Frozen II (Quick Review)

Frozen II is one of those strange examples where a lot of stuff occurs yet it feels like very little happens.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty to enjoy in this film.  The animation is smooth and fluid, particularly in regard to the elemental creatures of the film.  Minor Spoilers Begin: There's a fire salamander that's adorable and fun to watch scurrying around happily causing mayhem.  The rock giants are really cool and intimidating creatures that work both in crafting an exciting climax and some tender moments.  The best, however, is the water stallion, who engages with Elsa (Idina Menzel) in one of the film’s coolest sequences where she must face and cross a heavy sea storm while the aquatic horse attempts to drown her.  It's a really creative and engaging action sequence, and it's really entertaining to see Elsa have her powers put to the test in such a manner. Minor Spoilers End

Yet despite all these grand elements, the plot feels relatively hollow and underwhelmingly simple for a sequel to one of Disney's biggest hits.  Both Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa's character journeys feel unnecessary and not as impactful as the film would lead us to believe.  Kristoff and Sven (both Jonathan Groff) feel entirely irrelevant for the most part, regulated to a comedic B-plot while disappearing for a large chunk of the film to the point where they miss some key plot elements and events.  It's not Ralph Breaks the Internet Fix-It Felix/Calhoun levels of irrelevant, but they certainly play second fiddle here.

There are several very likable new characters introduced in the film such as Arendelle’s long-lost head soldier Mattias (Sterling K. Brown), the Northuldra tribe leader Yelena (Martha Plimpton), and Kristoff's new friend Ryder (Jason Ritter).  I immediately grew particularly fond of Mattias once Olaf—who is bar none the film’s highlight character, a natural delight, and one of Disney Animations’ most endearing sidekicks—hilariously recaps the first film to the new characters and Mattias becomes engrossed in the story.  Yet these new characters get little screen time and end up disappointingly underutilized as a result.

Frozen II plays it relatively safe for a sequel.  The first film was known for trying to shake up the Disney formula, and its sequel should have aimed for even further heights.  There are elements that annoy me in the original Frozen where they take chances—Frozen II has no such moments, yet it’s lack of ambition also means it lacks any chance-taking moments that impress.  Out of the four traditional princess-focused CGI films of the 2010s, Frozen II is most likely at the bottom as a fun, yet underwhelming sequel.