Frozen II Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Frozen II Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman February 17, 2020

When Frozen launched in 2013 and became a worldwide frenzy, a merchandise moving behemoth and a staple of family rooms the world over, it was only inevitable that a sequel would emerge: that's just too much popularity and too much staying power -- and too much money -- to ignore. Perhaps the real surprise though, was how long it took Disney to bring the second film to the market. There have been some short film interludes along the way (Olaf's Frozen Adventure, Frozen Fever) but Disney chose to not rush the process, perhaps allowing the anticipation to grow, waiting for just the right time to strike at, maybe, that magical economic intersection of audience demand and global interest that has fallen from frenzied yet remained high enough to hold relevancy. Or, maybe, it was just a matter of finding the right script. Whatever the case may be, Frozen II doesn't live up to the original, even with all this time to polish the plot and get a grip on what fans want from the franchise. This is a solid film but it feels a little disappointing in its sum, lacking the vision, rhythm, heart, and approachability that made the first a massive success.

As girls, Anna (voiced by Hadley Gannaway and Livvy Stubenrauch) and Elsa (voiced by Mattea Conforti and Eva Bella) were told the tale of the Enchanted Forrest, wherein occurred a great battle between the kingdoms of Arendelle and Northuldra that killed their grandfather and angered the great spirits - - Earth, Fire, Air, and Water -- who consequently covered the land in mist and held the combatants inside. Only the girls’ father, Agnarr (voiced by Alfred Molina), escapes with the help of an unseen but beautifully vocal ally. Years later, Queen Elsa (voiced by Idina Menzel) hears the same call, drawing her to the supposedly mythic forrest that she and her adventurous friends and family -- Sister Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell), Anna’s boyfriend Kristoff (voiced by Jonathan Groff), Kristoff's reindeer Sven, and snowman Olaf (voiced by Josh Gad) -- discover to be a very real boundary. The mist rejects an approaching Kristoff and Olaf but opens to Elsa’s touch. The five enter the mist and are quickly pulled through to the other side where they meet what remains of the long entrapped warring factions, including one of Arendelle’s most storied warriors, Mattias (voiced by Sterling K. Brown). As the truth about the mist, the war, and the world comes into focus, Anna and Elsa are tested, physically and emotionally, like never before in a land shrouded in darkness, mystery, and an unthinkable reality.

Like its predecessor, a story of family and discovery through the prism of a mysterious past, Frozen II is also a film about family and discovery through the prism of a mysterious past. But rather than learn about one another, Anna and Elsa learn about the world in which they live and their family's, and their home's, place in it. And what they learn is not always good. The film explores dark themes and without hesitation takes its characters on a perilous journey that is more dangerous to their souls than it necessarily is to their bodies. It's not particularly compelling, but it's not particularly criticizable, either. It's dark and safe at the same time, dark for its foreboding locations and unsettling revelations, safe for not pushing harder than it does and not branching out quite so widely as one might have expected, or even reaching with more tenacity. It's a difficult film to critique. It does its thing very well, but because it's not a tonal clone of the original some might find it more off-putting. It's certainly less catchy, narratively and musically, but the filmmakers had little choice but to build rather than recycle. It's a fine complimentary film, just not the end-all, be-all like the first.

The movie proves to be as technically capable as one would expect. The voicing and animation work are terrific, and the filmmakers push the technology and rearrange the setting just enough to heighten the visual awareness while staying true to the Frozen world and established landscape details. Less, well, frozen and more organically structured, the film removes the characters from the endless wintery ice and snow and cool blues and silvers and whites so prevalent in the first film, replaced here with a wider array of diverse natural tones that still hold a selection of familiar Frozen colors that greatly expand with the adventure taking place in a world that blends misty mystery with natural splashes of fall foliage. Unfortunately none of the new characters are particularly interesting, but in terms of both digital design and vocal life-giving each of the newcomers fit into the world as effortlessly as they should.

Frozen II Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Frozen II's Blu-ray transfer barely needs a review. There's not a digital misstep to be found. No compression issues, no source wonkiness, nothing. It's clear as a bell and detailed to 1080p perfection. The image is sparkling and clear, robust throughout whether in character close-up or in broad vistas around the lands. The image holds true even in the most challenging shots and scenarios, such as the dense mist that separates the larger world from the confined space within; there's no banding, no issues with density...it's perfect. Viewers will appreciate the fine natural details around the world, particularly the beautiful woodland locales, while character faces come alive to reveal every freckle with striking command. Colors are bold and healthy; the film's most resplendent tones appear a bit later on, a barrage of fall foliage that leaps off the screen with breathtaking tonal depth and clarity. Every color is just as abundantly rich and firm, but those leaves take top prize. Black levels are superb in low light scenes, too. This one's a winner, as expected.

Frozen II Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Frozen II's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack struggles with low end extension but is otherwise in good working order. At reference volume there's not a significant feel of audio shallowness or general low volume; there never seemed to be a need to adjust the volume knob. The track does want for more authoritative bass. Some of the would-be more engaging bottom end sounds -- a tornado lumbering through the stage in chapter eight or a giant's footfalls slamming to the ground in chapter 11 -- could stand to engage the subwoofer with a substantial add in force. There's enough punch to satisfy baseline requirements but nothing more. The aforementioned tornadic activity does benefit from plenty of surround integration to at least draw the listener into the chaos, even if the effect lacks the substantiality it deserves. Indeed, the track is never wanting for surround information for the duration. Whether lively location details, chaotic action, music, or a combination of two or more of those elements, the track offers plenty of immersion to draw the listener into Arendelle and the world beyond. Such activity comes seamlessly and with impeccable clarity. Dialogue is carried to perfection. It's center focused, well prioritized, and detailed with lifelike accuracy.

Frozen II Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Frozen II includes featurettes, deleted scenes, outtakes, music videos, and more. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere digital copy code are included with purchase. This release ships with an embossed slipcover.

• Sing Along with the Movie: As the film plays, song lyrics appear on-screen, karaoke style. This feature is available under the "Play" menu screen option.
• Outtakes (1080p, 2:26): Humorous moments from the voice recording sessions.
• Did You Know??? (1080p, 4:27): Fun facts about, and hidden secrets found in, the film.
• The Spirits of Frozen 2 (1080p, 12:02): A look at the well researched spirits -- Air, Earth, Fire, and Water -- that appear in the film.
• Scoring a Sequel (1080p, 3:49): Inside the recording studio with Composer Christophe Beck, who discusses musical themes and merging song and score.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 17:58): Director Chris Buck and Writer/Director Jennifer Lee introduce. Included are Prologue, Secret Room, Elsa's Dream, Hard Nokk's, and A Place of Our Own. Scenes are presented in early conceptual stages.
• Deleted Songs (1080p): Included are "Home" (4:22) and "I Wanna Get This Right" (6:24). Once again, Buck and Lee introduce and the scenes are presented in early conceptual stages.
• Gale Tests (1080p): Exploring the process of constructing an "invisible" character. Included are Gale Test (3:01), essentially a finished animated shot, and Hand Drawn Gale Test (0:55), an early animated concept. Buck and Lee introduce.
• "Into the Unknown" in 29 Languages (1080p, 3:07): The song transitions from language to language, seamlessly.
• Music Videos (1080p): Included are "Into the Unknown" (Panic! At the Disco Version) (3:16) and "Lost in the Woods" (Weezer Version) (3:06).
• Song Selection (1080p): Instantly jump to any of the film's songs with karaoke-style lyrics. Included are "All Is Found" (1:55), "Some Things Never Change" (3:39), "All is Found Reprise" (0:26), "Into the Unknown" (3:14), "When I Am Older" (1:51), "Lost in the Woods" (3:01), "Show Yourself" (4:18), and "The Next Right Thing" (3:31).

Frozen II Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Frozen II had a lot to live up to and probably too many expectations to reasonably meet. The film builds on the characters and the world, not the story, explored in the original. It's desperate to find its own identity while holding tight to the core successes that made the original a timeless hit. It does those things well enough, but not with the skill and finesse expected of it. Frozen II was never going to please everyone, and only a few will likely find it superior to the instant classic original. Praise the film for not simply regurgitating the original, even while holding tight to similar themes of discovery, but there's a fairly drastic shift in tone, too, all told failing to put together wonder, spirit, story, humor, and heart with the same expert precision as its predecessor. Disney's Blu-ray is rather strong. Video is excellent, audio could be a little better, and the supplemental content is fine but hardly exhaustive. Recommended.