Frozen 2 - 4K Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Frozen 2



Movie:
4K Video:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


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Movie
Frozen was one of my favorite movies of 2013, and is home to one of THE most over played songs in all of music history (you parents know exactly what I’m talking about), and became a worldwide phenomenon (as well as an incredible opportunity to market all sorts of new snow themed toys) with it’s new Disney Princess film. It was funny, smart, and had great songs and great side kicks ala classic Disney fashion. It was only inevitable that a sequel was going to be created (especially in this day and age), and the small shorts and short films that have come out in the interim only barely satiated fans. Some 6 years later we get the sequel, and while it’s still big budget Disney, has a few problems keeping the momentum going. It seems to lack the heart and rhythm of the first film, with songs that are fun, but not outstanding, and a plot that feels a bit rehashed at times.

The film opens with both Anna and Elsa as children listening to a fairy tale about the great northern forest. Years ago, the girls grandfather, King Agnarr (Alfred Molina), had gotten into a misunderstanding with the native people of Northuldra, resulting in the great spirits (earth, fire, wind and water) to become angered and cover the entire forest in a heavy mist that allows no one in. Years later (after the events of the first movie) Elsa (Idina Menzel) is hearing a voice from the great forest. A voice that seems to call and pull her there with every fiber of her being. Along with her sister Anna (Kristen Bell), their lovable snowman Olaf (Josh Gad) and Anna’s soon to be fiance (if he can ever get up the nerve to ask her) Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), the ice queen of Arendelle heads out into the great unknown to find what is calling her.

Luckily for Elsa, her magic ice powers allow her to pass through the mist veil surrounding the forest where they find the Northuldra’s as well as Arendelle guards from years ago living there, trapped in the mist. As Elsa digs deeper and deeper into the search for the truth, she finds a past shrouded in deceit and betrayal, and the answers very well may break her heart in more ways than she could imagine, or else strengthen her to become the force that she was destined to be.

Like the first movie, Frozen 2 explores the darkness of the twin sister’s past, causing them to look inward and find the strength within to carry on, as well as the strength to face the truths that they may not like to see. This sequel is a bit darker, and a bit more emotionally deep, but it lacks some of the fine tuning and the inventiveness of the first film. The songs don’t feel as powerful, and in fact seem to fill in some of the gaps of the story when the narrative seems to be failing. Olaf is cute as ever, and Disney found a new way to market toys with the fire salamander, but the actual narrative feels a bit cliched. The girls go north to see answers, and they overcome their own internal fears to become who they were destined to be. I can’t put my finger on it, but the conflicts the girls face just doesn’t feel THAT impressive, and even the finale is a bit rushed.

Now, that doesn’t mean Frozen 2 isn’t a lot of fun, it most certainly is. The animation is stunning, and the voice acting is still excellent. I still get a kick out of Olaf and Sven the reindeer will always be my favorite side character. The adventures in the water world actually add some dimensions to Elsa’s powers, and the sisterly camaraderie is a treat to behold. The movie may not live up to the fantastic original, but it’s a solid big budget Disney film with great visuals, stunning voice acting, and lots of action for the kids and adults alike.




Rating:

Rated PG for action/peril and some thematic elements




4K Video: Video:

Frozen 2 was given a 2K master for the home video release, and while some animation films have a hard time outpacing their 1080p brethren, Frozen 2 doesn’t seem to have that problem. The upgrade over the Blu-ray is well deserved, with greater color saturation thanks to the HDR, and the black levels are so sickeningly deep and gorgeous and show off incredible details that I didn’t notice in my Blu-ray viewing. The fine details show a noticeable improvement as well, with line detail and water detail showing good to vast improvements depending on the scene. Combine that with the stunning HDR usage, and this 2K – 4K upscale is VERY impressive to my eyes. Watch the scene where Elsa tries to walk on water and tame the water horse. You can see little details on the snowflakes that she uses to walk on, as well as more nuances on the horse’s mane. Absolutely gorgeous.





Audio:

The Dolby Atmos track fares a little bit better than the 7.1 DTS-HD MA mix from the Blu-ray. It still suffers from the same lack of low end, but it’s not AS bad. The weight of the giants rumbles a bit more, and the tornado scene has more oompth to it. The track is also a slight bit more dynamic, allowing for a wider field of sound with Elsa zipping around with her magic powers. It’s a clean and clear track, also requiring the same 7 DB increase on my receiver to get to reference volume. Also, the background such as rustling leaves and whispering winds seems to have a wider dynamic range, and a nimbler feel across the sound stage. It’s a definite improvement over the Blu-ray and while it isn’t really epic (most Disney Atmos track aren’t really), it is still a solid track and a pleasant improvement over the 7.1 mix.





Extras:

• Sing-Along Version of the Movie – Sing along with your favorite songs as you watch the movie.
• Song Selection – Jump to your favorite musical moments, with on-screen lyrics. Songs include Oscar®-nominated "Into The Unknown," "All Is Found," "Some Things Never Change," "When I Am Older," "Lost in the Woods," "Show Yourself," and "The Next Right Thing"
• Outtakes – Laugh along with the cast of "Frozen 2" as they record their lines, sing their songs and have fun in the recording booth.
• Deleted Scenes – Check out a few scenes that never made the final cut.
-- Intro - Directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck offer a glimpse into their filmmaking process with scenes that didn't make the final cut.
-- Prologue - A battle rages between Arendelle and the Northuldra while a mysterious figure challenges King Agnarr.
-- Secret Room - A secret room reveals even more of Anna and Elsa's past, including a shocking revelation about their mother.
-- Elsa's Dream - Anna's playful glimpse into Elsa's dream takes a dark turn.
-- Hard Nokks - Kristoff reveals his true feelings about life in Arendelle when the Nokk won't take no for an answer.
-- A Place of Our Own - Elsa uses her magic to relieve Anna's lingering doubts about their parents' faith in her.
• Deleted Songs – When it comes to "Frozen 2," there can never be too much music. Hear some of the songs that got cut from the final film.
-- Intro - Directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck revel in the chance to share a few songs that didn't make it into the final film.
-- "Home" - Anna savors every moment as she wanders through this kingdom she calls home.
-- "I Wanna Get This Right" - Kristoff wants everything to be perfect before he proposes, leaving Anna to wonder, "Will it ever be just right?"
• The Spirits of "Frozen 2" – Cast and crew explore the Scandinavian and Nordic mythology that inspired the spirits inhabiting the enchanted forest of "Frozen 2."
• Did You Know??? – Olaf asks us the question "Did You Know" as we discover "Frozen 2" fun facts, Easter eggs and tidbits about the making of the film.
• Scoring a Sequel – Composer Christophe Beck combines a 91-piece orchestra with 30 choral voices to create the compelling score for "Frozen 2."
• Gale Tests - They say you can't see the wind. Only its effects. Filmmakers give it a shot while creating the playful wind spirit, Gale.
-- Gale Test - A young girl and boy play tag in this fully animated effort to "give personality to something that's invisible."
-- Hand-Drawn Gale Test - A hand-drawn test to bring the precocious wind spirit to life.
• Multi-Language Reel
-- "Into the Unknown" in 29 Languages - Hear Elsa's soaring call to adventure in 29 different languages
• Music Videos - Weezer and Panic! at the Disco lend their voices to a few of the soaring melodies from "Frozen 2."
-- "Into the Unkown" (Panic! at the Disco version) - Panic! at the Disco frontman Brendon Urie stars in their version of "Into The Unknown" from "Frozen 2."
-- "Lost in the Woods" (Weezer version) - Weezer puts their spin on Kristoff's epic ballad, "Lost In the Woods."

Digital Extra Exclusives
• Meet the Lopezes – Meet the award-winning husband-and-wife team behind the incredible songs from "Frozen" and "Frozen 2."
• Deleted Song "Unmeltable Me" - An animatic version of Olaf's celebratory song about his newfound freedom.

Final Score:
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While Frozen 2 was a bit underwhelming, you have to realize that it had a LOOOOOOT to live up to, as Frozen was a smash hit of epic proportions. Failing at living up the original was a near inevitability, and even though it’s NOT as epic, it’s still a fun Disney movie. The songs are fun, the visuals are sumptuous. And the famous Disney side characters are the life of the party. I really enjoyed my time with Frozen 2 and found it a moderately worthy sequel to the 2013 phenomenon. The Blu-ray disc is nothing short of jaw dropping, with perfect visuals, but some rather lackluster audio expereinces. Extras are rather impressive I might add, making this a fun purchase for families who enjoyed the original.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff, Sterling K. Brown, Evan Rachel Wood, Martha Plimpton, Alfred Molina, Jason Ritter
Directed by: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
Written by: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez, Marc Smith
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 HEVC
Audio: English: Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core), French, Spanish, Japanese DD+ 7.1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Japanese, Spanish
Studio: Disney/Buena Vista
Rated: PG
Runtime: 103 Minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: February 25th, 2020

Recommendation: Solid Watch

 

[Epoxy1]

Michael,

I agree with your assessment. The low end was very inconsistent...it would come and go for no apparent reason. Very frustrating because it had the makings to be good. The movie itself couldn't meet the original's charm and magic--that's a nearly impossible task. Furthermore, the songs weren't the greatest (probably the weakest part of the movie IMO). As for Olaf and Sven...I couldn't agree more!

 

[Michael Scott]

Michael,

I agree with your assessment. The low end was very inconsistent...it would come and go for no apparent reason. Very frustrating because it had the makings to be good. The movie itself couldn't meet the original's charm and magic--that's a nearly impossible task. Furthermore, the songs weren't the greatest (probably the weakest part of the movie IMO). As for Olaf and Sven...I couldn't agree more!

yeah, the low end was frustrating. It had moments where I was like "that's what I wanted to hear!", but then the rest of the time I was looking at my subs wondering if they were going to get use.

 

[Epoxy1]

Exactly!