Review: THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG

Ron Clements and John Musker return to Disney to bring fans the newest in their constantly growing vault of animated classics. The duo that most recently brought us HERCULES and TREASURE PLANET, both of which were far less popular than most Disney animated productions, also deserve credit for two of the most popular ones… THE LITTLE MERMAID and ALADDIN.

The story loosely follows the traditional story, but replaces the princess of the title with a hard-working young woman from New Orleans, a woman with little money and no royalty. Tiana, voiced by Anika Noni Rose, has a dream since her childhood of opening the grandest restaurant in New Orleans with her father. She carries this dream on her back, working two jobs as a waitress and saving every little penny she earns to one day realize her dreams.

Her best friend since childhood is Charlotte, voiced by Jennifer Cody. Charlotte is not a princess either, but rather the hyper-spoiled daughter of “Big Daddy” La Bouff, voiced by John Goodman. Charlotte is not the typical stuck-up rich girl, but rather an excitable young woman obsessed with her own dream of marrying a prince, which has gestated in her mind since Tiana’s mother read fairy tale stories to them as little girls.

When the handsome young Prince Naveen, voiced by Bruno Campos, arrives in town, Charlotte sees the key to making her dream come true. With her father tightly wrapped around her finger, Charlotte arranges to have Naveen invited to a special masquerade party during Mardi Gras with hopes of planting the seeds of marital bliss within the heart of the prince. Unfortunately, the evil Dr. Facilier, voiced by Keith David, seizes the opportunity to manipulate and con Naveen and his jealous, rotund butler Lawrence (Peter Bartlett).

Herein lies the twist. Naveen becomes a frog by way of Dr. Facilier’s voo doo, Charlotte is bamboozled into swooning over a false Prince Naveen and Tiana is mistaken for a princess, thus turning her into a frog as well when she kisses the slimy… I mean mucus-secreting green amphibian with royal blood. This sparks a journey by the two into the swamps of the deep bayou, in hopes of correcting their unfortunate transformations.

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG is interesting in it’s design approach, because it melds the two distinctly different styles into one new feature film. Clements and Musker manage to reincorporate the classic feel of older Disney animated films with their own style. This throwback to a bygone era of Disney is accessorized with a return to the traditional song-and-dance spectacle that made LITTLE MERMAID and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST so successful.

For those who prefer less of the song-and-dance, THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG may still be a quality choice. The musical portions of the film are kept at a comfortable and acceptable minimum, a total of eight, if my count is correct. The original music was written by Randy Newman, a name synonymous with success in this arena. Overall, the music is very accomplished, entertaining and smart. Well-written songs aren’t always par for the course in Disney films, but this one would definitely be an exception.

The song “Down in New Orleans” which is Louis the alligator’s shining moment, is a wonderful jazzy brass production with dynamite energy. Dr. Facilier’s musical moment of darkness “Friends on the Other Side” is devilishly detailed and colorful. All the songs achieve their purpose, but the most marvelous musical production of the film would have to be Mama Odie’s “Dig a Little Deeper” which is influenced by the big vocals of southern gospel. The song is lyrically and musically superb.

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG offers comedy as well as adventure, which any good children’s movie should. During their quest to find the powerful voo doo queen Mama Odie, voiced by Jennifer Lewis, Tiana and Naveen make some friends in a jazz trumpet playing alligator named Louis (Michael Leon-Wooley) and a Cajun firefly named Raymond (Jim Cummings).

Rose and Campos get the job done in their starring roles, but the gem performances come from the supporting cast. Tiana’s parents have a small role in the film, but are given quality moments. Oprah Winfrey voices Tiana’s mother Eudora and Terrence Howard voices her father James. John Goodman gives “Big Daddy” La Bouff a friendly a familiar persona with a thick southern accent, while relative newcomer Jennifer Cody brings Charlotte to life, filled with charming glee and innocently mischievous optimism, if not a tad exaggerated, but in a purely enjoyable way. She’s quite the little firecracker!

Overall, THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG is a good piece of family film with a fairly standard but solid message, a return to quality animation and a sure-fire contender for Academy Award consideration for Best Original Song.