Like it or not, Disney is the undisputed king of feature-length animated movies.  From the classics – Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Cinderella- and the 1990's revitalization– The Little Mermaid and Aladdin - to today's modern movies – Moana and Ralph Breaks the Internet- Disney knows how to make a wonderful children's film with (sometimes) great songs and important life lessons.  In 2013, Disney Animation Studios took us to the country of Arendelle were two sisters, Princesses Elsa (Idina Menzel; Rent) and Anna (Kristen Bell; The Good Place) had to overcome some obstacles to rule over their kingdom in peace and happiness.  Six years later, we revisit the Scandinavian land where a new challenge awaits.

Three years have passed since Else, as the older sister, became the queen of Arendelle. The people are happy and the country prosperous.  Everything seems perfect until Elsa hears a voice calling to her from the direction of the dark forest.  She tries to ignore it but it becomes increasingly persistent, even threatening the well-being of everyone in Arendelle.  Faced with no other choice, Elsa, along with Anna, Kristoff (Jonathan Groff; Hamilton) and Olaf the snowman (Josh Gad; Beauty and the Beast) begins the journey north.

When they reach the edge of the forest, they find a dense fog that is impenetrable to everyone…except for Elsa.  Once inside the forest the group finds they are trapped and discover an indigenous tribe and some older Arendelle soldiers that have been unable to leave the forest for the last 34 years.  Elsa then heads further north to a magical land and discovers not only what happened in the forest 34 years earlier but how she got her magical powers and what really happened to her parents when they were lost at sea six years earlier. What she learns changes her, and her sister Anna's, lives forever.

 All of the vocal talent from the original Frozen movie reprise their roles for this sequel.  Broadway stars Menzel, Groff and Gad are given vehicles to show off their beautiful voices and Bell matched them note for note with her powerful singing.  They are joined a terrific supporting cast including Evan Rachel Wood (Westworld), Jason Ritter (Freddy vs. Jason), Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us), and Alan Tudyk (Firefly).  The chemistry between these actors is tangible even though you are only hearing their voices.

The video and audio of this movie are really a treat.  The animation is incredible.  Probably some of the best I have ever seen.  Details are so sharp that every little snowflake or every vein on the leaves can be clearly viewed.  The orchestration of the original songs by Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Coco) is masterful and could rival almost any classical piece of music.  The songs were obviously created to highlight the level of talent of the actors and they are amazing singing these creations.  Unfortunately, unlike the original movie, the songs are not memorable and are not "sing-a-long" like Do You Want to Build a Snowman or Let It Go Clearly are.  There is even a cheesy ‘80's rock ballad in the mix that should have been left on the cutting room floor.

This time around the story is more cohesive than the original film.  Frozen seemed to me like a couple of different storylines loosely intertwined while Frozen II is much more consistent with all the characters pretty much on the same path.  Olaf is once again adorable and it was great watching him be merry.  The story puts to rest some unanswered questions from the first Frozen that oddly makes sense (in a magical sort of way).  If only the songs had been better…

Grade: B