I was delighted and surprised at how much I loved this film. Once you’re let into the enchanted forest, you’ll be lost in a world of gorgeous visuals, very entertaining characters, and songs that deserve far more attention than they’re currently getting!

SCORES

Story - 4/5

Characters - 4/5

Production - 5/5

Performances - 5/5

Music - 5/5

Total - 9.2/10