It was inevitable. Just like it’s inevitable that I’m gonna end up making a “Let It Go” joke somewhere in here. I’ll fight the urge.
Where we last left Queen Elsa and Princess Anna, Arendelle was no longer cut off from the world, and Elsa was no longer hiding her powers and her true self. The queendom was as happy as a little snowman or a reindeer with a carrot. Kristoff’s there too. Now, the elements are acting up, and Elsa’s hearing a strange singing voice, and it looks like it’s time for another life changing adventure!
The plot is a little less straightfoward than before, and it’s got a darker and heavier vibe to it. The songs were a bit clunky in how they were inserted, and it was like the Disney magic was stuck behind the dam that was central to the story. Keep in mind though how high the bar was from the first one. A little drop off was expected.
Still while not perfect, it was a very enjoyable film. The animation is beyond gorgeous, and Olaf made me laugh as much as ever with his far too insightful comments that are really there so the parents find him endearing instead of annoying. And even if I felt like the songs were shoehorned in a bit, that doesn’t mean I didn’t like them. I’ll be hitting up iTunes later this week for sure (despite the fact that they were clearly trying way too hard to top Let It Go).
All that said, there is one wrong from Frozen that was absolutely righted: Kristoff. As you may know, he’s voiced by Broadway treasure Jonathan Groff (affectionately dubbed Groffsauce by one Lin-Manuel Miranda). Despite being a Tony nominated actor, he barely got one song in the first movie that didn’t let him use the extend of his skillz. Frozen II fixes that. Frozen II gives him, wait for it, and 80’s power ballad complete with music video!!! I died. And I found what song I’ll be sneaking into theaters to watch over and over again, like I did with Let It Go back in the day. I don’t think that’s the breakout song the writers intended, and it likely won’t resonate with all the tiny princesses like it did with me, but dammit, that was my favorite three minutes in the movie
It may not have lived up to the impossible hype of Frozen, and I may have had an ultra critical eye as a result, but ultimately it was fun. The kids will like it. Good luck not having the music follow you around for the next few months, and expect a fresh onslaught of Elsa’s next Halloween
Frozen II – \m/ \m/ \m/ \n