Could it be? Is Disney back to releasing...quality films?? Much like Disney's most famous previous outings, The Princess and the Frog is a fairy tale of sorts. On a visit to New Orleans, Prince Naveen is transformed into a frog by Dr. Facilier, the Shadow Man, a practitioner of voodoo. Meanwhile, an ambitious young lady named Tiana works endless shifts as a waitress to fulfill the lifelong ambition shared by her and her late father: to open a glorious restaurant that will be the talk of New Orleans. These very different individuals cross paths at a pre-Mardi Gras masquerade; life will never be the same for them again.
I fully, thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Of the ones I've seen in the past decade, this is definitely the best Disney movie to come out in a long time. Of course, I was a girl who grew up on the Disney musicals like Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid, so it was refreshing to see them return to that format. In so many ways, this movie had a lot going for it.
Visually, The Princess and the Frog is very stunning. I have never been to New Orleans personally, but I can say that it looks gorgeous in this film. I also liked the use of different artistic styles throughout the film, such as the art deco of Tiana's fantasy sequence and the near-psychedelia in the Shadow Man's voodoo ceremony. Although the characters definitely had the "Disney look" about them, it was very cool to see some branching out into different directions.
The vocal cast of this movie was excellent as well. Anika Noni Rose has a powerful, emotional voice that brought life to the character of Tiana, and Bruno Campos performed the part of the prince with charm and humor, something that doesn't always seem to be apparent in Disney princes. Both of these characters seemed to be real people with foibles and flaws, and I think the voice acting went a long way toward giving them dimensionality. Keith David provided an appropriately menacing performance for Dr. Facilier. Especially, though, I appreciated the supporting cast. They added humor and support to the story without going too over-the-top or becoming annoying, a problem in many latter-day Disney films.
The music of this film was greatly appropriate, highlighting the many musical traditions of the American South, from jazz to zydeco. While I liked Randy Newman's songs and score, I don't think it was quite up to the level of many previous Disney efforts. I didn't walk out of the theater humming any of the specific songs. All the same, though, I would willingly listen to the soundtrack if I had the opportunity to do so.
With The Princess and the Frog, I believe that Disney is getting back on track. I'm hopeful that we will see great things from them again in the next few years!
I fully, thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Of the ones I've seen in the past decade, this is definitely the best Disney movie to come out in a long time. Of course, I was a girl who grew up on the Disney musicals like Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid, so it was refreshing to see them return to that format. In so many ways, this movie had a lot going for it.
Visually, The Princess and the Frog is very stunning. I have never been to New Orleans personally, but I can say that it looks gorgeous in this film. I also liked the use of different artistic styles throughout the film, such as the art deco of Tiana's fantasy sequence and the near-psychedelia in the Shadow Man's voodoo ceremony. Although the characters definitely had the "Disney look" about them, it was very cool to see some branching out into different directions.
The vocal cast of this movie was excellent as well. Anika Noni Rose has a powerful, emotional voice that brought life to the character of Tiana, and Bruno Campos performed the part of the prince with charm and humor, something that doesn't always seem to be apparent in Disney princes. Both of these characters seemed to be real people with foibles and flaws, and I think the voice acting went a long way toward giving them dimensionality. Keith David provided an appropriately menacing performance for Dr. Facilier. Especially, though, I appreciated the supporting cast. They added humor and support to the story without going too over-the-top or becoming annoying, a problem in many latter-day Disney films.
The music of this film was greatly appropriate, highlighting the many musical traditions of the American South, from jazz to zydeco. While I liked Randy Newman's songs and score, I don't think it was quite up to the level of many previous Disney efforts. I didn't walk out of the theater humming any of the specific songs. All the same, though, I would willingly listen to the soundtrack if I had the opportunity to do so.
With The Princess and the Frog, I believe that Disney is getting back on track. I'm hopeful that we will see great things from them again in the next few years!