'Frozen II' Review

Nominated For: Best Original Song "Into The Unknown" (written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez).

Synopsis: 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.

Runtime: 103 minutes

MPAA Rating: PG (for action/peril and some thematic elements)

Who should see it? Fans of Disney and Frozen.

Returning to the helm of Walt Disney Animation's frostiest franchise, Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck co-direct Frozen II, which features a screenplay by Lee and story from Lee, Buck, songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and Marc Smith. Following up the second most successful animated film of all time is a daunting proposition, but Lee and Buck seem to face the challenge earnestly. While I don't think the narrative reached its full potential, I commend the filmmakers for charting a new course rather than retreading what came before. With that being said, Frozen II totally feels like one of Disney's direct-to-video sequel releases. The animation and music are up to snuff, but the story's severely lacking... Which is more-or-less how I felt about the original. This is probably a very unpopular opinion of mine, but these two films are, without a doubt, the weakest films from Walt Disney's animation division this decade.

None of this is to say I "hate" either because that couldn't be further from the truth. I've just never been entirely on board the Frozen hype train and think that's important for understanding my perspective. I appreciate musicals, and really enjoy most of the songs by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, but I also value quality storytelling. I just happen to think neither film shines in that regard. Thematically, they offer well-intentioned messages about sisterly love and being yourself, among other things. However, these ideas aren't explored as extensively as they could be.

My patience was also worn by constant callbacks to the original, which stall the story. These longwinded jokes are made at the expense of the film's pacing, which fluctuates between hurried and glacial. A group of new characters found in the enchanted forest may as well be a bunch of cardboard cutouts seeing as they have no discernible characteristics, existing solely to prop up the core messaging. The supporting characters carried over from the first film are also dead weight with stale subplots. Meanwhile, the ending is void of any meaningful stakes and consequences.

On the other end of the icicle, Frozen II features a few power ballads of the same caliber as "Let It Go," which are "Into The Unknown," "Show Yourself," and "Lost In The Woods." Across the board, the soundtrack is pretty strong, though not quite as memorable as its predecessor. It's worth noting that a few outtakes are included on the soundtrack that I thought were better than songs that actually made it into the final cut. The animation also features a more diverse array of colors and locations as an autumn aesthetic overtakes this sequel. Lee and Buck offer glimpses of an epic fantasy adventure with a grander scope and scale than the original but hesitate to commit to a much more enticing alternative. It probably won't surprise anyone for me to say this, but every sequence where Elsa finds herself alone is stunning, and Idina Menzel's mezzo-soprano belting is heavenly. Even more of that in the inevitable third installment, please.

Reprising their widely beloved roles, Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff, and Josh Gad lend solid vocal performances. Menzel and Groff are the standout singers of the bunch, but Kristen Bell isn't too far behind. However, Josh Gad's Olaf grated on my nerves. Your tolerance of the snowman sidekick may vary depending on how you felt about him previously. Otherwise, Sterling K. Brown and Evan Rachel Wood are noteworthy additions to the cast. Though I wish Sterling K. Brown had a more substantial role since I know what he's capable of bringing to the material.

Like most sequels, it's clear Frozen II had lofty aspirations to expand on everything that initially captivated audiences. Though the animation and select songs measure up to that ambition, Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck struggle to sustain an ascent. Despite leaving largely unimpressed, I think the narrative potential for this franchise hasn't frozen over yet. 

Film Assessment: B-

'The Predator' Review

When a young boy accidentally triggers the universe's most lethal hunters' return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled science teacher can prevent the end of the human race.

Directed by Shane Black, The Predator features a screenplay co-written by Black and Fred Dekker and is the latest addition to the Predator franchise. As a fan of Black's work and someone intrigued by the potential of its star-studded ensemble cast, The Predator peaked my interest after its announcement. However, my interest waned as reports surfaced that the film would be undergoing extensive reshoots after poor test screenings and the high-profile blockbuster became surrounded by a troubling controversy regarding an actual sexual predator weeks before its release. For all intensive purposes, this behind-the-scenes drama didn't significantly color my perception of the film itself. 20th Century Fox removed the scene in question from the finished film where Olivia Munn unknowingly acted opposite a sex offender whom Black had cast in a number of his movies as a friend of his. However, the reshoots were relatively noticeable, my heart aches for everything Munn went through, and I've lost plenty of respect for Shane Black.

Controversies aside, I had a blast watching The Predator! Black's latest project is flawed for sure, but it's a fun blockbuster nevertheless. While there are structural problems, the dialogue is sharp, witty, and the whole affair is an amusing throwback to cheesy '80s action. Black's twisted sense of humor has already likely offended several audience members, but his quips land regardless of poor taste. Otherwise, the action sequences are entertaining, but nothing special. They're riddled with excessive jump-cuts and often set in dark environments which made it difficult to keep track of character deaths and the flow of the fight. The action does deliver lots of gruesome violence though. A reliable indicator of whether you should see The Predator or not is if you think you can handle Black's dark humor coupled with instances of brutal action. I didn't find any of the humor to be offensive since the one-liners were in jest, but I'm emphasizing it as a make-it-or-break-it dilemma because you all know how people are nowadays...

My primary concern was that it went on for too long and the third act regressed into a series of generic sci-fi action tropes. At that point, you could tell studio-meddling completely interfered with Black's creative vision. Also, the ending stood out as really stupid sequel bait, and the CGI was somewhat inconsistent but looked reasonably good for the most part. Another weird thing I noticed is that Henry Jackman's score only has three tracks on it, totaling for four minutes and fifty-six seconds. The score didn't stick with me, and this must have been part of the reason why. 

The Predator's main draw is undoubtedly its cast, and they certainly did not disappoint. Boyd Holbrook, Olivia Munn, Jacob Tremblay, Trevante Rhodes, and Keegan-Michael Key have a charismatic comradery while Sterling K. Brown was a definite stand-out, showcasing some hammy acting chops whenever he entered the picture. Though much of the ensemble is underwritten, the actors compensate with a delightful screen presence. 

The Predator shows signs of a troubled project riddled with studio interference but manages to be entertaining enough so that its shortcomings are ultimately insubstantial. You can probably wait till The Predator's available to stream before you hunt it down, but the famed franchise extra-terrestrial has still got its edge after thirty-one years. 

Film Assessment: B-