Walt Disney opposed sequels, but his company now embraces them; sequels came, one-by-one, on home video and eventually moved to theatres.
Frozen II is one of the few theatrical sequels from Walt Disney Animation Studios, and it deserved to play in theatres; it nearly matches the original film's charm and thrills. Perhaps Elsa and Anna's character arcs are continuations from the original movie. After having controlled her powers, Elsa continues to struggle with them and, hence, feel out of place. Anna, no longer alone, clings to Elsa (and Olaf and Sven and Kristoff) as they enter the enchanted forest to save Arendelle.
A common criticism for Frozen II is that Kristoff's subplot regarding proposing to Anna is unnecessary. I understand why, but Kristoff already fell in love with Anna at the end of the first Frozen; he follows her out of his fear of loss (as expressed in "Lost in the Woods," my favorite song from the film).
Other criticisms regard the plot making "no sense," but I think otherwise. Like the original Frozen, Frozen II has a clear three-act structure and characters with clear desires, fears, and misbeliefs. Besides, as previously mentioned, Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff's journeys serve as continuations from the first film.
Frozen II's songs improved from those in the first film; they are more spaced out while the original film's songs clumped in the first two acts. The songs are also more reflective and philosophical, including "Older" (sung by Olaf about growing up) and "The Next Right Thing" (which Anna sings right before the climax, presenting a crucial mental health message for our age).
I also enjoy the backstory regarding Elsa and Anna's parents (King Agnarr and Queen Iduna); their death from a shipwreck is further explained. Agnarr and Iduna went on the ship to discover the source of Elsa's powers, which Elsa herself visits while singing "Show Yourself."
Frozen II also reveals Iduna to be of Northuldra ethnicity (based on the Sámi tribe in Finland); Agnarr married her after escaping war in the enchanted forest. Some people have noticed Iduna's lack of native looks; yet, she was assimilated into the civilized Arendellian culture through her clothing, only having her Northuldra scarf left. Iduna did not even tell Elsa and Anna about her heritage.
If I can point out a problem with Frozen II, it would be the spiritism; yet, if viewed as fantasy, Christian viewers can look past it and focus on the positive messages.
For fans of the first Frozen, I recommend Frozen II; even if viewers aren't familiar with the first film, Olaf acts it out in the forest.
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