“Frozen 2” is fun but fails to live up to the original

PHOTO: “Frozen 2” is showing at the Regal Holiday 6 in Davis in three different auditoriums.

By Lauren Lee,

BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–

Six years after “Frozen,” “Frozen 2” delivers an underwhelming score and plot, especially after the smash-hit of original.

“Frozen 2” brings back the same directors (Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck) and songwriters (Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez), but lacks the compelling plot and music “Frozen” became famous for. 

One of the reasons “Frozen” was such a hit was because of the music. Idina Menzel kills the vocals in “Let it Go,” and most of the “Frozen” soundtrack is memorable and cute. Although there are fun songs in the sequel, none of them were particularly memorable. 

One song, “Lost in the Woods,” sung by Kristoff (played by Jonathan Groff) was catchy and enjoyable. The scene was created to look like a 1980’s style music video. This is confusing for the young audience, which made up the majority of the theater, but a fun treat for the parents.

Some may argue that sequels shouldn’t be compared to the original but “Frozen 2” leaves you no choice but to do just that. “Frozen 2” is chock-full of references to the original, which reminded the viewer how much better the original story was. 

Some of the references were worthwhile, like when Olaf comedically summarizes the entire first movie in 30 seconds. Others, like the brief “Let it Go” flashback were frankly annoying and didn’t enhance the movie in any way.

As for the story itself, “Frozen 2” emphasizes sisterly bond and love instead of the classic “hero saves the princess.” This take on “true love” was fresh and unique… when they did it the first time. 

In the first movie, the juxtaposition between a romantic relationship versus familial relationship created a stronger message.

Although the message of sisterly bonds and love is empowering for young women, the impact wasn’t the same in the second movie. 

The most impact “Frozen 2” had was the elaboration of the history behind Elsa and Anna’s parents and the origins of Elsa’s powers. These explanations enhanced the original story and solved many of the unanswered questions from the first movie. 

The characters were very likable and the comedy viewers loved in the original are still there. 

Despite these issues,” Frozen 2” presents remarkable visuals. The animation is incredible. It is realistic but still maintains character and style. 

In addition, the execution in portraying magic was whimsically attracting. From the way the dancing fire has a personality to how the wind almost gives the characters a hug, the magic makes you wish that you could live in Arendelle. 

Overall, “Frozen 2” is worth watching but falls short compared to the original.