Visuals, songs, jokes, character interactions. All top notch.
The plot has structural issues, for sure. There's only two real acts. Elsa doesn't have to do anything to calm the Earth spirits, which sort of implies that she didn't need to calm any of them at all. If you run the plot back, it's about a spirit calling Elsa to come watch a security tape of a murder, then tell people about it. That doesn't ultimately provide enough of a spine for the movie to build around. I think a true villain could have helped with the structure. There's all this build-up in both Frozen movies about how magic is something to be cautious around, but in this one, Elsa's never really punished for leaning in so hard on trusting spirits and magic. And that hurts Anna's character, who I feel has valid concerns to voice. And the movie even agrees! But honestly, it doesn't really
show that. Every time Anna gets ditched by Elsa, I fail to see what Anna could've done to help anyway. Like Elsa getting across the sea; how does Anna contribute to that? How did she contribute to calming the fire spirit? Etc...
Overall though, not bad. (I voted that it was okay)
The thing about Arendelle not being destroyed is it works within the movie's plot as a metaphor for reparations. The movie's message is that you aren't responsible for the sins of your forefathers, but you do have a responsibility to make it right. Privileged people are terrified that making reparations for the past means their own quality of life will somehow suffer or be destroyed in favor of the minority; that an egalitarian society is a zero-sum game where the minority's gain can only come at the majority's expense.
It's important to note Arendelle is not a "colonizer" of the Northuldra -- they didn't seize their lands, Arendelle wasn't built on their property, etc. In the flashbacks it is made clear that Arendelle and the Northuldra were essentially equally matched forces and that's why Runeard had to employ deception to try and destroy them. If Arendelle was more of an overt white colonizing oppressor then we could probably have a conversation about whether the kingdom needed to be destroyed or handed over to the Northuldra, but that's not actually the case.
My issue with this in the film is that Arendelle makes no reparations. From the perspective of people that live there, one day, the weather went totally batshit for a few days. Real End of Days stuff. And then a tidal wave almost sunk the city, but Elsa did magic and stopped it. And they go back to how things were like three days before.
Ultimately that gets at my biggest issue with this movie, which is the lack of purpose. Conveniently, the thing Elsa sets out to do for Arendelle (fix the weather again, essentially) lines up
exactly with what the Northundrian people need. So there's no balancing act, or conversation between groups. Sure, they're grumpy at each other when we're introduced to them, but Elsa quickly explains "Spirits mad, I'll make them not mad. Cool?" and they're all down with that.
On the negative side, the songs weren't as memorable... and I take issue with the white savior / Last of the Mohican shit they pulled with the ending by having Elsa abdicate the throne to live amongst the natives. On top of being socially reprehensible, it just didn't make sense for Elsa to do this. It was an unbelievable decision.
Well, Elsa wouldn't be entirely white (which yes, is a strange thing to say just looking at her). It's often a thing in fiction for a character to find their inner Native and strap a whole culture on their back (see: Sherman Alexie's
How to Tell the Great American Indian Novel), but in this case, Elsa is straight-up half Northuldrian. She goes back because she's the magical daughter, and therefore has more of a connection to her mom than her dad, at least in who she belongs with.
I had several issues with the movie, but this one worked out fine I think.
