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‘Frozen 2’ Reviews: Does It Live Up To Hype, ‘Go There’ With Elsa? Here’s What Critics Are Saying.

   DailyWire.com
(L-R) Anna, Elsa, and Olaf attend the world premiere of Disney's "Frozen 2" at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre on Thursday, November 7, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney

“Frozen II,” one of the most highly anticipated animated sequels ever, is set to open nationwide on November 22, but some critics have gotten a chance to preview the film and given the green light to publish their responses. So is the film as good as its diehard fans hope it will be? And will it “go there” with Elsa amid pressure from LGBT fans and activists?

The current aggregate score for the film on Rotten Tomatoes, with 60 reviewers having officially weighed in so far, is a solid 82% on the Tomatometer. The review site gives a one-line summary of critics’ response: “Even though Frozen II doesn’t quite nail the showstopping feel of the first film, it is still a dazzling adventure into the unknown.”

The film, which answers “Why was Elsa born with magical powers?” involves the famous royal sisters setting off with Kristoff, Olaf and Sven “on a dangerous but remarkable journey.” That journey, several critics agree, is overly complicated but ultimately entertaining enough to satisfy most in the audience. It will not, however, satisfy those hoping for an “out” Elsa.

One of Rotten Tomatoes “top critics” who gives it a “fresh” rating, Us Weekly’s Mara Reinstein, expresses what many of her peers state in their own terms. “Is it as spectacular as the original? No, but let it go,” she writes. “It’s still a beautifully designed, sharply written and toe-tapping piece of family entertainment”:

Is the film as spectacular as the 2013 original? Will it strike the same resonant chord in children of all ages? Will its music linger long after the credits? The answer to all these questions is, of course, no. Frozen was an original once-in-a-generation phenomenon. … There was zero chance that Frozen could exceed its predecessor, and that’s before you factor in a head-scratching, overcomplicated plot that doesn’t quite add up. And yet … let it go. That’s because Frozen 2 is still a beautifully designed, sharply written and toe-tapping piece of family entertainment. And as cold as it may be in Arendelle (not to mention outside your window), it’s heartwarming to spend time with our old friends.

Though Newsday’s Rafer Guzman calls the film a “charming if less magical sequel,” the critic ultimately gives it a “fresh” rating, as well. The film “turns out to be a fairly typical sequel: overly busy and meandering, but sure to please all the young Elsas in the audience,” Guzman writes:

“Frozen II,” in general, might not capture hearts the way the groundbreaking original did in 2013. “Frozen,” Disney’s first animated feature directed by a woman (Jennifer Lee, who shared credit with Chris Buck but wrote the screenplay herself), helped launch a new wave of women taking center stage in Hollywood, both on screen and off. Its twist on the fairy-tale myth of “true love” — basically, removing the Handsome Prince from the equation — was so clever and revelatory that it has been reworked in other movies. (“Isn’t It Romantic,” a rom-com spoof starring Rebel Wilson, comes to mind.) “Frozen II,” by contrast, turns out to be a fairly typical sequel: overly busy and meandering, but sure to please all the young Elsas in the audience.

The Associated Press’s Jocelyn Noveck agrees that the film feels “more workmanlike” than its predecessor and will “definitely be harder to follow for younger fans,” she stresses the “incredibly real” visuals and the expanded world of the new film:

And if it all seems less effortless, more workmanlike than the first film, with a very complex storyline that will definitely be harder to follow for younger fans, there’s plenty to like, especially the lush visuals. Directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck give us an animated ocean that looks incredibly real, a more mature, autumn-hued color palette, and a magical forest surrounded by a wall of mist. There are new creatures, from imposing “earth giants” to a sweet little salamander.

Noveck also makes a point of stressing the feminist message of the film, particularly as conveyed through the humble, deferential Kristoff:

… if you’re a parent looking for your young girl or boy to learn good relationship behavior, they could do well to watch Kristoff, who has now become probably the most evolved iceman this side of Arendelle or all of Scandinavia or maybe the entire European Union, pre- or post-Brexit. Not that a man is the answer to Elsa and Anna’s problems. As in the first movie, the sisters are still doing it for themselves. And they’re wearing the pants — literally.

Speaking of messaging, many in the LGBT community have been urging Disney to make Elsa its first openly lesbian lead animated character. But as revealed by Time Out’s Phil De Semlyen — another RT “top critic” who rated it “fresh” — those calling for an “out” Elsa are going to be disappointed. “Does it offer any further evidence to those who interpreted ‘Let It Go’ as Elsa’s covert coming-out anthem?” he writes. “Sadly no … “:

If Frozen was about coming to terms with who you are, the sequel is about transformation. Does it offer any further evidence to those who interpreted “Let It Go” as Elsa’s covert coming-out anthem? Sadly no, though she remains an intriguingly elliptical canvas on which to project genuinely groundbreaking ideas about empowerment and identity. Elsa may be an icon, but there’s nothing set in stone about her, and it’s good to have her back.

Related: Chris Pratt Posts Terrific Tribute To His Veteran Brother

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