Frozen II

Ok, songwriters of "Frozen II," are y'all doing ok? Do you need a hug and reassurance? Because, while I appreciate you trying to move past the jaunty, ridiculously-chipper tunes that characterize a lot of Disney movies, y'all CLEARLY need a Zoloft.
I mean, let's look at some of your musical selections this time:
Plot Point Lullaby with Vague Deadly Warning
The Cheerful Song which is just BEGGING to be Proven Wrong Later in the Film
Shush, Weird Siren Call, I'm Happy Where I am...Aren't I?
My Naivety is Clashing with my Existential Crisis
Cheesy 80s Throwback about How Lost I am Without You
I Finally Can Learn about My Purpose! And Duet with with the Spirit of my Dead Mother!
and of course,
The Picking-Yourself-Up from Crippling Loss Song

As the sequel to the smash hit of 2013, this movie had a lot to live up to...and for people like me who consider "Tangled" superior in almost every aspect, a lot to strive for improvement.

And they kinda fall flat.

The story meanders and while having a strong premise, does not really deliver on much. With the revelation from the prologue that the kingdom used to share their land with natives in tune with the spirit creatures that embody the 4 elements, and the sudden isolation of the enchanted forest, the royal sisters take it upon themselves to find this lost land, free the inhabitants, and save their home from potential disaster. So even though the first movie was not as well-built a story as "Tangled" or "Wreck-it Ralph," it at least provided solid beats. This one, while on paper seeming like a grander adventure, does more to promote the world building, introduce the highly-marketable new characters, and surprisingly poke fun at the popularity of the old movie. Despite those positives, the truth is, it's all very surface level. New place, new characters, new outfits, new status quo. Check, check, check, & check.

The characters' growth is only as substantial as their relationship to others, as most of their issues got resolved last movie. The sisters' bond is still probably the best kind of development in the movie, with the fervent determination to stick together through this adventure; there is only minimal strengthening of the relationships between Anna and Kristof, as well as Anna and Olaf, with Olaf himself somehow going through a period of deep questioning about his place in the universe; and just like last time, Kristof continues to be Anna's accessory. The new characters don't really bring much to the table. All the human characters trapped in the mystical woods are...there. The magical spirit-creatures that embody the 4 elements are...there, with the only with a hint of personality going to the adorable charmander. And bad guys? None, but the sins of the past need to be rectified, which is the main source of conflict. A mature decision for sure, abandoning the twist villain we've come to expect, but then not having a villain does make the climax boil down to Piss-Off-Sleeping-Giants-to-Wreck-Shit, and it's not nearly as interesting to watch.

Overall, a fun continuation of the story (UNLIKE Frozen Fever and Olaf's Frozen Adventure) with a somewhat decent message of accepting change, but really, this was already done so well by "Toy Story 4" and "How to Train Your Dragon 3" earlier this year, that this one needing to holler the message again just makes it sound stale. And those movies didn't come with a soundtrack of catchy-yet-somewhat-depressing songs.

Oooh I bet y'all feel really clever for sneaking in ANOTHER Hans Christian Andersen reference into the movie eh?