The Princess and the Frog

I had so much trepidation going into The Princess and the Frog, Walt Disney Pictures' newest attempt to get back into the 2-d, hand-drawn, traditional animation game. The last film from Walt Disney Animation Studios, as opposed to Pixar, that wasn't in 3-d animation was about cows voiced by, among others, Roseanne and Dame Judi Dench. Then, the 3-d movies the studio came up with weren't too hot; what, you're not fans of Chicken Little or Meet The Robinsons? Crazy person. Anyway, though a return to 2-d animation is always welcome to this Disney aficionado, could these folks top Pixar in terms of strong characters, stories, and emotions?

Now, being a Disney aficionado, I suppose I am biased. However, not being a big fan of the Disney princesses (I don't dislike any of them, but I suppose my natural tendencies always made me more a fan of Aladdin or Simba), that might balance things out a bit. But I'm not at all ashamed to tell you that I loved this movie. Loved it, top to bottom. Is The Princess and the Frog a perfect movie? No, but it has that potent and uniquely Disney mix of memorable music, charming characters, gorgeous animation, and engaging storylines that make a winner. When I saw critics rave that this was the best Disney animated film since The Lion King, I blanched, simply because there really haven't been a lot of great Disney movies since 1994.

That said, The Princess and the Frog is easily equal to films such as Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, or The Lion King. The story, which is a play on The Frog Prince, is set in New Orleans, circa the 1920s. The princess in question is not a princess, but a young waitress named Tiana. Tiana longs to own a restaurant on the Mississippi, to fulfill not only her dreams but the dreams of her late father. She and her mother, however, are both poor, so she's been saving for years and just barely able to put down money to buy the building in question. Tiana ends up experiencing a life-changing event when, one night at a costume ball, she kisses a frog who claims to be Prince Naveen, a good-looking but cheerfully lazy young man who's been cut off from his family for being a huge moocher. Prince Naveen turned into a frog when he ran afoul of Dr. Facilier, a menacing witch doctor who plans on using the loutish prince to control all of New Orleans, so he can finally pay off his debt to his "friends" on the other side. Naveen and Tiana kiss, as he mistakes her for a princess thanks to her costume; the kiss has, of course, the wrong effect, as she turns into a frog, and the two get to learn about the bayou while learning to appreciate and love each other.

Is The Princess and the Frog a surprising, twisty film? Of course not. It's a Disney movie. Does this movie give you exactly what you want from a classic Disney animated feature? Oh yes. The music, while not being on exactly the same level as the miniature marvels created by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, is catchy and sometimes goosebump-inducing. Believe me when I tell you that anything Randy Newman does would rarely get me to even think of inducing goosebumps. The animation is as impressive as anything Disney has ever done. The way the animators have brought New Orleans to its most vibrant life is some of their most impressive work. The story may fit easily within Disney cliches and tropes, but one late death is, honestly, a little shocking. Kudos to John Musker and Ron Clements, the film's directors, for not finding some cheeseball way to revive this character.

And speaking of characters, what a cavalcade. Tiana, as voiced by Anika Noni Rose, is a feisty and beautiful character, though she learns during the movie that hard work is only successful and worthy when tempered with a bit of levity. Naveen, voiced by Bruno Campos, is perhaps the most charming Disney prince, despite being so very flawed. Naveen is given a lot of the laugh lines here, which makes him instantly interesting. As much as their movies may be great, how many of us remember Prince Eric or Aladdin or any of the classic princes? As Louis, the trumpet-playing alligator, Michael Leon-Woolley is unabashedly over-the-top and fun-loving, a lighter version of someone like Baloo. The most well-known actors are mostly supporting; Keith David has the biggest role, as Dr. Facilier, and is as menacing as befits a Disney villain. Other big names are all on the sidelines, as it should be: Oprah Winfrey, Terrence Howard, and John Goodman are all entertaining, not overshadowing the other characters with their performances.

For a few years, there seemed to be doubt about whether or not 2-d animation would ever be able to make a comeback when it faced down Pixar or DreamWorks Animation. And yet, as is proven by The Princess and the Frog, a film spearheaded, ironically enough, by Pixar honcho John Lasseter, it's not the animation style that matters. There are talented animators of all kinds, whether they work by hand or by computer. What matters is story, what matters is character, and this truly enjoyable and exciting movie has those in spades. For the first time in a long while, I eagerly await the next offering from Walt Disney Animation Studios.