'Dive down deep into her sound, but not too deep or you'll be drowned,' the Queen sings. The girls learn from their mother's lullaby that the river may hold some answers about what happened. Ever since, the enchanted forest has been barricaded by a powerful mist. The king was killed, and only the young prince survived, rescued by a mysterious character.

The king tells them a bedtime story from his own childhood about visiting an enchanted forest with his father to celebrate the completion of a dam the Arendellians built to help the indigenous people. In a charming flashback, we see the princesses as little girls, playing together happily and being put to bed by loving parents. Characters confront some of the most daunting human questions about loss, change, trust and how we can best heal the wounds of the past.

We learn family secrets, some comforting, some painful. The settings are gorgeously imagined and wonderfully inviting. It throws a lot at us, like rock monsters, a cute fire salamander, and a magnificent water horse (the latter two likely to appear on holiday gift wish lists). This sequel can seem overstuffed at times, and tries a bit too hard to replicate the magic of the first film, but it is impressively willing to engage with some complicated issues in a frank manner that is accessible to children and insightful even for adults. Plus an extra scene ALL the way at the end of the credits. It has great songs and a hilarious recap of the first movie, and then it is all of that all over again.

'Frozen II' is funny, exciting, sad, romantic, and silly.

Frozen II for iphone download