Although “Up” will forever be my number one favorite animated film, “The Princess and the Frog” is certainly worthwhile viewing. It has all of the requisite ingredients: a plucky heroine, cute animal sidekicks (a jazz-loving crocodile and a firefly in love with a star), a fairy godmother type, a villain who uses black magic, Broadway-style musical numbers (penned by Randy Newman), and lots of romance and fun. The story, loosely based on ‘The Frog Prince’ fairy tale, focuses on Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), a hard-working waitress who holds down two jobs at eateries in New Orleans. Her dream is to earn enough money to own her own restaurant, a dream encouraged by her father (Terrence Howard) and her mother (Oprah Winfrey). Her best friend, Charlotte (Jennifer Cody), wants to marry a prince. This looks possible when Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos) visits New Orleans. Unfortunately, he runs afoul of Dr. Facilier (Keith David), who turns him into a frog. Naveen convinces Tiana to kiss him, but instead of Naveen returning to human form, Tiana turns into a frog. With the help of Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley), the crocodile and Ray (Jim Cummings), the firefly, they set out to find Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis), who is the only one who can combat the magic of Dr. Facilier.
From a visual standpoint, “The Princess and the Frog” is reminiscent of “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Little Mermaid,” Disney’s hand-drawn animation successes of twenty years ago. There’s just the right amount of jokes in the comedy to keep both younger and older audience members engaged. And the animal sidekicks are cute, but not too cute. The decision by directors Ron Clements and John Musker to use low profile voice talent is a wise choice, thereby preventing the audience from getting distracted by well-known voices. Randy Newman’s songs are catchy and set just the right tone for this romp through the streets and bayous of New Orleans. And with a message about never losing sight of what’s important, “The Princess and the Frog” is destined to be another Disney classic. 12/12/09
1 comment:
This animated movie takes me back to the enormous talent of the Disney Studios of the past. The animation is splendid (best in the business) and the story is classic. The music will win an "Oscar" for Randy Newman (I believe) and the kids (and adults) will love this for years to come. It’s off to a slow start because of the exclusive marketing Disney chose to use but it’s out in full force now and will gain momentum. See It with your children and grandchildren! You'll love it!
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