Frozen appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 2.24:1 on this Blu-ray Disc. No issues developed in this satisfying presentation.
Sharpness looked solid. From start to finish, the movie demonstrated positive delineation, with a tight image on display.
No issues with jaggies or shimmering occurred, and edge haloes were absent. Of course, the image lacked any print flaws; it remained clean at all times.
Colors became a strong element. The movie went with a somewhat pastel palette that mixed with chilly blue due to all the snow/ice elements, and it displayed consistently vivid hues.
Blacks were dense and tight, and shadows were smooth, with nice clarity. The transfer brought out the movie well.
As for the movie’s DTS-HD MA 7.1 soundtrack, it opened up the film in a satisfying manner. Though the mix didn’t give us wall-to-wall theatrics, it managed to use the spectrum well.
As expected, the film’s occasional action sequences boasted nice breadth and activity, and the spread of the ice across the kingdom created a fine sense of involvement; the frost engulfed us in a convincing manner. While the soundscape didn’t stun us on a constant basis, it provided more than enough to succeed.
Audio quality seemed consistently solid. Speech appeared natural and distinctive; no edginess or other issues marred the dialogue.
Music sounded warm and full, while effects showed good clarity and accuracy. When necessary, bass response came across as deep and tight. All of this lifted the track to “B+” status.
This package includes both 2D and 3D versions of Frozen. The picture comments above reflect the 2D edition – how does the 3D compare?
Frozen opens with a cool shot of a saw that pokes out from the screen, and that sets the stage for excellent use of 3D imaging from start to finish. With all the winter elements, we get plenty of material to fly/float around the screen, and those bits add real flair to the proceedings. We also find terrific depth and a fine sense of the various settings.
As for quality, the 3D seems largely comparable with the 2D. The 3D looks a smidgen softer and darker, but not to a significant degree. Even with mild changes in visual quality, the immersive 3D makes that version the best way to view the film.
Given the enormous critical and financial success of Frozen, the Blu-ray’s relative lack of extras comes as a surprise. We open with Get a Horse!, an animated short that preceded theatrical showings of Frozen.
It runs six minutes and starts as a 1920s Mickey Mouse effort but eventually he and others bust out of the movie screen – and into the 21st century. This turns into a lively, delightful cartoon, one that works best in 3D, so it’s good the 3D disc includes it.
Two featurettes follow. The Making of Frozen goes for three minutes, 18 seconds and includes an unusual take on that topic. Rather than the standard talking head piece, it offers a music video, as actors Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff and Josh Gad croon their way through the Disney animation offices.
They sing “how did we make Frozen?” a million times but never actually tell us. It’s fun but will disappoint anyone who expects to learn about the movie’s creation.
D’frosted:: Disney’s Journey from Hans Christian Andersen to Frozen lasts seven minutes, 28 seconds and features directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, and animator Marc Davis’s widow Alice.
We learn about earlier Disney attempts at the Snow Queen subject and its adaptation. Some good notes emerge here and I like the glimpse of Marc Davis’s old art, but we don’t get a meaty program.
Four Deleted Scenes appear. Including intros from Lee and Buck, these fill a total of six minutes, 51 seconds and show “Never Underestimate the Power of Elsa”, “The Dressing Room”, “Meet Kristoff #1” and “Meet Kristoff #2”.
All are enjoyable to see, though none of them contribute anything substantial to the story. The intros tell us a little about the sequences and let us know why they didn’t make the film, so Buck and Lee give us good information.
Under Music Videos, we get four versions of “Let It Go (End Credit Version)”. This means three different singers in four different languages: Demi Lovato (English), Martina Stoessel (Spanish), Martina Stoessel (Italian) and Marsha Milan (Malaysian).
All the videos follow a standard format in which they mix some lip-synch footage with movie clips; both Stoessel videos are identical except for the choice of language. None of them are terribly interesting, but I think it’s fun to hear these varying interpretations of the song.
The 2D disc opens with ads for Sleeping Beauty and The Pirate Fairy. Sneak Peeks also includes promos for Disney Movie Rewards, Disney Parks, Adventures by Disney, and Disneynature Bears. We finish with the teaser trailer for Frozen.
While Frozen offers a fairly enjoyable Disney fable, I don’t think it becomes anything above average. A throwback to the studio’s 1990s fare, the movie gives us a likable adventure but not one that matches up with the studio’s better efforts. The Blu-ray boasts strong picture and audio but skimps on supplements. Frozen ends up as an entertaining production that I think lacks a certain special quality to make it great, though the 3D version offers a lot of visual pizzazz.
To rate this film, visit the 2D review of FROZEN