Lukewarm on Frozen II?

2013 was terrible for movies. There was the odd gem here and there, but until Oscar Season, a little over ¾ of the way in, you’d be hard-pressed to find many tentpole releases that were anything special. Nowhere was this more-apparent than in the animated film department, as most of them were, to put it bluntly, mediocre-to-awful. I actually saved money that year, which was disappointing because movies are a favourite past-time of mine. They’ve been one for a while now.

Perhaps that explains much of the popularity of Frozen, which debuted in November of 2013 and shattered many box office records. It was so big that “Let It Go” became a hot song for several years, to the annoyance of many. It was so big that it also upset fans of The Wind Rises by winning the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in March of 2014. There was no stopping it, and it remains the highest-grossing animated movie to-date (barring The Lion King remake). It was a juggernaut, and its impact can be felt in how the sequel, which released last week, was marketed as a darker follow-up.

I was always curious how Frozen II would actually fare as its own movie. It had a daunting task, following up one of the biggest events of the past decade, and the odds were against it from the get-go. Would it live up to what its predecessor had to offer? Or would it fall flat on its face instead? Ultimately, the answer appears to be a bit of both.

Frozen II takes place three years after Frozen. In this time, Queen Elsa has been doing a good job ruling Arendelle. Yet lately she’s been plagued by a voice that won’t leave her alone. What’s worse, this voice is gaslighting her, making her wonder if she’s imagining it. When it finally becomes so powerful that it puts Arendelle in danger, she, together with Anna, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf, decides to figure out what’s going on.

There’s a lot of great content here that expands on the lore of the first film. The animation looks amazing, with an attention to detail in the environments that could only be possible with CGI. The voice acting’s excellent, feeling like a homecoming for everyone. The songs are also really good, and I’m positive that “Into the Unknown” will overtake “Let It Go” as the most-sung Disney tune at karaoke bars. And I like the characters, especially with how they expand the lore.

The problems come with the movie’s plotting and themes. Both are solid on their own, but in execution they feel incomplete. There’s an excellent story about the sins of the past in relation to colonialism, but I don’t feel like the filmmakers had enough confidence to go all the way. It leaves me wanting.

Perhaps the best example is the film’s ending. It isn’t even a bad way to end the movie, either: it ties together everything that’s been built up prior, and it resolves most of the thematic plot threads. But, without ruining too much, it’s too clean. It even falls into the same, anticlimactic trap its predecessor suffered from, though to a lesser-extent, of a character presumed dead coming back. I like how it moves its protagonists forward in positive ways, akin to Ralph Breaks the Internet, but I still feel it left little to the imagination. I know it’s a Disney movie, but being more open-ended with some of its plot threads could’ve made for a better experience.

Some of its side-threads are also there to create unneeded tension. The most-obvious is Kristoff’s solo number. Not only is it out-of-place, feeling more like a Queen ballad, but it’s unnecessary. These are several minutes that could’ve been better spent elsewhere. Though I guess it’s worth it if it means watching Kristoff bounce off of Sven?

I honestly feel bad for even pointing these issues out, since the parts that work do so beautifully. But I can’t lie: Frozen II’s a mixed bag. It’s good enough, and I definitely think it’s worth watching, but considering that even my grandparents, who are averse to animated films, watched Frozen in theatres, I’m worried that the sequel might be a victim of its own legacy; after all, how could you top one of the biggest surprises of the 2010’s?

*****

So I think an update is in order now. Firstly, my decision to cut back on content last month helped with my burnout. Even though my blog suffered in Views, something I’m still struggling with, it gave me time to think of new ideas for The Whitly-Verse. Now that I’m back on-track, I can gear up for my next project…

…Which leads me to an announcement: this December will be themed! What about? You can check the Pinned Tweet on my Twitter profile for the answer. But it was an ambitious undertaking nonetheless. I only hope I can figure out how to pace it so it doesn’t overwhelm everyone. I know my series on the Smash Bros. games did...

Anyway, take care, and I’ll see you all next time!