The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Feb. 25, unless otherwise noted: By Bob Bloom Frozen II (Blu-ray + DVD + digital) Details: 2019, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Rated: PG, action, danger and thematic elements The lowdown: “Frozen II” is simply OK. Fairly or unfairly, Disney’s animated features seem to be held to a higher standard than most films and “simply OK” is not good enough for a sequel to a movie that earned more than $400 million and received a 90 percent “fresh” rating on the Rotten Tomatoes film site. “Frozen II” will satisfy youngsters; it’s funny, colorful and exciting. It merely is unable to reach the heights of its predecessor. It seems content to just ride on the memories of the 2013 film instead of creating an identity of its own. True, it’s an entirely new story, but the feel — its vibe — is very familiar. Worse, the characters — the magical Elsa, her sister, Anna, the handsome Kristoff, the little snowman, Olaf and even Sven the reindeer — appear shackled to their earlier characterizations. “Frozen II” also looks back instead of forward. The bulk of the story centers on family secrets and righting past wrongs. On the positive side, the film promotes lessons in tolerance, inclusiveness and trust. And they are offered in such a manner that even little children can appreciate them. At 103 minutes, “Frozen II” maintains a decent pace with very few lulls. It’s just that the plot is rather lazy and predictable — adults will be one or two steps ahead of the characters for most of the film. It feels as if minimal effort was put into creating something new and special — that the studio was counting on the title alone to entice moviegoers. The movie did earn a respectable 77 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com.
New to View: Feb. 25
New to View: Feb. 25
New to View: Feb. 25
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Feb. 25, unless otherwise noted: By Bob Bloom Frozen II (Blu-ray + DVD + digital) Details: 2019, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Rated: PG, action, danger and thematic elements The lowdown: “Frozen II” is simply OK. Fairly or unfairly, Disney’s animated features seem to be held to a higher standard than most films and “simply OK” is not good enough for a sequel to a movie that earned more than $400 million and received a 90 percent “fresh” rating on the Rotten Tomatoes film site. “Frozen II” will satisfy youngsters; it’s funny, colorful and exciting. It merely is unable to reach the heights of its predecessor. It seems content to just ride on the memories of the 2013 film instead of creating an identity of its own. True, it’s an entirely new story, but the feel — its vibe — is very familiar. Worse, the characters — the magical Elsa, her sister, Anna, the handsome Kristoff, the little snowman, Olaf and even Sven the reindeer — appear shackled to their earlier characterizations. “Frozen II” also looks back instead of forward. The bulk of the story centers on family secrets and righting past wrongs. On the positive side, the film promotes lessons in tolerance, inclusiveness and trust. And they are offered in such a manner that even little children can appreciate them. At 103 minutes, “Frozen II” maintains a decent pace with very few lulls. It’s just that the plot is rather lazy and predictable — adults will be one or two steps ahead of the characters for most of the film. It feels as if minimal effort was put into creating something new and special — that the studio was counting on the title alone to entice moviegoers. The movie did earn a respectable 77 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com.