Frozen 2 Review Roundup

The first reactions to Disney’s highly-anticipated Frozen sequel arrived online after the premiere last week, and it seemed as though Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck, and the rest of the team had truly done something magical. Some early social media reviews suggested that Frozen 2 could be as good, if not better than the original hit movie. However, now that the reviews are being published, it doesn’t look like critics are holding the film in such high esteem.

There aren’t any really bad reviews for Frozen 2, but none of them are exactly glowing, either. The majority of these reviews argue that, while there is fun to be had in the sequel and that the music is incredible, the story just doesn’t quite hold up to the original movie.

Yes, there are still quite a lot of things to love about the new movie according to these reviews. Some say that Olaf has a much bigger role this time around, and others suggest that the original songs are even better than the first movie. Still, it seems like Frozen 2 leaves a lot to be desired.

You can check out a few of the Frozen 2 reviews below!

The Hollywood Reporter – Todd McCarthy

“Certainly the overriding intent of Jennifer Lee’s script (she also solely wrote the first installment and co-directed both with Chris Buck) is to position Elsa as a serious role model/inspiration for girls and young women, a resilient, can-do, nothing-can-stop-me character able to overcome any challenge in her path. This she most certainly does, and a raft of co-story writers has joined in to try to stir the ingredients to the desired balance among drama, excitement, comedy, suspense, action and inspiration.”

You can read The Hollywood Reporter’s full review here.

EW – Christian Holub

“Frozen 2 makes a valiant effort to live up to its predecessor, but can’t escape its shadow. Over the course of the movie, multiple characters openly wonder if they’re done adventuring yet. In our zeitgeist of maximized intellectual property, the answer is “probably not,” but at least this fictional world isn’t afraid of a little change here and there.”

You can read EW’s full review here.

Slashfilm – Josh Spiegel

“Frozen II has an insurmountable challenge in front of it. When the original arrived in the late fall of 2013, no one would have predicted exactly how massive it became. Its songs became instant anthems, its story tapped into the vibrant spirit of young women around the world, and its characters were quickly welcomed into the collective public’s hearts. Nothing about this movie is going to ruin the original film’s impact, and it’s a more coherent story with a stronger emotional heart. It’s a good movie, a solid follow-up to a slightly less entertaining film. But only when its visuals do the talking does Frozen II really sing.”

Read Slashfilm’s full review here.

GamesRadar – Matt Maytum

“The new mythology is never entirely gripping, and sometimes verges on headscratching. On top of that, none of the new characters make much of an impact (Sterling K. Brown is a nice addition, but he’s given little to do). So if you’re desperate to spend more time with Anna and Elsa, Frozen 2 won’t leave you cold, but it’s unlikely to set your world on fire.”

You can read Games Radar’s full review here.

IndieWire – Kate Erbland

“Despite the emotional upheaval of the final act, it also has a fair bit of amusement and spectacle. There’s tongue-in-cheek jibs about the Disney experience throughout, and Lee and Buck have some serious fun spinning the big musical numbers into fresh territory (Kristoff’s big song, “Lost in the Woods,” is filmed as something of a power ballad music video, more Guns n Roses than anyone could ever expect from the Mouse House, and one of the best parts of the film). Olaf is as deranged and cute as ever, moving from court jester to something of a classic fool over the course of a transformational outing.”

You can read IndieWire’s full review here.

USA Today – Brian Truitt

“There’s a lot bigger about Disney’s animated musical followup to the 2013 mega-hit but not much is better this time around. Directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, “Frozen 2″ (★★½ out of four; rated PG; in theaters Nov. 22) dives into a mythology dump while continuing the story of loving sisters Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell), sans the same charm, goofy spirit and powerhouse showtunes of the original film.”

You can read USA Today’s review here.

Uproxx – Mike Ryan

“The first Frozen is such lightning in a bottle that it’s impossible to capture that exactly. The phenomena around that first movie is one of those once-in-a-generation type events that can’t just be duplicated, so why even try to do exactly that? What’s smart about Frozen II is, instead of trying to just recapture its past glory, it decides to be interesting. And when making a sequel to a cultural phenomenon, “being interesting” seems both pretty rare and the best we can hope for.”

You can read Uproxx’s full review here.