DIGITAL HD REVIEW: Frozen 2
Now that Frozen 2 is available digitally and on Movies Anywhere, I thought I'd share my thoughts on the movie since I was unable to do so during its original release.
The story revolves around Elsa (Idina Menzel) being haunted by a musical voice from beyond in an off limits forest of Northuldra. The forest is locked by magic which Elsa is able to unlock with her powers. Accompanying her on this adventure are the Scooby-Doo gang - sister Anna (Kristen Bell), Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), Olaf (Josh Gad) and Sven. What calls for Elsa from beyond?
I'm going to be honest. I prefer the first movie over the sequel. But that's mainly a preference thing for me and not because I think Frozen 2 is a bad movie. In fact, I think it's a great movie.
The film is darker than the first. I think the movie advances the characters in a very mature way. Elsa seeks her purpose in the world beyond being queen. Anna fears being in a world beyond being Elsa's sister. Kristoff tries to find the courage to propose. And, Olaf even looks at his own existence. On some levels, each of the characters has to learn to "let it go."
My difficulty is that I love Anna as that goofy, lovable and awkward girl in the first movie. She is maturing in this film and it's hard for me to see. Maybe it's like a father watching his daughter grow up. You yearn for those years when they were younger and more innocent.
I liked that Anna and Kristoff were in a stable relationship where they didn't just run off and get married after the first film as is the trope of pretty much every other Disney princess film. They took time to get to know each other and are so cozy that they enjoy an occasional game night. Their relationship, despite Kristoff's difficulty to finally propose, is one of the few light hearted parts of the film.
The music is different from the first film and, if I'm honest, I like the music of the first film better. Don't get me wrong. I do like the music even though it took a longer time for it to grow on me. I find myself humming it at times, particularly "Into The Unknown" and "Lost In The Woods." But, the music is heavier in this film, particularly Anna's song at the end. And, like my feelings toward liking the more whimsical feel of the first movie, so are my feelings toward the songs. I just like songs like "Do You Want To Build A Snowman" and "Love Is An Open Door" better.
Bonus Features
There are a lot of fun goodies on the digital release. The featurettes "Meet The Lopezes" and "The Spirits of Frozen 2" are good, although I would love to see even more depth. I would love for Disney to dig in deep more with the production aspects of creating the film. "Scoring A Sequel" is a little lacking in my opinion.
The outtakes are quite funny and tend to be my favorite bonus features. Also fun is the look at all the Easter Eggs in the film in the "Did You Know???" featurette!
The deleted songs are interesting and I appreciated the commentary that comes along with the songs, but I could see why they were cut. The same goes for the deleted scenes.
All in all, there are solid bonus features, but fairly standard for a Disney release.
Bonus Features: • Sing-Along Version of the Movie • Song Selection • Outtakes • Deleted Scenes • Deleted Songs • The Spirits of “Frozen 2” • Did You Know??? • Scoring a Sequel • Gale Tests • Multi-Language Reel • Music Videos • Meet the Lopezes • Deleted Song “Unmeltable Me”