Series Report Card: Disney Animated Features (2019)

57. Frozen II

As I noted the last time this happened, direct sequels used to be rare within the Disney Animated Features canon. Now, the Mouse Factory has produced two sequels in a row with the likelihood of more coming seeming strong. However, the first “Frozen” was such a cultural phenomenon that a sequel of some sort almost always seemed assured. The series of periodically released short films was simply not going to sate the public's demand for more Anna and Elsa. “Frozen II” was such a sure deal that, in an odd way, the finished project seemed to generate little hype. The film was a predictably huge box office success, grossing over a billion dollars, becoming the third highest grossing film of 2019 and currently sitting at the tenth highest grossing film of all time. Yet I never heard anyone talk about “Frozen II” the way they did the first. The level of sustained excitement didn't seem to be there. “Frozen II's” lack of a lasting pop culture presence is perhaps best represented by it not earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature, practically unheard of for a tent pole Disney animated release.

Three years have passed since the events of the first “Frozen.” Elsa rules Arendelle as queen. Anna and Kristoff are happy together. Things seem fine... But Elsa is haunted by lingering questions from her childhood, of where her powers came from. Specifically, a fairy tale her mother told her about a magic forest haunts her. At this time, she begins to hear a strange siren song. She unwittingly unleashes the elemental spirits of Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. This threatens Arendelle, forcing Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, and Olaf to journey to the Magical Forest. There, they encounter a hidden society, the truth about their past, and the origins of Elsa's powers.

“Frozen” told a mostly complete story. While the question did remain of where exactly Elsa's super-powers came from, things ended on a fairly satisfying note last time. However, the demand for a sequel was based more in fans wanting to spend more time with these characters than to wrap up any lingering mysteries. Indeed, just getting to see these characters again is kind of fun. A stand-out moment in the film is a simple game of charades between the principal cast. Kristoff and Sven the reindeer's amusing way of communicating is revisited. There's a lot of heart already built into Anna and Elsa's relationship, giving a sequel plenty to build upon. We even see the rock trolls again, even if nobody was asking to.

However, sequels also bring with them a desire to create a bigger, more elaborate story. And that's  where “Frozen II” starts to falter. The first film's plot was a simple and straight-forward, of sisterly love and self-acceptance. “Frozen II” is often bogged down in its own mythology. Introducing magical Elemental creatures into the plot leads to a lot of awkward exposition, usually in form of stories told by other characters or entities.  Ultimately, it is revealed that a mystical force has been directing things from the very beginning. Eventually, a major character's life is threatened by some sort of magical set-up I don't even entirely understand. It's the kind of hooey-heavy storytelling that makes me dislike a lot of fantasy writing.

Yet “Frozen II” is an improvement over the first in one major way. The sequel has far more exciting action set pieces. An extended, very exciting sequence has Elsa teaming the temperamental Water Nokk, while running across the surface of the ocean. That's a dynamic and thrilling episode that the movie never quite tops. It tries, however, with a scene of Anna fleeing from a pair of angry rock giants. The animation does a good job of establishing just how massive the creatures are and just how perilous our heroine is in this moment. The sequel's focus on action scenes does betray it occasionally, such as in a scene where Elsa freezes a tornado somehow, which feels like a less-than-memorable moment from a Marvel film.

Perhaps that scene of Elsa utilizing her superpowers against an antagonistic force doesn't entirely work because “Frozen II” is another Disney Animated Feature that foregoes a proper villain. There's no bad guy, plotting things and motivating the story. Instead, Elsa and Anna seek out natural forces that are ostensibly neutral. They are sometimes destructive, such as when the fire entity sets a forest ablaze, but can be befriend and understood easily. The residents of the magic forest, Arendelle guards who were locked in years ago and aboriginal residents, are in conflict that is largely based in a misunderstanding. While it's admirable for “Frozen II” to have a more complex moral world, where few people are truly bad, I do sort of wish we had a neat villain in here somewhere.

The conflict in “Frozen II” is about something else too. A theme is repeatedly stated, frequently by the newly verbose Olaf. The sequel is about the unavoidable change that comes with maturity. Nearly everyone is content with life in Arendelle at story's beginning. However, change has to come if healthy grow is expected to happen. While “Frozen II” spends a lot of time talking about this stuff, it ultimately can't commit to it. The film has Elsa re-visiting her parent's legacy. Yet it never once acknowledges how cruelly they treated her by locking her away for most of her early life. The former king and queen are treated like beloved figures, the sequel never once grappling with the fact that they were pretty big assholes to their child.

This is not the only way the sequel seriously wimps out with its themes of change and maturity. Once the elemental forces reveal themselves, the city of Arendelle is threatened. Everyone is evacuated. Elsa and Anna's quest has them revealing the kingdom's imperialistic past, as their grandfather attempting to wipe out the native population. By acknowledging this and righting wrongs that happened decades ago, a huge tidal wave is sent careening towards Arendelle. If the city – which had no one in it by this point, mind you – was destroyed, that would have been a real example of change. Instead, “Frozen II” stops just shy of really shaking up the status quo. Presumably because Disney didn't want to tear down the cozy, merchandise-friendly fairy tale setting. The film is reluctant to commit to the ideas it repeatedly talks about.

Yet perhaps thematic consistency is not what most people are looking to get out of a Disney cartoon. Kids, after all, are still the primary target of these films. Yes, “Frozen II” does feature some amusing comedic gags. Throughout the film, Olaf is acting in a more mature manner... Though it's still Olaf's idea of maturity, so he's still fairly clownish. The best gag has the little snowman re-enacting the events of the original film, which is taken amusingly serious by the observers. Being a Disney film, “Frozen II” also introduces some cute new characters that can be made into toys. My favorite of which is a cuddly little fire salamander, though the film most also be praised for turning the literal wind into a cutesy side kick. That was pulled off surprisingly well.

Looking at “Frozen II” as strictly a work of animation, it is, of course, lovely. The environments in big budget cartoons like this are nearly photorealistic. Seeing the Scandinavian-inspired locations in the autumn provides lots of gorgeous visuals. The images of crashing waves, deep seas, and billowing mists are impressive. Yet “Frozen II's” animation impresses the most the more playful it becomes. During “Into the Unknown,” Elsa paints the night with flickering ice images of characters we'll meet soon enough. During another musical number, the Ice Queen continues to summon brightly colored snow sculptures all around her. This scenes nearly bend towards the expressionistic. I wish Disney experimented like this a little more but I guess that's not what audiences have come to expect.

The songs are obviously a big attraction with these films. Generally speaking, I'm not the biggest fan of the Lopez's songwriting. Their lyrics are conversational and frequently awkward. This is most evident in “Something's Never Change,” the first major musical number and among the movie's least memorable songs. “Into the Unknown,” despite being placed as the sequel's big showstopper, also suffers from weirdly uneven writing. “Frozen II” is desperately eager to create the next “Let It Go.” Every single song in the movie, practically, is straining to be the next big crowd pleaser, to have as much bombastic emotion and stirring music as possible. The only number that actually succeeds at being better than “Let It Go” is “Show Yourself,” Elsa's next self-actualization ballad. I don't know why Disney didn't push that one for the Oscar nomination.

Another problem with the songs in “Frozen II” is something the sequel shares with the original. Several of them commit the biggest sin a musical can be guilty of: They don't advance the plot any. Olaf's “When I Am Older” brings the pace to a halting stop and isn't even that funny or cute a number to begin with. Yet I guess I'm guilty of enjoying some of “Frozen II's” excesses. Kristoff's sole song, “Lost in the Woods,” does not move the story forward in anyway. Yet I love it anyway. It's a big goofy homage to Jim Steinman and eighties love ballads, even including the guitar power riffs. This is even reflected in the accompanying visuals, which moves and feels like an eighties music video. So I guess it's sometimes okay if not every song pushes the plot forward.

Speaking as someone who merely liked, not loved, the first “Frozen,” I'd rank the sequel on about the same level. It lacks the elegant plotting of the original, in favor of a much more bloated story. It lacks the proper convictions to back up the ideas it is presenting. Some of the songs blow. Yet the set pieces are exciting and beautifully brought to life. The songs that are good are extremely good. The cast is still having a good time. The sequel, if nothing else, should be applauded for not just being a retrend of the original. In some regards, it is better than the first. In others, it is weaker. Over all, I liked it though I definitely hope Disney takes a break from sequels for a while. [Grade: B]