Frozen II Review
Hoping to catch lightning in a bottle for the second time, Frozen II follows the events of its phenomenal predecessor which spawned some of Disney's most memorable characters and a musical anthem of a generation. Sadly, it's a lackluster sequel that not only fails its characters but also its own story.
We're introduced to the Northuldra, a tribe neighbouring Arendelle that could've been had a lot of geo-political dynamic and commentary but they really don't have much in them in terms of characters or plot. A few minutes later, we're re-introduced to Anna (who's way more interesting than her one-note emo-sister, Elsa) and the gang and the themes that the movie somehow never actually resolves. These include themes of maturity, existentialism, family and trust, racism and conspiracy, and at one point, even mental illness and the idea of living with a person you love who has it. We've seen other animation studios deal with these darker themes in Pixar and Studio Ghibli but Frozen II always appear hesitant in following through with any sort of nuance. Actually, Frozen II is 100% a kids' movie and, judging from all the commercials that played before the screening, just a feature length commercial to sell toys to kids. Besides its breathtaking cinematography from artists like Tracy Scott Beattie (layout) Mohit Kallianpur (lighting) that builds on some strong storyboarding and animation (except for one particular shot near the end), and a score that sounds more consistent and more impressive than the original, in my opinion, there's nothing else in it for grownups. I would say that it's a good movie to show kids but that would mean that the movie had something important to teach and has logical ways of teaching it. It unfortunately does not.
In the end, Frozen II is a storytelling disaster. It's a mainstream movie that somehow regresses its characters, cheats its finale without any antagonists to speak of and manages to forget about adding a climax at the end of its sluggish hour and a half of near meaningless build up. Frozen II is one of the worst sequels in recent memory and a mediocre movie at best that doesn't deserve some of the talent that had went into its presentation.