'Frozen 2' review: A stellar sequel

WHAT'S 'FROZEN 2' ABOUT? It’s hard to imagine that a sequel of a monstrous hit like 'Frozen', a charming fantasy adventure of two sisters and mastering the art of letting go, will have the same appeal and power of its original. But director Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck have managed to do the unthinkable. The sequel to the 2013 blockbuster has something new and wonderfully enchanting to offer. Queen Elsa (Idina Menzel) dwells into the mystery behind her magical powers in the second instalment and goes on an adventure seeking answers to her past. A nod to colonialism misdeeds, the sisters learn something unsavoury about their pasts, but they join forces to make the wrongs right.

THE PLOT: Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven leave Arendelle to travel to an ancient, autumn-bound forest of an enchanted land. They set out to find the origin of Elsa's powers in order to save their kingdom.

THE PERFORMANCES: Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell are in top form as Elsa and Anna, two of Disney’s beloved creations. Queen Elsa continues to command our attention with a mixture of grace and gravitas. But it is Josh Gad as Olaf who had my heart. He has been given some of the best lines in the movie and he strikes comic gold with them. Jonathan Groff as the bumbling Kristoff, who’s trying hard to propose to Anna, makes you smile. Their performances are collectively spot-on and leaves you warm and fuzzy.

WHAT WE LIKED: A storyline that isn’t predictable and a musical score that makes you want to break into a song too. One of the best indicators of a movie’s success is when you can’t stop humming ‘Into The Unknown’ long after the curtains close on the film. Parents gear up for the zillionth song requests from kids.

WHAT WE DIDN'T LIKE: While the first half is stellar, the second half tends to meander as the focus shifts on creating dazzling visuals and action sequences. There’s less heart in the second half.

THE VERDICT: THE PLOT: If the original taught you the power of being fabulously flawed, the sequel will teach you to take one day at a time and how going ‘Into The Unknown’ — a song that has the power to unseat 'Let It Go' from its throne — isn’t always a bad thing. The good part is that 'Frozen 2' doesn’t take off from where its original left off and the sequel stands strong on its own. This tale of two sisters who learn that their grandfather wasn’t as righteous as he seemed, is an interesting and brave take on colonialism and the guilt that the survivors bear. The sisters learning about their parent’s past is an interesting way to cull out a sequel.

OUR RATING: 3.5 out of 5. 'Frozen 2' is directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck and stars Idina Menzel as Elsa, Kristen Bell as Anna, Jonathan Groff as Kristoff and Josh Gad as Olaf.