Whatever you may think of it, Frozen (2013) was a cultural phenomenon. Even now, six years on, the impact the film had can still be felt. It was only going to be a matter of time before a sequel happened, so here we are. Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee return to direct, with Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez returning to write the songs. Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Josh Gad and Jonathan Groff reprise their voice roles from the first film, with Evan Rachel Wood, Sterling K. Brown, Alfred Molina, and Jeremy Sisto joining the cast.
Three years have passed since Elsa was crowned queen of Arendelle. But when she hears a mysterious voice calling to her, she unintentionally awakens ancient elemental spirits which attack the kingdom. With Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven at her side, she makes the journey north to the Enchanted Forest to find the truth behind the voice and the kingdom's past...
Frozen II is one of those rare sequels that doesn't just try and rehash the original. This isn't a cynical, rushed-out, by-the-numbers, cash-in sequel. There's been six years between Frozen and Frozen II, and there's been a lot of thought put into the story. Linking to Arendelle's past, the history of Elsa and Anna's family, and the expansion of the world beyond the city are all done very well and- whilst it may not exactly be a surprise when you find out the truth behind what happened in the Forest- the reveals never feel signposted or too obvious. There isn't much I want to say about the cast, apart from the voice acting is as superb as it was for the first film.
Proving that "Let It Go" wasn't just a one-off fluke, Lopez and Anderson-Lopez provide several anthemic numbers for Frozen II [and thankfully there's nothing as twee or as saccharine as "Do You Want To Build A Snowman?" this time round.]
For me, the best song is "Into The Unknown" where Elsa explains being torn between the temptation of following the voice or staying where she is and where things are settled (which also has an absolutely belting cover over the end credits by Panic! At The Disco; of all the musical numbers, this stands the best chance of getting an Oscar nod for Best Original Song). Other standout songs are "Show Yourself" (when Elsa gets to the Forest to confront the mysterious voice) and "Lost In The Woods"; having not had a big number in the original film, Jonathan Groff gets to flex his vocals in a deliciously 80's power ballad where Kristoff explores his feelings for Anna, calling her his "one true north".
Just as a side note, the script continues to show Kristoff as a thoroughly positive character and frankly one hell of a role model for any young boys who might be in the audience (so massive kudos to Jennifer Lee for writing such a decent character). Not only does he get a song where he is open about his emotions, he's always shown as supportive and encouraging; at one point, when Anna is charging in to help Elsa, he doesn't take over or try and muscle in, he simply asks her what she needs from him. Also, later, after Anna has a freakout about how things have gone, he reassures her that his love "isn't fragile". And it's all done naturally, isn't overemphasised or pointed out.
Frozen II is an ideal family film: there's heart, there's humour, the occasional thrill of danger, some great songs, and some truly superb animation. There's also a very cute end-credits scene which doesn't add much but is still worth sticking round for. So do the next right thing, take a step into the unknown and show yourself to Frozen II. You won't regret it.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Tez
