Frozen II Blu-ray Review - Packed Full of Extras!

Elsa wants to know the source of her powersCourtesy of Disney

In Frozen II, after three years, all seems well in Arendelle. Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) is ready to propose to Anna (Kristen Bell) and Queen Elsa (Idina Menzel) is a beloved queen but she starts hearing a luring singing voice, a siren’s call from the North that draws her to a fog-shrouded forest where the spirits of earth, wind, fire and water live. She, Anna, Kristoff and snowman pal Olaf (Josh Gad) travel to a new land where, after many adventures, the group learns the true origin of Elsa’s powers and the secret of Elsa and Anna’s parentage. Can they calm the angry forest spirits and save their kingdom?

Frozen II Trailer

Origin Story

Kids Anna and Elsa played with ice animals that Elsa created and listened to their father tell them a strange story about an enchanted forest protected by powerful spirits of earth, air, fire and water. The people there were befriended by the girls’ grandfather then king who built them a needed dam. Their dad the present king, as a kid, saw the magic in the woods but suddenly his people and the locals were fighting to the death. Elsa and Anna’s grandfather was killed. A mystery person saved dad. He has no idea who.

The king tells his daughters a mysterious storyCourtesy of Disney

Call of a Siren

Currently, the adult Elsa hears a beautiful voice calling her and, worrying about her sister wandering toward the sound, Anna walks away from Kristoff who is trying to propose marriage. Elsa is lured to go “Into the Unknown” as she sings. The elemental spirits attack the kingdom with wind, fire and water. Elsa thinks she woke them but feels that the voice calling her is good, not evil. Trolls tell her that the spirits want her to right an old wrong done to them. Elsa will follow the voice to the north. Anna, Kristoff and Olaf insist on going with her.

Kristoff wants to marry AnnaCourtesy of Disney

Enchanted Forest

Passing through a fog, the group enters the enchanted forest where charming beings live and seem to tease and play with our heroes. Elsa sees several frozen statues, one of her dad as a child in the arms of a young woman. Suddenly the local citizens appear along with soldiers from Arendelle who have been trapped inside the foggy forest for thirty years! Leading the soldiers is Mattias (Sterling K. Brown). Olaf catches them all up by telling them a quickie version of the happenings in the original “Frozen” film.

Anna and Elsa meet Mattias in the forestCourtesy of Disney

Fire Creature

Elsa meets a cute, tiny fire creature and has to put out various attacking flames with her icy powers. Later she and Anna learn that their mom was one of the local forest people! She is the girl who saved their dad! Elsa learns that there is a 5th elemental spirit that will serve as a bridge between the rest.

Kristoff and Sven find a herd of raindeerCourtesy of Disney

The sisters follow Earth giants made of stone while Kristoff sings of being lost and alone. The girls find the wrecked ship their parents were supposed to have been drowned at sea inside.

Elsa plays with Bruni, the fire element salamanderCourtesy of Disney

Crossing a Dark Sea

Elsa follows a map found inside the ship hoping to track where her parents ended up. She doesn’t want Anna and her friends to follow. Too dangerous. Elsa pushes them away and they end up in a cave while she tries to freeze the Dark Sea so she can cross it. She is aided by a beautiful water horse spirit and ends up riding it to a land of frozen rivers...glaciers where she challenges the voice to “show yourself”.

Elsa encounters a Nokk, a horse-like water spiritCourtesy of Disney

The Truth

Elsa is shown visions of the true past and learns that her grandfather thought the people of the forest with their magical elemental spirits were too powerful and had to be controlled. He ended up killing their leader. Anna learns the truth as well.

Olaf and Anna are separated from the othersCourtesy of Disney

She is separated from Kristoff and Olaf is getting weaker. He blows away as snowflakes and she sadly escapes the cave alone. She realizes that the spirits never wanted the dam. She has to destroy it. She enlists the stone giants to throw huge boulders at it.

People of NorthuldraCourtesy of Disney

Final Result?

Anna senses that Elsa must be dead. It’s up to her to do the right thing. Will she and Kristoff ever be reunited? Is Olaf really dead? Will the sisters find each other? Will breaking the dam be the right thing for both this kingdom and Arendelle and what is the true destiny for the two loving sisters? 

In a far frozen land, Elsa uses her powersCourtesy of Disney

Special Extra Features

The Frozen II Blu-ray disc contains many extra features. All are either entertaining or informative.

• Sing-Along Version of the Movie- Choose words-on-screen sing along movie version.
• Song Selection– Even more for the music fan: 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– This is a very fun extra and we see various cast members recording their parts in the booth, goofing up, making silly comments, etc. 

Anna, Olaf, Kristoff and Sven follow Elsa into the unknownCourtesy of Disney

• Deleted Scenes– There are six scenes not in the final movie and all expand the storyline or enhance the characters. They are all early, crudely animated but well worth a watch! Directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck introduce each scene:
• 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– Introduced again by Lee and Buck, a couple of songs that didn’t make the final film are: “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?”

Elsa comes out of a mist into the enchanted forestCourtesy of Disney

• The Spirits of “Frozen 2”– Cast and crew explore the Scandinavian and Nordic mythology that inspired the spirits Earth, Air, Fire and Water inhabiting the enchanted forest. Very nice to look at.
• 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. Silly fun.
• Scoring a Sequel– Composer Christophe Beck combines a 91-piece orchestra with 30 choral voices to create the score for “Frozen 2.” He explains combining the score with the songs.
• 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 very brief hand-drawn test to bring the precocious wind spirit to life.

Stones at the edge of the mythical forestCourtesy of Disney

• Multi-Language Reel Shows us Elsa singing parts of “Into the Unknown” in 29 Languages. Impressive!
• Music Videos– Weezer and Panic! at the Disco lend their voices to a few of the soaring melodies for “Into the Unknown” (Panic! at the Disco version) – Panic! at the Disco front man Brendon Urie has a great voice for the song.  “Lost in the Woods” (Weezer version) – Weezer wanders lost as he sings with band back-up.

Wrapping Up

This Blu-ray for Frozen II looks and sounds wonderful. The film is more of an action quest movie than the first with more at stake and some shocking personal revelations for the lead characters. Songs are nice but none as powerful as “Let It Go”.

How far into the unknown will we have to go?Courtesy of Disney

Frozen II contains some eye-popping animated effects scenes that are just beautiful. Most of the humor is provided by Olaf or Kristoff and reindeer Sven who tries to assist his master in his many thwarted attempts to propose to Anna.

Sven and Olaf join the quest for secret truthsCourtesy of Disney

The story presents a very worthy mystery that, when solved, reveals the true history of the sisters and the secret of Elsa’s amazing powers but there are so many developments and necessary information that must be crowded into the film that it all may be too much especially for younger audience members to follow. 

Anna and Elsa as kids with their parentsCourtesy of Disney

The usual high quality Disney extras abound on the disc and we enjoyed all of them. We gave the film in theaters 4 stars but with the added extras enjoyment, for this take home edition we can award 5 stars. For fans it is a must collect or gift item.

Frozen II Blu-ray Rating: 

Courtesy of Disney

Buy Frozen II Blu-ray/DVD/Digital set in stores now!

Will You Collect?

Are you looking forward to taking this film home? What do you like most about the world of Frozen and its characters? Which characters do you feel closest to? If you dislike the movies, tell everyone why.  Here is your chance to comment here or on your Kidzworld profile page!