Scene from “Frozen II”
We half-expected “Frozen II’s” likability and crowd-pleasing lure to be compromised by familiarity or mimetic progression, which often results from overreliance to formula and, well, just plain laziness.
Happily, Disney’s latest release hasn’t fallen victim to a sophomore slump.
As they say, lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice. But the sequel comes pretty close to replicating the 2013 original’s potent viewability because it consciously avoids repeating itself by actively moving the story forward without stripping the animated franchise of the elements that made it click.
At the heart of this story are the ties that bind two sisters, the powerful Queen of Arendelle Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel) and her loving younger sister Princess Anna (Kristen Bell), who are once again torn apart when their little-known past begins to haunt them.
Kristoff with his reindeer Sven
Three years after the events of the first film, Elsa must embark on a journey up north that could change the course of their lives and those of the subjects she rules forever.
But there are unspeakable dangers ahead. Acknowledging the limited skills of her “human” loved ones, Elsa chooses to go at it alone—but not if Anna and their coterie of creatures and cute pals can help it!
It would be best to let you, dear readers, see how this next adventure in the life of two siblings plays out and not spoil their heartwarming tale for you.
Suffice it to say that iceman Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) is ready to keep his girlfriend Anna company, with his affable reindeer Sven and the sentient snowman Olaf (Josh Gad) in tow.
Together, they discover a whole new world that holds the key to the secrets of Elsa’s magical ice-conjuring ability.
Along the way, they meet new friends and foes, including a fire-generating critter that adds excitement to their trip to worlds magical and unknown.
As for its music, “Frozen II” does not have the instant recall of “Let It Go,” “For the First Time in Forever,” “Love is an Open Door” and “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?,” but that doesn’t make its soundtrack less likable because songwriter Robert Lopez and his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez have created “accessible,” hum-worthy ditties whose melodic beauty grows on you.
Queen Iduna with Anna (left) and Elsa
“Into the Unknown” is clearly meant to be the film’s musical centerpiece but, while it is far from bland, it lacks the note-scaling progression and lyrical urgency of “Let It Go.”
The best song is a tossup among “Lost in the Woods” by Jonathan Groff, “Show Yourself” by Idina Menzel, and “All is Found,” sung with affecting clarity and lived-in, feel-good warmth by Evan Rachel Wood as Queen Iduna, who sings the gorgeous tune to her giggly young girls, Elsa and Anna.
And if the story ends up making you feel sad or “wistful,” keeping your loved ones close by as you sing “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” might just cheer you up.
Unlike the long-winding and ultimately digressive “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” “Frozen II” lives up to viewers’ expectations and is guaranteed to shake the blues away.