Aly already wrote a review of Frozen II, and I recommend reading that one instead of mine. I have a weaker connection to both Disney and the type of story Frozen II is telling — one of a woman coming to understand herself, and where she comes from. However, as a viewer who found the first Frozen a slog, I found a lot more to enjoy with Frozen II. The songs are better, Olaf is less annoying and while the themes are similar, the story used to convey them is more engaging.

Not that this story is unique. Comparisons to Princess Mononoke are valid, as are those to Annihilation, one of 2018’s best films — about women dealing with identity, becoming and despair. A mysterious song brings Anna, Elsa and company to a new area of their world, where they learn secrets of magic and their pasts.

The animation has made massive leaps in quality over the first film, but that seems a foregone conclusion given that more than a half-decade has elapsed.

Frozen II has one of the strongest sets of special features among recent major home-video releases. The usual features, including sing-alongs, outtakes and deleted scenes, are present, as well as music videos for the film’s songs, a song-selection feature, deleted songs, and “Into the Unknown” in 29 languages. Commentaries and short documentaries on the making of the film provide insight into the creative decisions that contributed to the creation of this long-gestating sequel.