A Princesa e o Sapo

A Waitress has ambitions of owning her own restaurant, but a chance meeting with a Prince details her plans.

I will start by saying I'm something of a traditionalist when it comes to Disney, I love the classics, I found some of the later offerings very disappointing, it was suggested I may like this one, I'm glad I listened, I really enjoyed it.

It's as if Disney took some of the greatest elements from its illustrious history, forged them together, and put a unique twist on them.

The visuals are great I thought, it's a skilled animation, it's bright, it's detailed, it flowed so well. Great music also.

The characters are a hoot, I love that Tiana is a smart cookie, she has the backstory, she's sassy, but she's smart, she's a somewhat different Disney Princess.

It's heaps of fun, I really liked the humour, it's funny, I also loved the villain, Doctor Facilier was a menacing figure, I loved the way his shadow operated independently.

8/10.

When Toy Story was first unleashed on the scene back in 1995 to resounding success, it was the beginning of the end for traditionally hand drawn animated films. They were a dying breed, and as Pixar picked up steam (and inspired countless rivals), Disney began focusing more on the wave of the future and not of the past. But nostalgia is a funny thing, and can help lead to some of the best ideas. And that is where The Princess and the Frog fits in.

Instead of using the now traditional method of computer animation, The Princess and the Frog is like a trip right back into the early 1990s. Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) is a hardworking woman living in Jazz-era New Orleans with dreams of owning her own restaurant. She is an inspiring individual, but she lacks the wealth needed to buy and restore any buildings. But a chance encounter with a frog, who claims he is actually visiting Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos), leads to a kiss that makes Tiana a whole lot more amphibian.

Although it pales in comparison to the simply magnificent Up, The Princess and the Frog is like a dream come true for anyone who has ever enjoyed Disney films. All the adventure, music and wonder that made classics out of Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid and The Lion King is back and in full form. The trailers predicted the return of a Disney dynasty long thought extinct, and thankfully they were right on the money.

While I had some hesitation towards how gimmicky it sounded for the film to finally make a princess out of an African-American, it actually works in the film's favour. Right from the start, we know we have seen predictable animated and live action films that play out exactly the same as this film does. But throwing in this new invention of a different breed of spunky and independent princess, one so closely timed to the election of President Obama, makes the film more original than any of its contemporaries. While Tiana's attitude is a little bothersome at first, it blossoms into something beautifully inspiring for young girls primarily, but for just about anyone who has ever had a dream before. She is every bit as developed as Cinderella, Snow White, Ariel, Belle or any of the other countless "princesses" Disney has thrown into the mix since 1937.

But while there is a lot of predictability in the script, (even with the clever additions of the likes of a trumpet-playing crocodile aptly named Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley) and a backwoods-speaking firefly named Ray (Jim Cummings)), the film's success rests solely on the visuals on display. Right from the start, we are thrust into this classical looking New Orleans, where even the darkest depths of the bayou seem all the more brightly lit when drawn by Disney animators. There is just such reverence and bravura shown throughout the film that one wonders why hand drawn animation was ditched in the first place. This film only proves how vibrant and imaginative the format can be, and how much easier it lends itself to varying styles. The "Almost There" musical sequence near the beginning of the film is done in a style totally unlike anything else in the film, and is so incredibly well done that you may not even notice. But something like this could never be manipulated or maintained anywhere near as wonderfully in a fully computer generated movie. This speaks volumes for how affective this film is, and that is only in one sequence.

The voice cast is not filled to the brim with well known stars, but each actor voices their part with so much enthusiasm that you may think they all are. Rose, known likely best for her role in the amazingly well choreographed but fatally flawed Dreamgirls, is a clear standout as Tiana. She breathes life into this amazingly well rounded individual unlike anything I ever imagined. She made the audience smile, laugh and weep with her all at once, and never broke a beat when she did it. Much the same goes for Campos, who gives a fun and energetic voice to the off-the-wall prince. Wooley and Cummings are simply excellent in their roles, instantly bringing back memories of treasured Disney characters. Small roles by John Goodman, Terrence Howard and even Oprah Winfrey are all well done.

But this wondrous return to hand drawn animation is not without its problems. The film spends a bit too much time in the middle focusing on Tiana and Naveen, and almost throws away any potential built up for the evil voodoo witch doctor, Dr. Facilier (Keith David). He is a commonly used archetype, but David is just so brilliantly sinister in the role that he practically begs to be shown more than he actually is. His development is stilted, and what easily could have amounted for more pathos and motivation is simply squandered away for more of a love story. It is understandable why it is done, but it is nonetheless disappointing and acts as a bit of a black hole in the story.

Another issue of course, is the underlying stereotypical content in the film. It is not horrendously racist and offensive like I originally assumed, but the conventions are still at play here, and are not entirely glossed over in all instances. Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis) comes off as being played a bit too close to racist conventions, as do many jive-talking individuals who give the twins in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen a run for their money.

But in the end, The Princess and the Frog is a triumph of animation and imagination. It is an enjoyable ride from start to finish, and just may be the start of something beautiful for Disney. Let's just hope that they see the potential in it too.

8/10.

I glanced at the many comments of this Walt Disney 2-D, mostly hand drawn, animated feature to see if any one of them came from where this movie is set-New Orleans, Louisiana. Since many of them were identified as from the United States, I have no idea. Look at my username being used under the movie title and know that the capital city I live in is just a two hour drive to and from the Crescent City. As a result, when watching this feature with my movie theatre working friend, we were wonderfully surprised to see and hear many items unique to the Pelican State: the city newspaper "The Times-Picayune", familiar sights like the French Quarter, and mentions of delicacies like gumbo, beignets, and jambalaya! Add to that a Cajun firefly, a Creole voodoo villain, and an alligator named Louis who plays the trumpet (no doubt a tribute to N.O. native Louis Armstrong-the great Satchmo) and you've got such a stirring melting pot of entertaining supporting characters. But the real treat is the leading characters of Prince Naveen as voiced by Bruno Campos and, especially, that of working girl (in the best sense of the word) Tiana as voiced and sung by Anika Noni Rose who I remembered liking in her last role in Dreamgirls. They're both a little stubborn but when it all comes down to it, they have their own set of charms as well. Two more characters I liked were the rich, white, spoiled girlfriend of Tiana named Charlotte, who really cares for her friend's happiness in spite of her occasional self-centeredness and her father, "Big Daddy" La Bouff, who I immediately recognized as the voice of New Orleans resident John Goodman. Great verbal and visual humor abounds and the songs of Randy Newman seem entertainingly authentic to both the period and setting. So on that note, I highly recommend The Princess and the Frog.

it is an interesting exercise to remake the old flavor of Disney movies. and the result is really good.ordinary ingredients and portrait of a place. a special princess and new direction of story. music like in good musicals. and nothing else. magic, love, nice characters and a lot of references. and the South spirit in a manner who seduce at all. it is a pleasure to see it. for memories, for charming pieces, for few amazing scenes and, sure, for the fairy story. maybe it is not the best but it is so nice than nothing can be a great error. like a party, it has its mark. its air. and, sure, its circle of sin virtues. only a sweet adventure out of reality but with same nostalgic feeling.

The Princess and the Frog is one of the most highly anticipated films of the year. It marks Walt Disney Animation Studio's return to 2D animation, to recapture the era of amazing movies like The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast – timeless tales that have reached audiences across the world. However, unlike these previous movies, The Princess and the Frog does something new. It's an updated take on the classic fairy tale, set in Jazzy New Orleans filled with witch doctors, Maldonian princes, southern lovesick daughters, Jazz playing alligators and even Cajun fireflies! In the midst of all this jazz is Disney's first black princess, Tiana, and her story.

Tiana is a young girl who wants to follow her father's dream and open up her very own restaurant. She works hard, never taking a chance on Prince Charming to sweep her off her feet - she is a realist Disney 'princess' - and that makes her stand apart from the rest. And speaking of breaking from tradition, Prince Naveen is another fresh take on the classic Disney prince. He gets a fair amount of screen time and shows us that princes are more than just stuffy suits. The pair has great chemistry as frogs and their intertwining journey is full of laughs and heart tingling moments sprinkled with some good old Disney magic. Disney Animation Studios has pulled it off again; they have conjured up something fresh and new and have made it entertaining. Perhaps we can expect greater things for the future because this is a pretty good start.

One of the strongest aspects of this musical is, of course, the music! Randy Newman has provided an array of songs, from bouncy piano songs to gospel to Broadway. There is no one single style of music and Newman serves up a diverse platter accompanied by stunning animation. There are several songs in the movie, perhaps more than needed, but all catchy while bringing a yet another flavor to New Orleans. The downside to these songs is that they are many, short and have the task of pushing story. Their presence feels like designated intervals, sometimes jarring up moments which could have been executed wonderfully without any song.

Pacing and story are the main challenges The Princess and the Frog faces. Too much happens and it happens too fast. There is an engaging plot, obstacles are overcome through action and songs also push the story forward. This leaves us very little time for dwelling in scene. I personally think this is why the movie doesn't feel quite up to par with The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty or The Lion King – there are very few moments which rely on deeper truths or engage with characters' inner struggles and relationships. I wish the directors would have slowed down and let us have a bit more interaction rather than relying on action and songs to advance plot. Also, some crucial events relied on coincidence when they could've been worked into the plot more skillfully. Despite these minor drawbacks, the Princess and the Frog still delivers an entertaining story.

Personally, I think the darker a Disney film is, the more interesting it will be. It lends a sense of reality and tells me that despite its catchy songs and humor, the movie takes itself seriously. Princess and the Frog definitely takes itself seriously. One of the main reasons I wanted to see this film was because of Dr. Facilier. He makes the film tastefully dark and shows us that even a Disney story can chill audiences. The voodoo world is intoxicating, full of intrigue and Facilier's theme song tells us he is a villain with style rivaling the likes of Jafar or Scar. However, unlike the previous villains, Facillier doesn't constantly trump the heroes after his first appearance. Villains kind of get a backseat in the movie - some people might not like this so beware!

Despite its darker side, the movie is surprisingly funny and downright hilarious. Like the old classics, the movie is timeless in a way. It doesn't reference any modern pop culture. There are lots of things that made audiences laugh, some more than others. There is no one type of humor strung throughout the whole film. Without giving anything away, I would also like to say the humor gets pretty risqué at times but it's welcoming because it tells us Disney is not excluding anyone from the audience.

There are some very spectacular moments of animation in this film. The characters are drawn in the 90's classic Disney style and don't have extremely stylized or exaggerated features that we've seen in later works like Emperor's New groove or Home on the Range. This blast from the past is a breath of fresh air. 2D animation is here to stay.