THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG Review

Are you ready? Disney’s hand-drawn animation is back in all its glory! The makers of Aladdin and The Little Mermaid prove to the world that they’ve still got it. THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG is irresistible, very funny and a bag of bayou magic. Dance your way to… Randy Newman‘s masterful accompaniment and familiarize yourself again with everything that’s wonderful about Disney’s past time classic, all cherished and celebrated in this new achievement. Having an African-American princess is not the only thing that this movie’s got to offer.

Walt Disney Animation Studios presents the musical “The Princess and the Frog,” an animated comedy set in the great city of New Orleans. From the creators of “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin” comes a modern twist on a classic tale, featuring a beautiful girl named Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again, and a fateful kiss that leads them both on a hilarious adventure through the mystical bayous of Louisiana. “The Princess and the Frog” marks the return to hand-drawn animation from the revered team of John Musker and Ron Clements, with music by Oscar®-winning composer Randy Newman (“Monsters, Inc.,” “Cars,” “Toy Story”).

I was a bit worried at first that the movie might just be a showcase of stereotypes of African American people in the olden days but the writing/directing team of Ron Clements and John Musker never had the intention to do so at all, in fact what they’ve done with THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG is to get us to re-experience everything we used to love about Disney’s movies before Pixar came along and changed the game. There’s the magic elements, of course when tackling New Orleans, the voodoo aspect is simply inevitable.

Those of who’ve seen countless Disney movies would know that magic and wizardry whether it’s good or bad are essential parts that must be presented, Clements and Musker approach that with a careful degree of fright and amazement. Without spoiling too much, the story will also say goodbye to a certain character, also another usual sad thing can be found in other Disney’s movies in the past. THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG’s got a bit of fable, lots of music, they burst into song almost every other five minutes or so, and last but not least, the one thing that Disney prides on since its birth… making a wish upon a star.

I’m not an expert when it comes to animation and frankly, I had my reservation about this movie because after all the 3D CG features out there on the big screens, it’s hard to go back to the way it used to be, I was not sure if the timing was right to go. But THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG washes those doubts away because the animation is simply nostalgic. Dr. Facilier may be the most menacing, hypnotic villain since Jafar. Even his evil shadow amuses me.
I gotta make some time to praise the original music and songs by the great Randy Newman. My God is that man a genius or what! There’s no genre that he can’t tackle and it’s as if Jazz just naturally flows in his veins. No offense to the technicalities and voice cast and the story, but to me Randy Newman’s music is the ultimate highlight of THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG. I can sit through 97 minutes of just the music and I’ll still have a fun experience. Each character gets an appropriate theme that suits their personalities. Newman really captures the spirit of the jazz city, we could even call this movie THE PRINCESS AND New Orleans if we need to… because he makes the city alive and dancing. The beats and the melody are as creative and imaginative as the animation itself.

It’s a good thing Pixar’s John Lasseter gets to oversee the project because casting the right actors for the voices is important, whether or not they’re famous comes second. It’s great to have a Broadway talent that is Anika Noni Rose as the voice of Princess Tiana and Brazilian actor Bruno Campos voicing Prince Naveen gives just the right formula. One person stands out, David Keith as the voice of Facilier, pay close attention to how skillful he voices his character in this movie. Terrence Howard, Oprah Winfrey, Jenifer Lewis, Jennifer Cody and John Goodman give the same amount of vibrant energy to their characters. Goodman in particular has a soft spot for New Orleans so this project hits home.

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG is an excellent movie overall because the story is hopeful and heartwarming. The characters are easy to like. Louise the gator and Ray the firefly are more than just your usual comic-relief sidekicks ala Sebastian or Mushu.
But just like Cinderella and Belle, Tiana comes from being a servant to something so much more. In today’s world where miracles rarely happen and working hard doesn’t seem to get you anywhere close to realizing your dreams, THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG serves more than just being an escape, it’s a reminder that there’s nothing childish about the good old way of wishing upon a star… or two.

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