The Princess and The Frog ( Ron Clements and John Musker, 2009): USA
Reviewed by Conner Emery. Viewed in Santa Barbara.
2009 is swiftly coming to a close and looking at the films that have been released, it’s clear that it will be remembered for one thing: The return of animation in massive appeal. Yes, animated movies are always being released and every year that’s at least one that stands above the rest, but it’s easy to see why the Academy is adding 2 more slots, making it 5 movies nominated for Best Animated Picture. Coraline brought a great story with visuals to match, UP brought adult themes and emotions, Ponyo marked the return of Miyazaki, Fantastic Mr. Fox challenged the modernization of the industry, and Avatar, although not released yet, is aiming to change the industry. So does The Princess and The Frog measure up to everything that’s been released? Without a doubt.
Disney has never been one to keep an original story intact, a look at Hercules and a basic knowledge of Greek mythology can tell you that much. The Princess and The Frog doesn’t stray from this formula. The story is this: Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) is a waiter in New Orleans, working two jobs so that she can save money and buy the restaurant that her father always wanted, but never got the chance. At her best friends party, things start to go downhill and she soon finds herself unwillingly wishing upon a star. And that’s when she notices the titular frog (Bruno Campos) who is actually Prince Naveen, as he’s been transformed by the villain, Dr. Facilier (Keith David). He offers her the money she needs to buy the restaurant if she will kiss him. She accepts the offer, but winds up a frog herself as she’s not a real princess. They decide they need to find a way to return to normal and are soon off on a quest to look for just that.
You probably already know that the reason The Princess and The Frog is getting attention is due to the fact that it’s Disney’s return to classical animation. Although it’s only been 5 years since the last hand-drawn movie was released by them, the interest is in how it compares to films such as Beauty and the Beast (1991) or The Lion King (1994) rather than the forgettable Home On the Range (2004). But comparing the films will only hinder the experience. The Princess and The Frog is a rather visual film, and will likely cause a divide in fans, much like Miyazaki’s film Howl’s Moving Castle (2004). The story is all there, but the plot is often advanced through it’s visuals and songs, rather than only using them to set the mood.
Speaking of the songs, many will be disappointed when they first learn Alan Menken is nowhere to be found in the film’s score and is instead composed by the Pixar staple Randy Newman. One listen will change all that. Newman grew up in New Orleans and perfectly captures the spirit of the area. The music is perfectly placed and the only complaint is that there’s definitely a desire for more when you’re done watching the film.
The tone of the film is light at first, but gets steadily darker until the climax. Magic has always been a staple of Disney movies like this, but never before has it taken the spotlight and been so real as Voodoo is the magic of choice, and is shown as both good and evil. If you plan on bringing children, be warned that there are some very dark images (which I fully congratulate the creative team for, as they are some of the best designs I’ve seen all year) conjured up by one of Disney’s most terrifying villains since Maleficent.
If you’ve been waiting for this movie since it was announced 3 years ago as The Frog Princess, you’ll be glad to know it was worth the wait. As for the race issue that has somehow been blown out of proportion due to non-existent problems, Disney is able to remain historically correct without ever raising an issue; children who were born after the new millenium won’t even notice it. Any other year this would take Best Animated Picture, but for now, only time will tell if it will be honored as the classic tale it is destined to become. And with movies like Rapunzel (2010) and The Snow Queen (2013) on the horizon, it looks as if the third Golden Era of Disney has finally arrived.
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