Grade: A… Frozen II reunites Frozen fans with their friends from Arendelle and takes them on a journey in an enchanted forest.

There is no denying that Disney’s 2013 Frozen was nothing short of a phenomenon. Every kid could not stop talking about Disney’s latest animated movie. Frozen was a big deal. Even toy sales skyrocketed because of the craze. Parents did whatever they could to have an Elsa doll underneath the Christmas tree that year. Little girls would delight in their new heroines, Elsa and Anna. The Frozen merchandise was even “hot” long after the frantic Christmas season. Six years later, it seems that not much has changed.

Frozen II was released and it was still a hot ticket to get. I grabbed my ticket weeks ago for the nearly sold out show. Elsa and Anna are still icons to little girls. Many of the kids in attendance even dressed up as their favorite character from the movie. Adults got in on the fun too! I saw several adults dress up as Olaf and even Kristoff.

There was definitely a buzz in the theater before the movie started. That buzz was sent into the stratosphere when Josh Gad (who voices Olaf) surprised everyone in the house with an introduction of the movie in person! Using the Olaf voice, he exclaimed how excited he was for us to see Frozen II and how badly he wanted to give everyone in attendance a warm hug! Gad did end up hugging a girl dressed up as Elsa and it was adorable! Surely, a memory I will never forget.

While the first Frozen movie took place mainly in Arendelle, Frozen II mainly takes place in an enchanted forest near Arendelle. Without giving away too much of the plot, Elsa hears a siren call and it ends up sending her on a journey to find out the origin of her powers. Of course, there is something dark within her family history that threatens Arendelle and she must put a stop to a sinister secret.

One of 2013’s Frozen’s strongest assets was the incredible music. How many times did you hear Idina Menzel’s smash hit “Let It Go” on repeat with your kid singing along? While Frozen II does have great music in it, none of it is as memorable as “Let It Go.” Disney kinda set the bar a bit too high for themselves back in 2013. There are a few power ballads in Frozen II, but nothing iconic. Kristoff has a song in Frozen II that reminded me of REO Speedwagon’s hit “I Can’t Fight This Feeling Anymore.” It even had an 80’s cheesy music video vibe to it. It was funny and entertaining!

Although Frozen II’s music is a tad bit weaker than its predecessor, it makes up for it in storytelling and beautiful animation. Disney really knows how to tell a story and keep you hooked. The hour and forty-three minute runtime feels rather quick because the story is engaging. A bit of a fair warning though, Frozen II is a tad bit darker than the original Frozen.

Some of the dark imagery might scare real youngsters in the audience. When the dark stuff appears on screen, the filmmakers did a great job of quickly getting the funny in with Olaf and sometimes Kristoff. Be prepared for a good dosage of Olaf in this installment. He steals the show with laughs and that is a wonderful thing!

It was great to have all of the original Frozen cast back again. Kristen Bell (voices Anna), Idina Menzel (voices Elsa), and Josh Gad (voices Olaf) all felt at home in their respective roles and you could tell they had a blast making the movie. Even though six years have passed from the first movie, it felt as if no time passed.

I saw Frozen II on a beautiful crystal clear Dolby Cinema screen and the animation paired nicely with awesome sound. The sound really shines when Menzel gets to show off her pipes in the ballads. She is truly an incredible talent with a powerful voice.

All in all, Frozen II is a no brainer. If you’re a fan of the first movie (who isn’t?), you’ll love Frozen II just as much. It is definitely worth your time. So, bundle up and wrangle up your kids (and their friends) and take them to see the newest and coolest animated movie of the holiday season!