Review of the DVDs Frozen and Frozen II:

From the moment I saw the murky figure appearing above the ice and then having the saw be plunged through that frigid surface as a chorus of male voices begins the song, “Frozen Heart,” I really, really liked the Disney animated film, Frozen.   It has everything a movie goer hopes for as the lights go down and a movie begins.  A compelling story that holds your interest throughout with a climactic moment that genuinely tugs at the heart.  A musical score that is not only one of the best for an animated film, but for any film.  The movie came out in 2013 and I have yet to tire of “Do You Want to Build a Snowman,” or “Let It Go.”  It has characters that you grow to love and care about, Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sven, and, of course, Olaf. And it has those that you are glad to see done in in the end.  Anna’s smackdown of Hans was righteous! I even got a kick out of the incidental character, Oaken, and his family in the sauna.
There is nothing not to like about this movie.  It did win the Academy Award in 2014 for Best Animated Film, but I thought it was the best film, animated or no, of 2013.  There was nothing that I saw that year that was more entertaining, more inspirational, and more memorable than Frozen.   I ask you, “What film won for Best Picture in 2014?”  If you are like me, you would have to look it up.  I couldn’t remember, but Frozen I remember.  And to this day, seven years later, find it a joy to watch, over and over again.
Now, I was hoping to be able to say the same about its sequel, Frozen II, but I can’t.  The story is good, but not as scintillating as the original.  And the climactic moment did not tug at the heart as in the first.  But what really told me that there was something amiss in Frozen II was when I was driving home with my daughters after seeing this sequel and both were singing, “Let It Go,” and “Do You Want to Build a Snowman”.  That was a dead giveaway!  I cannot name you one song from Frozen II.  They were not memorable at all.
I am not saying Frozen II is not worth seeing.  It is.  Parents and children have much to garner from Elsa’s journey into the unknown.  Just don’t expect something as good as Frozen.  You will be disappointed.  The original set the bar high.  Too high for this sequel, and perhaps any others.

Reviewed by Richard Dick, Library Assistant, O’Kelly Memorial Library


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