Visually dazzling, “Frozen 2” still struggles to cast enough magic with a scattered narrative and weak sense of grandeur
Written By: Victor DeBonis
In many ways, a sequel to 2013’s “Frozen” was only to be expected. While Disney does possess a less-than-noteworthy reputation with sequels from its time where direct-to-DVD follow-ups were common, “Frozen” was a monstrous hit that few people predicted would garner the massive amount of success that it did. Countless girls were pleading to their parents to get their hands on a brightly smiling Anna or Elsa doll, and it was near impossible to get away from hearing someone burst out singing the chorus to “Let It Go.”
Personally, I heavily admired the first film. The songs were catchy and passionately sung, the characters were charming and likable, and it earned a special vote from me for giving a fantastic platonic love story of two sisters who care about each other with every inch of their being in spite of their differences and distance dividing them for many years. After decades of romantic love stories in Disney’s robust filmography, even though I like or love many of them, this latter change was definitely appreciated. Also, Elsa’s arc provides a simple but beautifully done outcast story that shows her fearing her abilities getting out of control to the point that others will either fear her or get hurt by her before she finally embraces who she is regardless of the resentful judgment of others. “Frozen” was the first Disney movie that I saw in a while that actually seemed to reflect quite a bit of the grandeur and magic that came from the peak Disney Renaissance movies that I grew up with, and it was pretty awesome to witness.
Sadly, while “Frozen 2” is certainly not lacking drive and passion and clearly wants to do some more exploration with its story from where the original last left off and show how far Elsa and Anna can go, it tries to throw too many subplots, humorous moments that don’t quite land, and dramatic moments that could be strong but aren’t built up enough to have a greater impact. The first film didn’t have a completely straightforward plot, either, but, while its songs and other elements helped it elevate its own charm and encouraged us to overlook the complications in its story, the strength of the elements in its sequel don’t click together quite as well, and the unfocused plot feels more obvious, resulting in a sequel that struggles to maintain our interest for long and doesn’t give a stronger sense of wonder or true surprise. There are great moments to be sure, and the charm of its main heroines aren’t completely lost, but it saddens me when such awesome characters and cool ideas with their storylines barely get the justice they deserve under such a plot that doesn’t feel well-guided or purposeful.
The supporting characters certainly don’t do many favors. Kristoff, who was pretty likable in the first movie and played a decent role in helping Anna, is reduced to that ever-so-tiresome trope of wanting to ask her to marry him but not quite succeeding in finding the right time or way to express himself. Seeing him clumsily say the wrong words and try to propose at the wrong times often without contributing that much to the quest itself made it seem like something out of an annoying rom-com, frankly.
Plus, while Olaf didn’t come across as annoying as many people were claiming that he was in this movie, I didn’t chuckle that much from him, either. What annoyed me more was that, similar to Kristoff, Olaf honestly didn’t offer much to aid in the overall journey that Elsa and Anna are on and seems to merely romp or stand around as the googly-eyed comic relief and little else. If I had to guess, I’d go on the hunch that the studio recognized how popular Olaf was with audiences (He’s practically the film’s cuddly mascot when one thinks about it.) and decided to put him in as many scenes as possible to cater to the younger audience rather than actually have him do much else to move the story forward. For the record, I thought that he was alright in the original largely because his presence felt more purposeful instead of here.
As far as the newer side characters go, there isn’t much to say. None of them have much, if any, personality or anything that distinguishes them from the others. A new animal ally of sorts with neat powers of its own shows up later on, but he’s forgotten not long after he shows up. Every new side character shows up here simply because the story requires them to do so in order to give some information or be someone who simply participates in the background and provides a fact of some sort. Ideally, good sequels establish new side characters to either aid in the development of the tale’s world by representing his knowledge about the area or provide a strong or interesting, new connection for one or more of the characters to explore. This follow-up to “Frozen” unfortunately does neither, and the plot suffers more as a result.
Truth be told, however, it’s a little hard to tell what the main focus of this movie’s story is at times. First, it appears that the main focus is going to center around dealing with magic, since something mystical happens that causes Arendelle to be in uncertainty and Anna and Elsa (voiced greatly again by Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel) running off to find a way to resolve the matter. Then, it turns out that there’s a dispute between two sides taking place in the woods, which doesn’t feel nearly as investing or interesting as it should be. After that, I suppose that Elsa is trying to find out the origin of her powers again. Some great events and developments could happen with any of these plot points, scattered and messily conveyed as they are, but the film chooses to not spend the necessary time with any of them and give them the proper depth that they deserve. As a result, this movie feels very rushed.
In all fairness, some events happen in this movie that certainly caught my attention a little, particularly stuff that connects to Anna, and hints of the emotional strength that helped make the original so powerful flickered awake at moments. Part of the beauty of the original movie was that its story, while not containing the most straightforward structure, was just simple enough to follow (on top of being engaging for most of the way) with Elsa trying to cope with her powers that have inadvertently placed her town in danger and Anna trying to convince her that she’s not a monster and that she loves her just the way that she is, regardless of how cruelly others may judge her. The power of their love for each other in their relationship fueled much of the story in the original, and the twists and developments in that tale, along with the memorable and well-written songs, gave the first “Frozen” film plenty of momentum and a memorable identity on top of that.
“Frozen 2” definitely possesses quite sweet moments, where we see both sisters looking out for each other, but that relationship feels secondary in this movie and feels more hinted at rather than further explored in a meaningful way. There’s also a theme revolving around the importance of embracing others who are different from you, which is a great lesson to learn all by itself. Yet, again, the theme is not delivered with any real depth, and the movie doesn’t provide anything different or challenging enough in its narrative to either distract us from that reality or become interesting. Plus, there’s a theme about change that the movie and its characters try to illustrate in an effective manner, but it’s almost hammered over our temples given how much autumnal imagery and referencing to changing there is in the movie.
I should talk a little more about the positive aspects of this movie that shine because there are certainly some that deserve mentioning. The animation, for instance, is absolutely gorgeous. In fact, I would argue that this element of the movie is even better than the first in many respects. The variety of creative visuals utilized by Elsa’s growing powers are feasts for the eyes to see, and they’re a good reminder of how comfortable she’s become with her abilities and how far she’s advanced in that part of her arc. Small details, such as the crystal-clear texture of the beach water that Elsa practices her powers on or the subdued but vivid colors of the leaves in the woods, stand out beautifully, and the movements and expressions of the main cast work wonders with how fast they move and how well they lend themselves to moments of comedy or dramatic scenes.
Returning to the bonding moments with Anna and Elsa, they’re moving to behold and splendidly illustrate the strength of their relationship with each other, thus bringing in a good deal of the heart of this film. The way that they hold each other in times of need or sincerity and the times that they communicate their hopes to protect the other from great harm are rather sweet, and I found their sisterly love endearing. Two scenes happen involving a song that ties back to the strength of their familial ties as well as their bond with each other, and the manner in which it replays is beautifully handled while also tying back to the sisters’ responsibility of doing what is best for themselves to serve their family. Any scenes that explore the family history a little lend life and even some interesting and admirable moments to the movie. I just wish these moments were given more weight and that the story took more time to absorb their importance.
As far as the songs go, I’ll just come right out and address the question that many are likely asking: Is there a song on here that will have the same lasting power or impact as “Let It Go”? The answer to that is…most likely not, although this film certainly attempts to accomplish that not once but twice. One scene using a song, later on, is staged with such an odd similarity to “Let It Go” and really tries to outdo itself visually. What’s displayed in this specific number is cool to admire, but it gets to a point where the film is trying too hard and is forgetting to simply tell a great tale.
With that said, I will say that a few of these songs are pretty good on their own. Songs, such as “Into the Unknown” and a later song that deals with some sad events that happen, feature nice melodies and find support from some well-staged animation that provides some solid, emotional moments. And, hey, I welcome any time that I get a chance to hear Idina Menzel’s wonderful singing vocals. Other songs are fairly forgettable and come across as what I refer to “filler tunes,” songs trying to push the story forward but just end up demanding the narrative to make a screeching halt in a way that doesn’t pay off.
I recognize that trying to surpass the first movie in terms of its emotional power or incredibly tight demonstration of the Disney fairy-tale is a naïve act. That movie stood well on its own (and still does) and was executed in ways that left a huge impact that is still being felt to this day. However, while it is unfair to expect a sequel to reach that level of magic or wonder, especially for an original film that was fantastic and took some bold steps for a movie from the Disney library, a good sequel should ideally expand upon what made the original resonate so much in the first place while still maintaining much of the previous film’s strength and heart and give it a reason for existing.
I won’t deny that some of the heart and charm is not completely lacking in this movie, but there just didn’t appear to be much drive and purpose going on behind the story this time around. Putting that aside, though, the movie still doesn’t work as a whole. The story is too cluttered, the pacing of the narrative sporadically charges and halts forward on its own baffling terms, and there’s just nothing that emotionally driven or powerful with its songs or what happens to our characters to make us want to care more. It spoke volumes when saddening events happened to some characters later on, and, while I felt bad, I didn’t feel nearly as shaken or torn as I probably should have, given how beautifully animated and sincere these scenes were. Also, I suppose that it didn’t help that this movie came out six years later after the original movie, succumbing to one of the biggest mistakes of several sequels in terms of coming out way later than they probably should have.
While the first movie knew how to connect with kids and adults, this second film feels as though it’ll mainly connect with either kids or fans of the first movie who are vastly eager to see any type of story with these characters. For most other people seeking something a little more adventurous, engaging, or capable of capturing both the heart and mind in a classic fairy-tale-like spirit, this film can’t quite cast the right spell.
Between this and the string of mediocre to awful live-action remakes and the “mixed to alright” MCU movies in recent times, Disney, despite still doing grand with their bank, hasn’t really had a great year in terms of storytelling and creativity with its movies. I understand that the Mouse is partly concentrated on gaining profits from what people can connect to for nostalgic purposes and what’s popular right now. This is part of their business. It always has been and always will be. Yet, when even the sequel to one of the biggest animated hits of all time is failing to capture the hearts and attentions of many, despite making a boatload of cash, all I can say is that, with the utmost respect of a die-hard Disney film and animation lover, I feel that the company should consider taking a few more chances with any original material if it wants to maintain more of the attention of the fans who won’t settle for nostalgia alone.
I’ll be welcoming next year’s “Onward” and “Soul” with open arms.
(Brief Disney digression: For those who are big enough Disney fanatics to catch a few of the animated shows, like I have, an argument can be made that Disney didn’t do that well with some of them, either. Many were unhappy with the way that “Star and the Forces of Evil” wrapped up its run, and, while I’m not sure how the audience felt as a whole, the “DuckTales” reboot, while doing incredible in its spring episodes, was overall very disappointing to me in how the writing and character development truly failed to live up to the strength of many of the episodes before it. Some “DT” fans, here and there, have voiced dissatisfaction related to what I’m talking about here. Yet, all of this here deserves a conversation of its own that others can have for another day.)
Grade: C+