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It has been six years since we last visited Arendelle if you ignore the half-hour detour of Olaf’s Frozen Adventure prior to Coco. Despite all that time, Anna and Elsa are still two of the most popular Disney princesses and ‘Let it Go’ is still sung by kids everywhere. Frozen II picks up a few years into the happy existence of Arendelle under its new queen Elsa. Elsa is going a bit stir-crazy and hearing voices.
The visuals of Frozen II are much more vibrant than the original. It really is a feast for the eyes this time around. Children and adults will be captivated by Elsa’s interactions with the four spirits. This is an appreciable improvement over the general darkness of the original movie. Olaf’s ability to re-arrange himself is also used to generate some laugh-worthy visual gags.
The soundtrack does not live up to the original; there is no way around that fact. ‘Let it Go’ really was lightning in a bottle. The song closest to it this time around is, ‘Into the Unknown.’ Idina Menzel is a phenomenal singer as her many awards have demonstrated; your eight-year-old is not a great singer. The high notes in ‘Into the Unknown’ is way outside your kid's vocal range. You are in for a painful experience when they try to reproduce it. The credit feature a Panic! At the Disco cover that is pretty good, but Brendon Urie can’t even get close to Idina’s range.
I love Josh Gad’s portrayal of Olaf. It is as hilarious and endearing as ever. His song ‘When I am Older’ is wonderfully comedic and fits what we have come to expect from Josh. Do yourself a favor and go listen to his performances in The Book of Mormon. Olaf is a great outlet for children’s questions. His belief that older people know more than he does is a great mirror for all moviegoers to see themselves in.
My favorite song is ‘Lost in the Woods’ from Jonathan Groff and featuring Jonathan Groff and Jonathan Groff. He returns on-screen as Kristoff. It is an over the top cheesy 1980s music video featuring Kristoff, Kristoff, Kristoff, and a herd of Reindeer. I was cracking up through the entire performance. It was perfect!
Frozen II is a great follow-up to the original. The story is more hero’s journey than self-discovery. The visuals have been ramped up; it will look great as your kids replay it in 4K HDR over and over again. The movie feels somewhat disjointed with multiple quests going on simultaneously relative to the singular story of the original. It may be hard for some children (and adults) to follow. The songs don’t live up to the original, so ‘Let it Go’ will continue to be belted out by your children for a few more years. There is enough adult humor in the movie to keep parents interested. Stick around through the credits for a great post-credits scene.