Earlier this year, Jon Favreau's The Lion King dethroned Frozen as the highest-grossing animated film of all-time (unadjusted for inflation). Most analysts predicted that Simba's reign would be short-lived as the Frozen sequel would arrive a few months later to retake the #1 spot.
However, reviews for the film have not been as favorable as the first. Many critics are praising the film for its gorgeous visuals and fun musical numbers but also deduct points for an aimless plot. The Rotten Tomatoes score for the film has been trending downward, with the score settling at 78% at the time of writing.
With the film opening in theaters tomorrow, we've rounded up a few reviews that may help you decide whether it's worth forking over your hard-earned cash for movie tickets to see what some call a "darker" film with no "Let It Go" to sweep the nation this time around.
"While the visuals sometimes have stunning beauty and motion, there is little on screen or in the soundtrack that feels truly unknown, or carries any of the freshness of the snow that covers Elsa's kingdom."
The Oberserver [2 out of 4 stars]
"One thing that really sets "Frozen 2" apart from its predecessor is the visuals, which are as gorgeous and awe-inspiring as computer animation can possibly get."
The Toronto Star [3 out of 4 stars]
"Frozen II is destined to be one of those movies children will want to see dozens of times."
RogerEbert.com [3.5 out of 4 stars]
"It's never surprising, yet its bursts of pictorial imagination - snowflakes that streak like shooting stars - keep you engaged, as do Elsa and Anna, who still aren't waiting for life to happen."
The New York Times
"What actually takes the wind out of Frozen 2′s many attempts at epic gust is its repeated failure to imagine and entertain."
Globe and Mail [2 out of 4 stars]
"It's hard to see how the same team who made something so cool in 2013 could deliver something so - there's no other word for it - lukewarm."
The Washington Post [2 out of 4 stars]
"The songs and animation are very good, things liven up considerably in a spectacular finale, and the small children with whom I watched it emerged from the cinema with no complaints."
The Irish Independent
"A few new characters, a new dress, and a reindeer sing-a-long aren't worth a 103 minute strained serenade of monotonous fluff."
Bounding Into Comics [1.5 out of 4 stars]
"[I]t's not as good as its predecessor, [but] it's still well within the "good" range for kids, families, and anyone who loved the first film and is happy to spend some more time in that world."
Forbes
"There really does seem to be a desire to advance the story and build on the previous film, and that's what the best sequels do."
The Screen Junkies [7 out of 10]
"Those songs, from the Oscar-winning duo Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, are catchy enough; "Into the Unknown" is the standout, and Kristoff's "Lost in the Woods" is the goofiest, meant to send up 1980s soft rock cheese a la Air Supply. If they're lacking in true firepower, the same goes for "Frozen II": it never reaches the heights of its predecessor, but it's an adequate romp in the snow."
The Detroit News [Grade:B-]
"Forget the convoluted plot. The animation bursts with wonders and it's a pleasure to re-connect with those empowered sister princesses: Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell). Why is the sequel never the equal? Frozen II just might break the jinx."
The Rolling Stone [4 out of 5 stars]
"November 20, 2019 It's easier to think about Frozen II as a product than as a film because a (sometimes stunning-looking) product is all that it feels like."
Vulture.com
"There's... enough jokes, set-pieces and songs to enable this film to justify its existence, above and beyond the needs of the Disney corporation's accounting ledgers."
NPR
"Frozen was built around an anthem to letting your emotions take control because no matter how flawed the results might be, it was preferable to sterile perfection. Maybe the people who made the new movie should watch it again."
Slate.com
"Is it as spectacular as the original? No, but let it go. It's still a beautifully designed, sharply written and toe-tapping piece of family entertainment."
Us Weekly
"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."
Time Out [4 out of 5 stars]
"While a joyful noise is being made unto the fjord yeti again and the sisters still rule, "Frozen 2" doesn't have the same pizzazz as the original."
USA Today [2.5 out of 4 stars]