Disney Month III- The Princess and the Frog

The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Starring: Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David
Directed by: Ron Clements and John Musker


Plot Summary: In the heart of New Orleans, an aspiring young chef named Tiana is working day and night to raise the money to open her own restaurant. Her wealthy friend Lottie La Bouff hires her to cater a masquerade ball in honor of the arrival of Prince Naveen of Maldonia. While at the party, Tiana puts on one of Lottie's princess costumes and meets a talking frog, claiming to be Prince Naveen under a curse from the local shadow man Dr. Facilier. Based on the old fairy tales, Prince Naveen asks for a kiss from the "princess" to become human again. Because Tiana is not an actual princess, the kiss backfires and turns her into a frog instead. Now, escaping the party and finding themselves in the middle of a bayou, Tiana and Naveen must find a way to reverse Dr. Facilier's curse and become their regular selves before the transformation is made permanent.


After a long string of computer animated films in the mid-2000s, Disney finally decided to return to its roots by doing a classic fairy tale in a traditional hand-drawn animation style. The Princess and the Frog was a bold move for Disney to do at the time. Pixar was dominating at the box office and the Oscars, so Disney didn't necessarily HAVE to put forth any effort on their films (and boy does it show with some of their films). Yet, the film proved to be a critical and commercial success for the company. A lot of people expected this to be a resurgence of the classic style of Disney. Yet, it's been 6 years, and people are still talking more about Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen (ugh), and Big Hero 6. Why have people forgotten The Princess and the Frog? It's still a very good movie. It has its own unique animation style, fun characters, catchy music, a great villain, and is honestly really hilarious. With computer animated films still proving to be more marketable than hand-drawn animation, should a film like The Princess and the Frog be tossed to the wayside?

Our "princess" for the film is Tiana, voiced by Anika Noni Rose. Tiana is the first African American princess in Disney history, and proof that it's a double-edged sword to create such a character. People complained for years that we didn't have one, so when Disney finally created one, they complained that she was nothing more than a stereotype. Why is this the prime example? Pocahontas and Mulan are Disney princesses that existed way before, but people don't bring them up as much. People suck. But let's not have her race be the selling point of her character traits. As a character, Tiana is a hard worker and a go-getter, so Tiana is a pretty good role model for little girls to aspire to no matter what race she is. Prince Naveen, voiced by Bruno Campos, is arrogant, but carefree. He's a very charismatic male lead and a lot of fun to be around. He often provides a lot of the best jokes in the film (more on that in a bit), which is probably because he spends most of the film as a frog, but we do see him grow as a person along the way, so that's always good to see.

The side characters add a lot to this strange journey. We have funny, if not a bit offensive, bayou critters like a trumpet playing alligator named Lewis and a Cajun firefly named Ray, voiced by Michael-Leon Wooley and Jim Cummings. They're fun characters and all, but they're not what we're here for. They're that extra garnish on this already hilarious and musical adventure. I actually thought the humans were the funnier side characters, like Big Daddy and Lottie La Bouff, voiced by John Goodman and Jennifer Cody. This father/daughter pairing do a great job of stealing the scenes they're in. They aren't even in the film a whole lot and I wish they were. Lottie is the real show stealer, but Big Daddy deserves some credit because of John Goodman. It's hard for me to NOT like a John Goodman performance.

The best character in The Princess in the Frog is the shadow man Dr. Facilier, voiced by Keith David. There are a number of parents out there that have claimed the movie is too dark and scary for their kids thanks to Dr. Facilier. Hello, THAT'S why he's the villain. I think he's fantastic. He deals in dark voodoo and works for a much higher power, but he's crafty with his words and has a shadow that is just as tricky as he is. He's certainly a Disney villain we haven't seen before, and you linger on every deal and scheme he tries to make. Plus, he does arguably one of the most diabolical things a villain has ever done in a Disney movie. It's just heartless, merciless, and cruel. But that's why he's such an effective villain.

One thing I noticed about the movie is that it's just straight up funny. With combinations of slapstick, pun gags, and punchlines, it's one of the hardest times I've laughed at a Disney animated movie in quite some time. I think the character that makes me laugh the most is definitely Naveen when he's a frog. The timing they give him seems like something out of an old Looney Tunes short, and I see nothing wrong with that when your goal is to entertain families.

In order for a Disney movie to stand out, the animation needs to reflect a unique style and The Princess and the Frog certainly has that thanks to its vibrant New Orleans flavor. Going from the daily life, to the style of a Mardi Gras party, to the swampy woods of the bayou, the film has a look and a sound that reflects New Orleans. Not everybody likes Randy Newman's music, but the guy seems to find his proper place in the Disney movies he has done. We have about 2 or 3 really good songs in the film ("Almost There," "Friends on the Other Side," and "Down in New Orleans"), but then the rest sound the same so it's kind of an "easy come, easy go" approach. But the majority of the looks and sounds in the film really work well for it and it's another important reason why this film cannot be passed over any longer.


Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

With great characters, loads of humor, catchy music, and a fun New Orleans party vibe, The Princess and the Frog is probably the most underrated Disney classic in quite some time. It doesn't deserve to be forgotten over other Disney films from the modern era and you and your family should check it out sometime soon. And all Disney lovers should definitely add this to their collection.

The Princess and the Frog and movie images are copyrighted by Walt Disney Pictures