The Princess and the Frog (2009)

Written by Ron Clements, John Musker, & Rob Edwards
Directed by Ron Clements & John Musker

I’ve been trying to start this review for quite a while, and I can never put my finger on how to do so, without being blunt: Princess and the Frog is one of my absolute favorite Disney films.

Our two leads, Tiana and Naveen

It’s a breathtaking return to hand-drawn animation (which, after this film, retires again, save for Winnie the Pooh), and it is glorious. It’s truly hard for me to find something worthwhile to critique about the film, so let’s really revel in what the film gets right.

This art direction is PERFECTION

First, yes, its a princess film, but its a nice update to the concept. No longer taking place “Once upon a time in a faraway land”, this film is set firmly in the 1920’s in New Orleans. I first saw this film before I had traveled to that city, and, having been there, the film captures the beauty and essence of the city perfectly. There is a charm to New Orleans, and Princess and the Frog highlights it, from the constant music that seems to fill the air, to the architecture, even to the cramped cemeteries, with their above-ground tombs, that seem to pop up in random, unexpected places.

The story places some nice twists on traditional princess tropes, where true love’s kiss turns our princess, Tiana, into a frog, instead of resolving the plot. Also, I fully expected, when I watched this film the first time, for Tiana’s friend Charlotte to become an antagonist, but instead puts aside her desire to marry a prince (admittedly, her single defining character trait) to help her best friend.

The finale of “Dig a Little Deeper”, a beautiful explosion of color and music

And the music!! The music in the film is so wonderful, and all but one of the songs is infectiously hummable (“When We’re Human” is a nice but forgettable addition to the stellar score). Hands down, the showstopper is “Dig a Little Deeper”, which, while played at various tempos in entertainment at Disneyland, never sounds better than it does here.

Overall, the film is an utter delight, a wonderful call-back to the Disney Golden Age and the Renaissance. It’s a shame that its lower-than-expected box office performance seems to have ended hand-drawn animation again, but some of the films coming up definitely show that computer animated films can be great, as well.

FINAL GRADE: A+