Frozen II

Frozen, though it was not a sequel or based on existing movie characters, became the highest grossing animated film of all time, basically because it became very popular with girls. It was enjoyed by people of all ages, though. So, in its infinite wisdom, Disney decided to make a sequel, and its missing almost everything good from the original.

The first film ended with the bad guy dispatched and Elsa, with her ice powers, queen of Arendelle. But some mysterious voice is calling to her, and after a prologue that tells us about an enchanted forest to the far north, the main characters: Elsa, her sister Anna, snowman Olaf, Anna's beau Kristoff and his reindeer Sven, head off to try to find out the truth of the past.

Everything about Frozen II feels like a cash-grab. Other Disney hits had straight-to-video sequels, and this has that kind of feel. The story just feels forced and unnecessary. It involves a tribe of people, who I suppose are kind of like Inuits, being exploited by the people of Arendelle, and locked inside the forest, unable to get out. The "white guys are bad" theme, which is certainly often true, seems overplayed these days, and I'm not sure what young people are supposed to take away from this.

There are many songs, again by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, are pleasant but unmemorable--they did not strike lightning twice with another "Let It Go," although they did get a Best Song nomination for "Into The Unknown."

I would hope that there will not be a Frozen III, but this film did do pretty great box office so I'm guessing there will be. I'm not interested, though.