Frozen was released over six years ago and like any of the truly great Disney films, it's remained fresh in the minds of fans everywhere (they just can't, ahem, let it go...). With that in mind, expectations for the sequel to deliver are high and while it doesn't necessarily surpass the first instalment,
Frozen II is near enough on a par.
With catchy tunes like "Into the Unknown," "When I am Older," and "Lost in the Woods," it's fair to say that fans of musicals will be happy and while these don't always reach the same heights as "Let It Go" and "Do You Want To Build A Snowman?", "Into the Unknown" certainly gives them a run for their money and is fantastic on a number of levels. The entire cast are once again on top form in terms of vocals too and Josh Gad, in particular, steals the show as Olaf. He's downright hilarious from start to finish and delivers some of the sequel's best lines. It goes without saying that Idina Menzel's powerful singing voice is a highlight but there's not a bad performance to be found here.
Visually, Disney Animation is definitely up there with Pixar now and this is a stunning movie which exceeds Frozen in almost every way. However, don't bother forking out for a 3D ticket as it makes the movie look murky and softens many of the visuals. There also aren't many effects which take advantage of that, something which has become standard with the format these days. Equally as dark is the movie's tone and story in places; we've suspected for a long time that the movie would be more mature than its predecessor and that's the case on numerous occasions. It works nicely, though, and was the right approach for Frozen II.
With no clear villain and a story which mostly fills in some gaps and expands the world in a fun and interesting way. However, that's both a good and bad thing because the film is too simplistic in many ways and isn't bold enough to really leave a lasting impact beyond the songs (then again, the same could be said about the previous chapter). You'll definitely have a good time but it's a shame directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck didn't delve into Elsa's sexuality, something we've been hearing speculation about for a while now. That would have been a brave and very modern move on Disney's part but it feels like the sequel isn't really bold enough to go down that route and some riskier creative decisions certainly wouldn't have hurt Frozen II. On the plus side, the film definitely packs a powerful emotional punch and you may very well find yourself welling up in the closing few minutes.
If you're a fan of the franchise, then this sequel is a must-see and while it sits somewhere between being a truly great follow-up and one of those direct to DVD offerings from the 90s and 2000s, it's definitely worth a watch and you'll almost certainly find yourself humming the brilliant "Into the Unknown" on the way home.
Frozen II would have benefited from travelling into the unknown a little more but it's still another big win for Disney Animation and features plenty of great songs every bit as catchy as "Let it Go."