The Princess and the Frog

It Is Just Perfect

The Princess and the Frog marks Disney's less-than-triumphant return to the realm of 2-D animation with a film that's certain to entertain the children and simultaneously tax the patience of those parents who've become spoiled on the more accessible, multi-layered films of studios like Pixar.

The story of Tiana, a low-class worker in old timey N'Oleans, the film centers around the arrival of Prince Naveen to the city from a far-off fictional country. Tiana, whose dream of one day opening her own restaurant is more an homage to her late father's love of cooking, is closing in on the money she needs for the down payment. But just as her finances are looking up, Prince Naveen's are on the wane. Cut off by his parents and forced to search for a rich princess to marry, he sets his sights on Tiana's friend-slash-employer, the spoiled debutant, Charlotte.

Before he can seal the deal, the local voodoo "shadowman," Dr. Facilier, seduces Naveen and his manservant into a ritual that finds Naveen transformed into a frog and his servant transformed into Naveen. Thinking that a kiss from a princess will bring him back into his real form, he convinces a costumed Tiana to help him, but once the kiss is complete, Tiana herself is transformed into a frog simply because she's not a true princess.

This particular performance also bears the distinction of being perhaps the only truly entertaining number in the whole film – catchy, well-written, brilliantly performed and highlighted by the first-rate animation. The other musical numbers, however, prove less than stellar, offering a tour of Louisiana's rich musical tradition from jazz, zydeco, blues, gospel, etc. It's a noble effort, and most of the songs produced for the film entertain on at least a basic level, but aside from "Almost There," which provides a through-line for the film, the music just feels secondary. Most of the tracks aren't catchy enough, or emotional enough, to inspire a second viewing or a purchase of the soundtrack, and one wonders if the choice of setting didn't limit the filmmakers to a style of music that simply doesn't work for kids these days.

This movie is really good. It's not perfect, but its strengths certainly outweigh its weaknesses. The biggest flaw is that when Naveen and Tiana inevitably fall in love, it doesn't feel like Naveen has earned it. It feel like we're missing the scene where he wins her heart. All of a sudden he likes her and she likes him. Although it takes them a while to admit this love, we still don't know exactly why they fell in love in the first place! That said, every "love" scene they DO have works brilliantly! They really nailed that feeling when you like someone, but you're afraid to say it because you just don't know how they feel about you. It is just perfect.