Warning: contains some mild spoilers.

If you loved the charm and heart of the first “Frozen” movie, you may be a bit disappointed by the second. The original movie was good as a stand-alone, but with the enormous profit made off the franchise a sequel was unavoidable. 

None of the new songs lived up to the catchy, memorable tunes of the first movie. Hearing the music start, I would lean forward in my chair, hoping it would be the new “Let It Go” or “Love is an Open Door” and each time I would sit back disappointed by the end of it. The original songs were charming and almost impossible to get out of your head. “Frozen 2” lacks this. There also seemed to be twice the number of songs crammed into the same time frame, which really detracted from their individual quality.

Kristoff–unless you count his singing ventriloquist act with Sven–never got a solo song in the first movie. In “Frozen 2” he sings a love ballad after Anna leaves him about a third through their quest. This song in particular stood out since it did not fit in with the rest of the movie. While clearly sung with lots of emotion, the whole thing seemed like a cheesy 80s music video and was more than a bit difficult to take seriously.

Now for another much-loved character: Olaf. His main job is to bring comedic relief to younger viewers, and he does it well. Or at least he did up until his second tragic and thankfully temporary death. Judging solely by loud sobbing and sniffling, this scene may have scarred some young children. I thought the whole scene was very dramatic and a bit intense. And while it did eventually motivate Anna to keep going, it seemed rather unnecessary for the plot.

Still, there were many aspects of “Frozen 2” that were positive. Let’s start with Elsa, the beloved ice queen herself. Elsa’s love for her sister and the people of Arendelle along with her willingness to sacrifice herself to keep them safe makes her a favorite character. When it is her turn to stand in the spotlight and sing, it is impossible to be anything but impressed by Idina Menzel’s powerful voice.

Unlike other Disney princess movies, “Frozen 2” has no villain; the whole thing is more of a mystery. Many viewers loved Hans when they did not see his betrayal coming and might be disappointed that there is no villain like him in this movie. Still, I found the plot new and refreshing after so many of the same bad guy versus good guy routines often used by Disney.

Once again, there were some powerful messages for children. The franchise emphasized sisterhood, love, compassion and acceptance–all important qualities to instill in young kids. Elsa and Anna always do their best to do the right thing for everyone, even if the choice is hard to make. They also never shy away from difficult topics.

Because of this I would give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.