The Princess and the Frog

The Princess and the Frog

I've long been a fan of Disney animated features, both the "old school" style of 101 Dalmatians and Peter Pan, and the newer computer-enhanced one such as Beauty and the Beast. The Princess and the Frog was Disney's 2009 entry in that series, and featured a return to mostly hand-drawn art, featured Disney's first African-American heroine, and focused on a culture -- Cajun/Creole -- that had never been done by the studio before. I found this one to be only partially successful. The animation artwork seemed very uneven in quality, and although the instrumental score by Randy Newman was flavorful, his originals songs were surprisingly forgettable...a cardinal sin for a Disney film! The characters, on the other hand, were charmingly engaging, as always for a Disney film. The waitress heroine, Tiana, is spunky and driven, the "cute animal sidekicks" in the form of trumpet-playing alligator Louis and backwoods Cajun lightning bug Raymond were quite fun. The "hero", Prince Naveen, transformed into a frog by his enemies, was kind of bland. All in all, this is certainly a watchable film, but doesn't really stack up well to the classics in Disney's vaults. -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in vocal selections sheet music, junior novelization formats.]

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ Disney's official Princess and the Frog web site ]

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