I LOVED the movie. I knew based on impressions from people in the media whose opinions aligned with mine that I would like it more than the first, but it really is better in so many ways imo. It was funnier, had songs as great as the first (with Show Yourself and Into the Unknown being my two favorite out of both movies), advanced the lore of the world, had some great callbacks and heavy tension, and a lot more.
My main criticism would be the fact that a lot of characters have little to no impact. This really felt like a movie about Elsa and Anna and not much of anyone else. Fitting considering the core values of the film, but ultimately it is weaker compared to the first movie in this regard. This was especially apparent with the new characters. I don't think they even called Bruni by name in the movie, and Honeymaren/Ryder were nigh nonexistent. The ending also felt slightly anticlimactic and abrupt in a lot of ways, but overall I still find it to be a great movie.
Can't wait to rewatch it for a second, third, and fourth time lol
As my younger brother put it, "Frozen II has the realest villain ever...the past."
This is a good point. A criticism I've seen used against the movie is the lack of the villain, but a villain couldn't be more clear. It's a story presented initially as man versus nature, but ultimately it's the past misdoings that are the cause of the discourse throughout the movie. And a core value of the movie is reconciling with the past in order to move towards the future. Lot of good messages to dissect there.