FROZEN II – A Blu-ray/DVD and Digital HD Review by John Strange
In 2013, Elsa and Anna came into our lives via the big screen in Frozen. Once again the kingdom is in danger and the sisters, Queen Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Princess Anna (Kristen Bell) must once again save the day aided by Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), Olaf (Josh Gad), and Sven.
The danger to the kingdom is severe. And saving the kingdom involves solving a mystery older than the girls. Why is the forest closed off from the world? What does it have to do with the girls? The story unfolds around the Elsa as she follows a mysterious voice to learn about her destiny and make things right in the world again.
The forces of nature are at the forefront of this story, written into the story in the form of the spirits of earth, wind, fire, and water. As cool as the earth giants are, fire is the clear winner of the hearts of every little girl out there. I know this because I recently assisted a local municipality with their Daddy Daughter Dance where I saw “Sally” everywhere. That little salamander is just so cute and adorable.
I loved the way they blended those spirits into the story, enhancing the lives of Elsa and Anna. This film has more action than I expected but all of the heart I have come to expect from a story coming out of this studio.
That story, as expected in Disney’s animated films, is rich and filled with amazing music and songs. Robert and Kristen Anderson-Lopez have given us songs that have grabbed the minds and hearts of young girls everywhere. “Into the Unknown” will have any of you singing along in no time at all, just like it did me. Christophe Beck is back as well and his musical score is outstanding.
The first film was wonderful but what I really like is that this time we get the girl’s backstory. It gives the movie that extra something that all of the true greats have. Plus, the filmmakers have given us a set of extras that rival any group I have reviewed in a long time.
This film, being a musical at its heart, we get an amazing selection of songs including two music videos, one by Weezer (“Lost in the Woods”) and one by Panic At The Disco (“Into the Unknown”). We also get to meet the Lopezes and Mr. Beck as they tell us how they came up with all of this delicious music. And if that’s not enough, you get a sing-along version of the film in every delivery format.
We also meet and learn a little about the directors, Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee. Their intros to the deleted scenes are excellent. Added to this are the information on deleted songs and how they tested “Gale”.
“Did You Know???” continues the insightful journey behind the scenes, giving us still more information about the story. So does “The Spirits of Frozen 2”. Even the “Outtakes” featurette is a good watch (which sadly doesn’t happen nearly often enough).
The cherry the filmmakers have sweetly placed on top of this wonderfully delicious treat is the short, The Feast (available via the Vudu digital version). As the owner of rescue dogs, this one really grabbed me, gracing us with all the charm and warmth that a puppy can bring to a family.
If you are one of the three people in this country with children who have not seen this film, this is a MUST SEE for your family. If you and your kids (or any of your single folks, too) HAVE seen the film, I know you loved it and will want this one in your home collection to watch again and again. What can I say, this one is a solid 5 Stars in anyone’s book.
Directed By:
- Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
Cast:
- Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff, Sterling K. Brown, Evan Rachel Wood, Alfred Molina, Martha Plimpton, Jason Ritter, Rachel Matthews, Jeremy Sisto, Ciarán Hinds, Alan Tudyk, Hadley Gannaway, Mattea Conforti
Extras:
Digital (Movies Anywhere) (207 Minutes)
- The Earth Spirits
- Sing-Along to the Movie
- Digital Exclusives:
- Meet the Lopezes
- Deleted Song “Unmeltable Me”
- Outtakes
- The Spirits of Frozen 2
- Did You Know???
- Scoring a Sequel
- “Into the Unknown” in 29 Languages
- Intro by Directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck
- 5 Deleted Scenes
- Prologue
- Secret Room
- Elsa’s Dream
- Hard Nokk’s
- A Place of Our Own
- 2 Deleted Songs
- “Home”
- “I Wanna Get This Right”
- Gale Test
- Hand-Drawn Gale Test
- Music Videos
- “Into the Unknown”
- “Lost in the Woods”
- Song Selection
- “All is Found”
- “Some Things Never Change”
- “All Is Found” (Reprise)
- “Into the Unknown”
- “When I Am Older”
- “Lost in the Woods”
- “Show Yourself”
- “The Next Right Thing
Digital (Vudu) (213 Minutes)
- The Feast – Short Film
- New to Frozen 2
- Deleted Scenes
- Deleted Songs
- Meet the Lopezes
- The Spirits of Frozen 2
- Did You Know???
- Scoring a Sequel
- Multi-Language Reel
- Gale Tests
- “Lost in the Woods” Performed by Weezer
- Outtakes
- Sing-Along With The Movie
- Song Selection – “All is Found”
- Song Selection – “Some Things Never Change”
- Song Selection – “All Is Found” (Reprise)
- Song Selection – “When I Am Older”
- Song Selection – “Show Yourself”
- Song Selection – “The Next Right Thing”
- Music Videos – “Into the Unknown” Performed by Panic At The Disco
- Song Selection – “Into the Unknown”
- Song Selection – “Lost in the Woods”
Blu-ray (213 Minutes)
- Sing-Along to the Movie
- Outtakes
- Did You Know???
- The Spirits of Frozen 2
- Scoring a Sequel
- Deleted Scenes
- Prologue
- Secret Room
- Elsa’s Dream
- Hard Nokk’s
- A Place of Our Own
- Deleted Songs
- “Home”
- “I Wanna Get This Right”
- Gale Tests
- Gale Test
- Hand-Drawn Gale Test
- “Into the Unknown” in 29 Languages
- Music Videos
- “Into the Unknown” Performed by Panic At The Disco
- “Lost in the Woods” Performed by Weezer
- Song Selection
- “All is Found”
- “Some Things Never Change”
- “All Is Found” (Reprise)
- “Into the Unknown”
- “When I Am Older”
- “Lost in the Woods”
- “Show Yourself”
- “The Next Right Thing
Specifications:
Runtime:
Feature:
- 103 Minutes
Extras:
- 213 Minutes (approx.)
Studio:
- Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Release Date:
Digital:
- 02/11/2020
Blu-ray/DVD:
- 02/25/2020
Region:
- A/1 (U.S. and Canada only)
Website:
MPAA Rating:
- PG (for action/peril and some thematic elements)
Selig Rating:
Film Rating:
- 5 Stars
Bonus Features Rating:
- 5 Stars
Picture Quality Rating:
- 5 Stars
Audio Quality Rating:
- 5 Stars
Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars: Should add to your DVD collection at any cost
4 Stars: Worth owning, but try to catch it a sale
3 Stars: Plan to get it, but wait to buy it used
2 Stars: Worth taking a look at, but not owning
1 Star: Pick it up at a garage sale and use it for drinks
0 Stars: Makes a great Trap Shooting target
