The Princess and the FrogDirected By: Ron Clements & John MuskerStarring the Voice Talents Of: Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David, Jim Cummings, John Goodman, Oprah Winfrey, Jenifer Lewis , Jennifer CodyWhat’s It AboutTiana’s dream is to one day open up a big fancy restaurant hoping to fulfill a dream her father could not. She spends her time overworking herself without giving any thought to having someone share all her hard work with. That’s when Prince Naveen comes in and through a series of events, the two are sent down the bayou in a whimsical adventure that will test Tiana’s heart and Naveen’s understanding of what true love is. “It’s not enough to just wish on a star. You have to help it along with some hard work of your own.”
ThoughtsSo… this is Disney’s “big” comeback to classic animation. Since the release of 1999’s Tarzan, audiences have been waiting patiently for Disney to get back on track with what they’ve always done best, classic fairy tales. In fact, have you ever noticed that for the most part, whenever Disney makes an animated feature NOT based on an already well established story, chances are it will tank? With The Princess and the Frog, Disney gets it half right with taking a classic fairy tale story but then messes with a winning formula by changing everything else to fit it’s “modern” take on an old favorite. You would think that after Treasure Planet they would know better… oh well.
It’s not to say that the Princess and the Frog is a bad movie, per se. A lot of what doesn’t sit well with me is in the setting. Why the 1920’s and not some timeless place? Why some “prince” that has apparently been around the block one too many times with the ladies and not someone that is honorable? Lastly, why does the film have to throw in all this modern mumbo jumbo to stay “relevant” to today’s modernistic ways? Why can’t wishing on a star just be wishing on a star?
To be fair, I did still enjoy Disney’s 49th animated feature. While I wasn’t too fond of Prince Neveen and his assistant Lawrence, the rest of the cast did a wonderful job at keeping everyone smiling and humming along with every musical piece. And speaking of the cast, special notice should be given to Doctor Facilier a.k.a. Shadowman who was just such a fun villain that you would wish more time were spent on him. The song and dance numbers never felt forced and were very catchy thanks to the great work of Randy Newman.
This wasn’t the triumphant return to classic animation from Disney that I was expecting. There are those films that you watch and you immediately know they will hold a place in your collective memory bank as something special, then there are the ones you watch, you like, and you go on. This one falls in the latter of the two.
Memorable MomentLouis, the jazz trumpet playing alligator, recalls a moment in his life when in an attempt to be part of a jazz playing quartet, he jumps in the middle of a jam session with trumpet in hand only to freak out the group and get shot at as he jumps off the boat! LOL
FYIPrincess Tiana is the first black character to enter the line of Disney Princesses.
Score7 out of 10
