The issues I have with Frozen II, both positive and negative, are hard to discuss without spoiling aspects of the plot so stop reading if you don't want to know anything about the movie. I don't spoil the movie truly just have to discuss aspects of it some prefer not to have knowledge of. Frozen II is about right relations, coming to terms with a colonial past, and in light of that trying to do what's right. I appreciate the film takes this on. Frozen was strong with the way it challenges fairy tale tropes such as what true love is and the role of women in these sorts of stories. To take on a challenge like colonialism seems a good choice.
Frozen II's heart is in the right place but in balancing its ambitions with its desire for blockbuster storytelling something has to give. The story sets up the royalty of Arendelle to take on their history's role with the oppression of the indigenous people of the area, literally having encamped them so the dominant culture can benefit, and gives them the opportunity to undue that history, destroying the very system set up to benefit Arendelle at the cost to the Nothuldra. But conveniently their sacrifice turns out not to be one. They are able to abolish the oppressive system in a way that doesn't have any cost at all to Arendelle. Win-win! But not quite honest. The saving grace at the last minute comes out of no where, a narrative problem this film suffers from. This just feels intellectually dishonest. There needed to be some cost to the transformation, to doing what is right, because otherwise there is no challenge to it. And perhaps it also justifies not doing it if there is a cost. But in Frozen II everyone always just ends up happily ever after. Kinda the opposite of what the first film set us up for, and not representing how things work in the real world.
But so much of Frozen II feels like it's just that easy. The whole story is a deus ex machina extravaganza. The film relies on a created mythology and magic meaning the film makers can just make everything work the way they want. When they need a solution for a plot point, magic. Did the plot paint us into a corner? Have some non-disclosed or explained magic just work our way out of it! None of it feels logical or narratively consistent. The story instead has a real constructed feel, like they were always working toward their beats, plot points, and morals to the story, so it never mattered how they got there, just that they got there. The magic is never explained in a cohesive way. We are just to accept it all as okay.
But despite the narrative flaws Frozen II is a stunning film to see. Visually the movie has some of the most impressive animation I've seen in a while. The scope of the project is remarkable. I saw it on an Imax screen and I'm glad I did. The music, while never quite as catchy as the first film's music, remains full on Broadway style, with complex narrative driven lyrics and lovely yet intricately arranged music. For me All Is Found was the winner but I can see how others may be popular too. I'm already sick of Into the Unknown though...
So, while not a disaster, I struggled to appreciate a lot about Frozen II. Yes the film tackles a lot and I hope the message it is trying to make is palatable to the masses in a way that it can have some cultural impact. I don't disagree with the message, I just worry it sugar coats it far too much. I guess I had higher hopes and while I loved so much of what they tried to do, little of it gelled for me.
Frozen II
Starring: Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Johnathan Groff, Josh Gad, Sterling K Brown, Evan Rachel Wood, Alfred Molina, Martha Plimpton, Jason Ritter, Jeremy Sisto, Ciaran Hinds, Alan Tudyk
Directors: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
Writer: Jennifer Lee
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