When it came to releasing the sequel to the Disney’s megahit Frozen, not only was The Mouse Overlord looking to bank in the box office (to the tune of a record breaking $123.7 million over Thanksgiving weekend), but was also hoping to replicate the success/universal bane of parents’ existence of the smash hit “Let It Go”. The Panic! At The Disco and Idina Menzel led “Into the Unknown” mirrors the Frozen II in that it is a serviceable follow-up, but doesn’t quite live up to its behemoth of a predecessor.
Not long after the events of the first movie, Anna (Kristen Bell), Elsa (Menzel), Olaf (Josh Gad), Kristoff and Sven (Jonathan Groff) are making their way forward with what’s next in their rule over Arendelle. But under the new songs each respective character leads is a sense of dread about the unknown. Olaf, observing the inevitable passing of time, sings to himself that everything -even the numerous things he doesn’t understand - will make sense when he gets older. Kristoff is blundering his way to not knowing how he can best ask Anna to marry him (a surprisingly well-suited side plot which also delivers one of the best Disney musical scenes ever, worthy of any 1990’s Guns-N-Roses or N’SYNC music video). Meanwhile, even though Elsa is tasked with the Queendom, a constant singsong call in the distance is tugging at her to leave and venture out “into the unknown” of her own magical adventure.
Anna, in the middle of everything, frantically zigzags between each of her family members trying keep them seemingly happy under one roof. Until Elsa’s siren call brings her powers to bear with the other elements (her water/ice vs. earth, wind, and fire) and threatens the safety of her people. The gang is tasked to quest into the neighboring enchanted forest to uncover the mystery of Arendelle’s past and the origins of Elsa’s powers.
The scriptwriters pack a lot into this journeying plot. A much more mature view into the inevitability of change and realities of growing up (just like the audience that has aged in the past six years). Much of it is unraveled with a Lord of the Rings-like ambiance and shades of The Fifth Element, attempting to build the Frozen lore into one with a mythical and deep history. But instead of naturally building through the depth of established characters, the movie leans on archaic “Disney Tale” standards to cram in new mythos through hazy repeated questioning and unearned world building. Anna or Olaf or someone stumbles upon a never before mentioned macguffin (“Macguffin?”), attributes it to an unknown new people like the Northuldra (“The Northuldra?”), and then uses that to unlock historical details through an item that one of the characters just happens to know about. This storytelling diminishes the otherwise powerful messages in favor of crammed exposition.
When they do lean on developing the arcs of characters old and new, Frozen II lives up to and sometimes surpasses the original. Elsa’s exploration of the source of her powers lead to some amazing action set pieces. Anna’s reckless leaps of faith to protect her family relays important messaging, continually doing the next right thing even in the face of impossible odds. Olaf’s endless optimism presents a buffer for many uncomfortable truths that children may not yet understand, but undoubtedly will when they get older. The sisters’ relationship continues to be a strength of emotional connection through the runtime, while Olaf, Kristoff and Sven add heartfelt dimension to the themes of sacrifice, familial bonds, and freeing oneself from sins of the past.
While the film has a number of storytelling flaws, there is more than enough greatness to overcome these shortcomings. Through their amazing characters, Frozen II delivers a well-rounded and worthy sequel filled with a wonderful balance of action, drama, comedy, and heart. Its themes matured with its audience, while still giving younger viewers new songs to sing and new characters to enamor. Audiences will leave the theaters with a smile on their face, hoping for more to come with less to explain. I am giving Frozen II 6.75/10 inevitable Olaf spinoffs.