《冰雪奇缘2》

“Frozen II” has everything you would expect — catchy new songs, more time with easy-to-like characters, striking backdrops, cute little jokes, a voyage-of-discovery plot and female empowerment galore* — except the unexpected.

As in the first film six years ago (but just three years later in terms of the story), Queen Elsa (Idina Menzel) is still trying to understand her abilities and heritage. It’s her present preoccupation* to explore and master them, to harness* the power of nature.

During the domestic first act set at the castle, Elsa and her chatty* younger sister Anna (Kristen Bell) sing quite a few catchy songs.

Before long, however, a devastating* storm serves to get everyone out of the house and a few into an enchanted* forest, from which Elsa feels like she’s “being called.” But while the troops gather to figure out what to do, some of the same crew from the previous film are given a few moments apiece to reintroduce themselves with their basic shtick*, most notably including comic relief snowman Olaf (Josh Gad), who can be amusing in small doses, and Anna’s beau Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), who, sadly, has become no brighter.

To this point, Elsa’s almost mystical belief in a strange and unknown destiny begins refocusing the narrative once she sets out on her quest of self-discovery; she becomes a brooding* woman of “dark powers” believing that “the truth must be found,” whatever it may be.

The film at this point could have easily become a tale of a serious journey, with awful weather and dangerous creatures (some enormous rocks that become hulking giants that shake the earth when they walk).

But that’s a different movie. The journey we get is an equivocation*, one that seems momentarily tempted by destinations perhaps not on the map but travels on another much safer road.

So while it flirts with the dark side, where the movie actually goes are the destinations of colorful and undisturbing sensation and constantly reassuring humor.

Elsa is no doubt a serious role model/inspiration for girls and young women, a resilient* nothing-can-stop-me character able to overcome any challenge in her path. (SD-Agencies)