Frozen 2 Movie Review: Stunning craft, rudimentary content

A still from Frozen 2

Frozen II
U/A: Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Director: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
Cast: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff
Rating:

Is all well in the kingdom of Arendelle? Well… Walt Disney Animation Studio's attempt to cash-in on the success of 2010's "Tangled" by drawing up yet another fairy tale musical with an emphatic sense of family and empowerment aka "Frozen," not only dominated the box office but also became Disney's most lucrative idea with multiple avenues opening up in the form of video games, theme park attractions, short films, toys, games and a Broadway musical. So it was a given that Disney would make this an ongoing cinema franchise. Frozen II, though technically marvellous, is more of an extension of that money-spinning idea.

The story pegs off with the two little sisters Ana and Elsa being put to bed by their father. But in order to get them to sleep King Agnarr (Alfred Molina) shares with them some of the details about what happened to the enchanted forest. Cut to Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) trying to work up the nerve to propose to Anna (Kristen Bell), leaning on reindeer pal Sven for support. An older Elsa (Idina Menzel) is pulled into a different direction, drawn to a spiritual voice that inspires her to visit the great Enchanted Forest, home to an enigmatic civilization. Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven leave Arendelle to travel to the ancient, autumn-bound forest and uncover a few secrets of their own.

Watch the trailer of Frozen II here:

The characters here are far more mature but their goofy, magical playfulness goes on unabated. Returning directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee make this entry a little more darker with an eye to targeting an aged-up audience. The quest has promise but its far more identity oriented than adventurous. The growth spurt feels like Lee, also the screenwriter for the film, took a time-leap in terms of imagination. Olaf gets much more screen time than what his daffy character warrants. And though the songs are lovely, there are far too many of them entangling the narrative. The animation craft is stunning, the best we've seen ever. The sound is crystal clear, the cinematography simply breath-taking. It's mainly the exaggerated plotting interspersed with numerous songs that drags the enjoyment down a notch. This film may not be as engaging as Frozen but it's certainly more stunning!

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