In “LIVING FREE,” “Elsa” has grown up quite a bit.  In fact, she now has three cubs of her own.  In a plot, not entirely too different from the first film, we have to deal with tragic loss again, as “Elsa” dies from an infection, leaving her cubs behind.  Fortunately, George and Joy are there to look out for them, albeit from a distance, as they still recall the lessons learned from the first film.  However, the line between observing and interceding may need to be crossed as George and Joy fear the trio may starve without having learned the proper survival skills from Elsa, before her death.  While “LIVING FREE” does take liberal amounts of footage from the first film, it offers enough new drama to stand on its own.

COLUMBIA TRISTAR has only presented a “Full-frame” version here. Thankfully, no scenes appear tighter, and this may have been a soft matte(1.85:1), which would explain this. However, we wish COLUMBIA TRISTAR would’ve given this the letterboxed treatment, for the anamorphic possibilities alone.  The image is sharp, however, and there’s actually less grain and noise present than in its predecessor. Contrast is fine, and fleshtones appear natural throughout.

COLUMBIA TRISTAR has presented a Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo mix. While there are no real separation effects, the sound quality is generally fine, although there are a few brief instances of severely limited fidelity. There are several trailers included.