'Frozen 2:' Head Into The Unknown With This Surprisingly Mature Sequel [Review]

Nothing short of a phenomenon, 2013’s animated “Frozen” was a runaway Disney blockbuster that captured the zeitgeist with startling power, inspiring Broadway musicals, Christmas specials, short films, theme park attractions, and innumerable merchandising opportunities to ensure its ongoing cultural foothold (not to mention an untold number of YouTube covers of “Let It Go”). So the prospect of a proper follow-up is a daunting one, for sure. And somewhat unbelievably, “Frozen II” lives up to its predecessor. It’s a darker, more emotionally mature, complicated endeavor, which admittedly causes some minor stumbles, but also a beautiful, intricately designed little triumph.

“Frozen II” picks up where the original film left off, more or less: Elsa (Idina Menzel) is now the queen of the fairy tale kingdom of Arendelle; her sister Anna (Kristen Bell) is still involved with the rough-around-the-edges Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) and they’re all still hanging around with enchanted snowman Olaf (Josh Gad), now given a melt-proof permafrost, and adorable reindeer sidekick Sven. There’s even a cheeky song at the beginning of the film (memorably performed at this past summer’s D23 Expo) called “Some Things Never Change,” about maintaining the status quo peacefully, amongst our very lovable characters. Of course, peace is not meant to be, and an otherworldly voice imperils the entire kingdom by calling to Elsa, which forces the gang to leave their comfortable lives and venture into a mystical, mist-shrouded forest, full of enchantment and danger.

Part of the original film’s power lied in its themes of empowerment and a personal understanding that was exemplified by “Let It Go” and led the film (and Elsa, specifically) to become a beacon in the LGBT community. The sequel, perhaps unsurprisingly, doesn’t engage in Elsa’s innate queerness, instead, focusing on themes of transformation and the mythical power of bewitched woods. This sentiment is spoken aloud by Olaf as they enter the forest, and it proves correct. But it also signals a shift in the storytelling, with directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee (she also wrote the screenplay), moving away from the hallmarks of the fairytale into something grander and more mythological. Several of the characters in the new movie are literal elements (a cuddly salamander, personifying fire because of folk stories about how salamanders would skitter out of the leaves when a campfire was lit, is a highlight), amplifying the more naturalistic color scheme and wooded setting.

And, truth be told, shit gets dark. Each character is put through the wringer, as they explore the history of the kingdom and what happened to their parents. The narrative is almost exclusively focused on the characters and their personal development, which is a bold choice, and the sequel wisely chooses not to grant the sisters some villainous foe. Transformations and the journey to get there are paramount to the narrative. And while secondary, the more plot-y component of the story winds up feeling muddled and undercooked. What is going on with those personified elements, the beguiled woods, and their connection to Elsa is honestly pretty mystifying. It’s unclear how little kids are going to figure any of this out. Not that it matters much. Elsa has so many new outfits and at one point rides a horse made out of water.

Visually, the images have gone through a transformation similar to the character journeys. The icy blues and whites of the first film have been replaced with impressionistic oranges and browns, signifying change, the story’s newfound maturation, and the different aspects of animation blur with splendor.

The biggest breakthrough of them all, however, is the musical numbers that burst with inventiveness and fresh visual ideas. Buck and Lee, once again joined by songwriters Bobby Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, aren’t complacent with the musical numbers and all seem interested in pushing things forward. “Into the Unknown,” could be this year’s “Let It Go,” and Kristoff’s song, “Lost in the Woods”—fashioned after a Peter Cetera-era Chicago power ballad—turns into a Queen-style singalong that recalls Disney’s Country Bear Jamboree, with a platoon of reindeer singing in unison. There’s a lot of musical big swings that connect and no matter how you feel about Olaf, you’ll likely be cursing the infectious earworm of “When I Am Older” for days after.

While lacking the surprise and simplicity of the original “Frozen,” the sequel is still largely wonderful in its own right. It fearlessly transforms the original characters and even its own storytelling format, eschewing the familiar for something grander and more complex. All of those hallmarks of the original (lovable characters, strong emotional through lines, killer tunes) are present and accounted for but everything is darker and more mature. “Frozen II” could have arrived packed chilled and perfectly ready for consumption in 2013, but instead the filmmakers go for something markedly different. Even if it can’t always recreate the same magic of the original, it should still be applauded, for attempting new tricks. [B+]