- a scene from The Princess and the Frog - copyright 2009 Walt Disney Company
Is The Princess and the Frog another classic from the studio that brought us gems like Snow White, Pinocchio and Fantasia? Not quite.
But it does contain an element sorely missed from many Disney animated films released after Walt's death: heart. A movie that asks you not to forget the important things in pursuit of your goals, The Princess and the Frog is also a fun Bayou romp, filled with indelible characters and catchy New Orleans jazz.
Ron Clements, John Musker Direct Anika Noni Rose, Keith David in The Princess and the Frog
Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) has dreamed of opening her own restaurant ever since she was a little girl. Putting her life on hold while working two jobs, she scrimps and saves to make her dream a reality, but circumstances may have put it even farther out of reach.
The good-hearted but shiftless Prince Naveen of Maldonia (Bruno Campos) needs a wealthy wife, but lands in the clutches of sinister Dr. Facilier (Keith David). He turns Naveen into a frog and transforms Naveen's resentful manservant (Peter Bartlett) into the spitting image of the prince in an attempt to capture the considerable fortune of 'Big Daddy' La Bouff (John Goodman) and his spoiled daughter Charlotte (Jennifer Cody).
Naveen's attempt to break the curse – convince Tiana to kiss him – backfires. She also turns into a frog and they're on the run, chased by Facilier's hoodoo demons.
Disney Brings Back Top Animators for The Princess and the Frog
The Princess and the Frog looks freakin' awesome. Disney brought back directors Ron Clements and John Musker (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin), plus top animators like Eric Goldberg and Andreas Deja.
And the results are as spectacular as you might wish. Visually, it nods to both Disney's glory years – Charlotte's masquerade ball waltz with the faux Naveen spoofs Cinderella – and the Little Mermaid/Lion King era, with its backgrounds rendered in Pixar's CAPS process.
Every Disney film rests on the strength of its villain, and Dr. Facilier ranks with Cruella De Vil and Maleficient as one of the most delightful scoundrels ever applied to celluloid. He steals virtually every scene he's in; you can hear the wicked glee drip from David's delivery. Everyone else in the cast does sterling work, though Goodman feels overpowered in his minor role.
Problems? The film sags a bit once it hits the backwood swamps: the section featuring trumpet-playing alligator Louis leads our heroes in the wrong direction before lovesick Cajun firefly Ray sets things right. Other sequences feel like they're merely excuses to get a tune going. That said, there's nothing wrong (and a lot right) with Randy Newman's songs and score.
But the flick really collapses at the conclusion, which ties it up too neatly. Nothing wrong with happy endings, but the script goes too far in giving Tiana everything she ever wanted.
The Final Analysis
While The Princess and the Frog isn't the instant classic Disney has produced in the past, it's a major step in the right direction for a company that's trying to reclaim its place in the realm of feature-length animated film. Welcome back, Disney Animation, welcome back.
The Princess and the Frog gets a 4/5.
- The Princess and the Frog
- Walt Disney Animation Studios
- Starring: Anika Noni Rose, Keith David and Bruno Campos
- Directed by: Ron Clements and John Musker
- Running Time: 97 Minutes
Dominic von Riedemann - Dominic is the Animated Film Feature Writer, and winner of 11 Suite 101 Editors' Choice Awards.
