Once upon a time, little girls dreamed of growing up and discovering they were princesses – or of at least marrying a prince. Disney made a lot of movies based around that idea, some brilliant, some merely marvelous. The Princess and the Frog harkens back to those days and – although the film is set before and after World War I – brings a combination of modern attitudes, two [count ‘em, two] princesses, and an edge that can only be kindled by magic and dreams.
Young Tiana [voiced Elizabeth M. Dampier] has a gift for cooking – even as little kid, she knows how to bring perfection to her father’s gumbo. Together, they dream of opening a restaurant with her mother’s full support. Sadly, when we meet the grown up Tianna [Anika Noni Rose, The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency], it’s just her and her mother, Eudora [Oprah Winfrey]. She still dreams of that restaurant and is working full shifts at two restaurants to save all the tips and salary she can.
Tiana’s best friend, Charlotte [Jennifer Cody], has dreamt of marrying a prince ever since the two were very young, and the appearance of Prince Naveen of Moldavia [Bruno Campos] definitely gets her attention. Naveen, however, has been cut off, financially, by his parents because he spends all his time having a good time. Add an unhappy servant, Lawrence [Peter Bartlett] and a practitioner of the darker side of voodoo, Dr. Facilier [Keith David] and KA-ZANGO! The prince becomes a frog – a frog who mistakes Tianna for a princess and persuades her to kiss him, with disastrous results.
So what if the plot is a basic opposites attract thing? Sure boy meets girl, who is unimpressed; opposites influence each other, and they realize they’re made for each other. It’s the ways in which writers Ron Edwards and Rob Clements tweak the formula – and the sprightly direction by Clements and John Musker – that make The Princess and the Frog so much fun.
Just the fact that Tianna is a black woman is a major departure – and there are one or two veil references to the racial discrimination of the period [enough for the adults to pick up on it without making a big enough deal of it that children will ask questions] – is a change for a Disney movie. Still, it’s from the instant that the kiss backfires, that this film takes on the mantel of Disney greatness. We meet characters like Ray [Jim Cummings], the Cajun firefly who loves the most beautiful firefly in existence, the evening star; Louis [Michael-Leon Wooley], a trumpet playing, jazz loving alligator who longs to play with the big boys; Mama Odie [Jennifer Lewis], a voodoo woman who lives in the swamp on a uniquely placed boat and gives cryptic advice, and, of course, Charlotte’s father, Big Daddy [John Goodman] – among others.
Dr. Facilier’s magic – not to mention his “friends” – creates some dark, intense scenes [some of the six-year olds in the audience got a bit freaked, while others were just fine; your mileage may vary] that are as scary as the wicked queen’s transformation in Sleeping Beauty. Then there’s the music; the wonderful jazz. Dr. John sings the opening theme song and Randy Newman contributes a fine score [and a few good songs]. There’s even a song written by Leon Russell.
Sure, friendship trumps greed, and Tianna and Naveen learn that each has something to offer the other – but it’s done with such grace and spirit [the two not being mutually exclusive] that it works like a charm. Combine solid characterizations, the swamp, the city of New Orleans and the hot music and the result is delightful. In short, The Princess and the Frog swings like crazy!
Final Grade: A
“The Princess and the Frog” is the latest Disney animated feature and it is exceptionally well done. Though it has a “G” rating, there are some scenes that might be too much for small children. Story is a twist on the original and is set in New Orleans in the 20’s – 30’s. The “princess” is really not one, but there is a prince who is turned into a frog. Lots of vibrant colors and singing, and even voodoo!
GRADE = “A-“