Disclaimer: This review contains major spoilers for Frozen II! You have been warned!

In November 2013, Frozen released, changing the world of Disney and perhaps the world as a whole, forever. The movie blew away viewers, earning $1.3 billion worldwide. Not long after, it became a wildly popular show on Broadway and, still today, its merchandise fills stores. 

If you say Frozen, chances are people will know what you are talking about, and they may even be able to recite some lyrics from the movie as well.

After six years of build up and anticipation, Frozen fans were beyond excited to watch Frozen II, which released Nov. 22. 

The sequel starts out in a flashback to Anna and Elsa’s childhood, similar to how Frozen started. Their mother Queen Iduna, who plays a larger role in this movie than the original, sings them a lullaby called “All is Found” that foreshadows the plot of the movie, describing “a secret river” that holds “the answers.” 

Flash forward to present day, and Anna and Elsa are just how we last saw them in Frozen, only a little older and more mature. I love how Anna and Olaf start the movie on a joyful note by singing “Some Things Never Change”, giving the audience a chance to refamiliarize themselves with their favorite characters. Olaf’s jokes are just as funny as they were in the first movie, especially in his comedic solo, “When I Am Older.”

When Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf are playing charades the audience is able to get the feeling of meeting up with old friends, telling inside jokes about Prince Hans and laughing together. 

The animation and graphic quality of Frozen II is much more advanced than that of Frozen. The characters and settings are much more detailed and realistic, giving an opportunity for a more meaningful and seamless connection to viewers. 

After the singing voice of a siren (mythical creature) calls out to her, Elsa wonders if being the Queen of Arendelle is what she is meant to be forever or if there is more in the world to discover. Her conflict is touching and relatable, especially when she emotionally sings “Show Yourself” while remembering her mother. 

“Show Yourself” contains incredibly stunning graphic effects while Elsa travels deep into a mysterious river, and the song is moving and powerful. This was the part of the movie where I cried, especially when Elsa started getting teary eyed herself. 

In contrast from lyrics such as “the past is in the past” and “you’ll never see me cry” in “Let it Go”, Elsa remembers and embraces the past in Frozen II. She faces all of her memories, the good and the bad, and lets herself cry about her lost parents and all that she has been through. 

Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf all end up in a forest where the Northuldra tribe lives; it was enemies with the Kingdom of Arendelle. Some of the people of the tribe, Honeymaren, Ryder and King Mattias, bond with the main characters. The creators of Frozen II abruptly introduced new characters, but they did not outshine or have more screen time than any of the original ones. 

Throughout the movie, Kristoff plans a marriage proposal to Anna, but struggles because Anna is more concerned with keeping Elsa safe. I enjoyed seeing a new side of Anna’s personality. She is less concerned with romantic love because her mind is occupied with her sister. Elsa is the only family she has left, and she does not want to lose her. 

Suddenly, Elsa freezes into an ice statue and her powers are gone so, in effect, Olaf vanishes into thin air. This added an extremely dramatic and pivotal moment to the movie, but it was somewhat confusing to have two main characters “die” and then come back to life, only shortly later. 

Anna is shattered when Elsa goes off behind her back to find the voice of the siren, traveling deep into the river. She cries while singing a quiet and solemn song called “The Next Right Thing.” I was surprised to hear Anna sing this song because of how much it contrasts with her songs in the original movie; it is a sad song, but I like how it shows even the happiest people can feel so absolutely defeated sometimes.

After the people of the Northuldra tribe and the Kingdom of Arendelle mend their relationship, it is revealed Queen Iduna was part of the Northuldra tribe and saved Anna and Elsa’s father before they got married. This gives a greatly unexpected plot twist to the movie that catches the audience off guard at the perfect time. 

After Anna destroys the dam that had separated the Northudtra tribe and Arendelle, Elsa and Olaf come back to life, but the conclusion of Frozen II does not leave all viewers satisfied. Anna becomes the new Queen of Arendelle while Elsa chooses to stay with the Northuldra people and becomes their Queen. Some viewers question why Elsa and Anna are separated in the end. I would’ve prefered an ending where Anna and Elsa invited the Northudra people into the Kingdom of Arendelle or to combine the two worlds completely. 

Nevertheless, Frozen II is a spectacular movie and better than Frozen because of its heightened quality and the emotional journey that you go through with each character you are already familiar with. Everyone is likely to find the inner conflicts of at least one character relatable. Frozen II is unquestionably worth watching, and you will definitely not be let down.