Tale as old as time. Song as old as rhyme. Beauty and the....Frog?!

The Princess and the Frog is the newest animated film from Walt Disney studios, and the first traditionally animated film from the studio since 2004’s Home on the Range. The Princess and the Frog hopes to rekindle the magic of the classic Disney animated films of yesteryear, but did it accomplish this goal?

First, a quick history lesson.

Back in 1989 new life was breathed into the art of the Disney animated feature with the release of The Little Mermaid, which kick started an era known as the Disney renaissance. This renaissance brought forth such beloved classics as Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King. With  these classics  Disney reached new heights in their storytelling and entertainment. But it was not to last. After Tarzan, Disney seemed to have lost that “Disney magic” that had been so prominent throughout the ’90s. And with films like Treasure Planet, Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Home on the Range, it seemed Disney had now entered a kind of dark age (though there was a glimmer of hope in the form of Lilo and Stitch). With one miss after another, Disney decided to end production on any further traditionally animated features, and focus all animation on CGI productions (which, as you know, are all the rage these days). The change proved superfluous. Disney’s first completely computer animated feature (not counting the wonderful works of Pixar) was Chicken Little, a less than eventful film to say the least. It wasn’t long before Disney realized it isn’t fancy computer graphics that make an animated feature good (though with that said, Disney’s 2008 CG animated film Bolt is a wonderfully charming film). This is where The Princess and the Frog comes in.

The Princess and the Frog is a true return to form. And indeed it does rekindle that Disney magic, and it does it with flying colors. It has all the elements that made those Disney renaissance films classics: Great animation, a good story, memorable songs, comical sidekicks, a powerful villain and even something a lot of Disney films lack, a strong main character.

The heroine of the film is Tiana, a hard working, no-nonsense waitress from New Orleans who dreams of opening her own restaurant (and not to be a princess). She easily has one of the strongest personalities of any main character from a Disney feature, and joins the likes of Belle and Mulan as a strong Disney heroine (unlike Snow White, who sat on a stump waiting for a prince to come rescue her). Tiana is a true independent character, and is the kind of heroine one should want to see in a Disney feature.

The other character who serves as part of the namesake of the film (the frog part) is Prince Naveen. To say Prince Naveen’s outlook on life is “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” would be an understatement. He’s more like “all play and no work makes me one happy prince!” He ends up being transformed into a frog and sets the rest of the film in motion. I should add that his more comical nature makes him a far greater personality than the average Disney prince.

Of course, it almost seems like a law that Disney films have lovable animal sidekicks, in The Princess and the Frog we have Louis, a trumpet playing, jazz singing alligator and Ray, a comical and lovestruck firefly. But I have to admit, the funniest character in the film isn’t one of these sidekicks (though they are very funny), but Tiana’s best friend, Charlotte. Charlotte is a spoiled and self centered yet kind hearted girl who is obsessed with princesses and fairy tale romance, and dreams of marrying a prince (a possible self parody on Disney’s part). Charlotte’s frantic rants about marrying a prince charming are amongst the most hilarious moments of the film.

And playing the role of antagonist is the witch doctor, Dr. Facilier, more commonly referred to as The Shadow Man (which is just an awesome name). The Shadow Man follows in the footsteps of the great Disney villains as a memorable foe, complete with a delightfully sinister song (because the villains always got the best songs). He is given the name Shadow Man due to the fact that his shadow acts on its own accord, which leads to many fantastic visual moments.

Which leads me to another strong point of the film: That wonderful, wonderful hand-drawn animation. The characters all move fluidly, the  scenery is beautiful and a lot of the visuals of the film are quite astounding, particularly in the musical numbers. The animation is bright, colorful and lovely to look at. There are some computer effects used, but they are used to compliment the rest of the film, not overbear it. The Princess and the Frog is easily one of the best looking animated films in recent years.

Another difference between Princess and the Frog and most other recent animated features that you’re bound to notice is the fact that there aren’t too many big name actors attached to the film. I don’t mind well known actors voicing animated characters so long as the voice over performances are good, but too often it seems the names are attached for the sake of marketing. For the most part Princess and the Frog sells itself through its storytelling and charm, though Oprah Winfrey has a small role as Tiana’s mother and another character is voiced by John Goodman (who has a unique voice that is perfect for animation). I must say, whether you know who’s doing whose voice or not, all of the performances are good.

The musical numbers (composed by Randy Newman) are another treat from this charming feature.  Every song hits just the right tone and emotion that it should, and they are pretty darned catchy as well. Though it is hard to say if any of the songs will become as iconic as Part of your World or Beauty and the Beast, I personally felt that all of the musical numbers in the film were enjoyable, and again, catchy.

If you are a fan of the classic animated films from Walt Disney, this film will definitely be a real delight. In my personal opinion, it ranks right up there with the very best films from the Disney renaissance.

All in all, The Princess and the Frog is a wonderful, delightful animated feature, and a long overdue return to form from Disney. It is hard to say if it will generate a second Disney renaissance, but even if it doesn’t, it is a true Disney classic that is sure to stand out against all the computer animated features of today. Admittedly, it doesn’t quite capture the majesty of Up or the magic of Ponyo, But Princess and the Frog is undoubtedly one of the best animated features of recent years. It reminds us of the classic magic that is synonymous with the Disney name, and it makes it new again.

A wonderful film!

Keep those beignets coming until I pass out!

(1 votes, average: 9.00 out of 10, rated)

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