The Princess and the Frog
The Princess and the Frog is a 1920's version of the fairytale the Frog Prince with a fun New Orleans twist! It's about Tiana, a determined young waitress who wants to open her own restaurant after her father died in World War I. She comes across Prince Naveen, who was transformed into a frog by Dr. Facilier a voodoo witch doctor, voiced by Keith David, at a costume ball of her friend's who Naveen wants to marry instead of working hard and getting a job since his parents cut him off his riches. Thinking she's a princess, Naveen convinces her to kiss him in exhange for money for her restaurant. Deciding to take the easy way out Tiana kisses him, only to be turned into a frog since she wasn't a princess. The two come across some fun characters including Louis, a trumpet playing alligator, Ray a Cajun firefly and Mama Odie, a 200 year old blind witch.
This film brought the comeback of 2D animation after years of Pixar's and Dreamworks 3D animation taking over and it doesn't disappoint at all. The only thing I don't understand is why didn't they decide to do an African American princess until now? To me, Tiana is the most realistic princess I've seen: she works hard, she knows fairy tales don't exist and have to work to get what you want! She even has TWO jobs simultaneously, that's commitment! Anika Noni Rose's voice definitely shows off in this film, especially during her solo Almost There and the Down in New Orleans finale! I already mentioned how underused Anika was in my Dreamgirls review because of how much I love her acting skills and her incredible voice. They even got Oprah Winfrey, one of the most influential women in the world to voice Tiana's mum and she definitely is wise to her daughter, as most mothers are in Disney films! Bruno Campos' performance as the cocky and self absorbed prince Naveen is also done well, but I love Michael-Leon Wooley as Louis, Keith David as the villainous Dr Facilier and Jenifer Lewis as the hilarious Mama Odie. My personal highlight though, would have to be Jennifer Cody as Charlotte because every time she appeared on screen, I would laugh my head off!
The animation is amazing and is almost like the animation used during the Disney Renaissance and I love the design of New Orleans from the French Quarters to the bayou. The music by Randy Newman definitely reflects on the Jazz Age and were very fun to watch, especially the gospel influence for Dig A Little Deeper, but Alan Menken will always be my favourite Disney composer! The only downside I have is the rating, which is U here, and I think some elements including the voodoo theme are too scary for kids and should be up to PG. Still, it's a great film and I don't have any flaws with the actual film iteslf and everyone will love it, whether you're a kid or a fan of traditional animated films!
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