After six years, the sequel to the wildly successful Frozen finally came out, and it did not disappoint. The characters were back and better than ever, the music was beautiful and woven seamlessly into the story, and the plot was complex and intriguing but kept the classic Disney feeling. 

The movie starts with a mysterious voice that Elsa hears repeatedly, but no one else does, and although she tries to conceal and not feel, eventually she follows the voice and inadvertently awakens elemental spirits of the land. This results in all the people of Arendelle having to evacuate, and Anna and Elsa begin a quest to discover the truth about their kingdom’s past in order to make things right again. They are joined by Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf, and on their journey they find themselves in an enchanted forest where a few new characters are also introduced. As they get closer to uncovering the past, Elsa grows worried that the mission is too dangerous for others, so she sets off on her own. Ultimately, however, Anna is left to make a monumental decision capable of altering their world forever.

The visuals in this movie are absolutely stunning and even top the original Frozen film. The voice actors are all spot on, and of course, their singing is phenomenal. Idina Menzel, as Elsa, blew it away with “Into the Unknown” and “Show Yourself,” Josh Gad, as Olaf, kept things fun with “When I am Older,” Jonathan Groff, as Kristoff, surprised everyone with a unique number and song called “Lost in the Woods,” and Kristen Bell, as Anna, inspired the audience with “The Next Right Thing.” The soundtrack from the movie is extremely catchy, so if you see it, be prepared to have these songs stuck in your head for at least a week or two. Additionally, the producers did a nice job incorporating the songs so that they flowed well with the story and never felt separate from the plot. 

Beyond the visuals and music, I really enjoyed the character development and interactions in this movie. Olaf was even funnier and more relatable than he was in Frozen, and he had one of my favorite scenes from the entire film when he gave a super quick plot summary of everything that happened in the first movie, and it had everyone in the theater laughing. Kristoff was also cute because he spent the entire film attempting to propose to Anna but faced many setbacks along the journey. The only negative I have when it comes to characters is that the new characters introduced in this movie didn’t play major roles, and I would’ve liked to have seen a bit more done with them instead of the hyper focus on Anna and Elsa alone. 

Another questionable aspect of the film was that there was no obvious villain, and this was odd for a Disney movie. I still enjoyed the plot, but it did seem a bit rushed in certain areas, and I think the absence of a villain made the conflict a bit convoluted at times. My biggest disappointment with the film was that there was no standout song able to top “Let it Go.” “Into the Unknown” and “Show Yourself” were the contenders, but while watching the movie, I never got that same standout feeling I got when hearing “Let it Go” for the first time. The new songs in this film are still wonderful, but if you are looking for them to be better than the original Frozen, you may be disappointed. 

Overall, I would give Frozen II four stars out of five because I thought the film was beautiful, and I enjoyed the music and characters, but I don’t think it can top the first movie. If you are a fan of the original, you will definitely love this movie because it was great to see all of the characters again and learn more about them. I recommend this movie for people of all ages because I think the songs, the message, and the story itself are relatable and enjoyable for people in any stage of life. I think it is well worth seeing in theaters, and if you decide to go, I hope you enjoy your journey with Anna and Elsa into the unknown.