{"id":40808,"date":"2015-07-28T08:00:13","date_gmt":"2015-07-28T12:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/?p=40808"},"modified":"2022-02-05T23:37:54","modified_gmt":"2022-02-06T04:37:54","slug":"movie-review-princess-frog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/movie-review-princess-frog\/","title":{"rendered":"Movie Review: The Princess and the Frog"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"DVD<\/a><\/p>\n

DVD Cover Copyright Disney<\/em><\/p>\n

The forty-ninth full length animated feature in Disney history, The Princess and the Frog <\/em>was theatrically released on December 11, 2009. It is based loosely on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale \u201cThe Frog Prince\u201d and is ninety-seven minutes in length.<\/p>\n

Back to the Past and the Future<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Princess and the Frog<\/em> was in many ways a throwback film for Disney. The movie was Disney\u2019s first hand-drawn animated feature since the critically-panned Home on the Range <\/em>(2004), a development ensured by Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter\u2019s desire to continue to mix hand-drawn animation with modern computer-generated animated flicks, such as Chicken Little<\/em> (2005), Meet the Robinsons<\/em> (2007), and Bolt <\/em>(2008). (1)<\/p>\n

The Princess and the Frog<\/em> also returned legendary directors John Musker and Ron Clements to Disney. The duo previously directed The Little Mermaid <\/em>(1989), Aladdin <\/em>(1992), Hercules <\/em>(1997), and Treasure Planet <\/em>(2002) for the company. (2)<\/p>\n

The film was not completely old fashioned, however. The Princess and the Frog<\/em> broke new ground with Tiana becoming the first African American princess in Disney history.<\/p>\n

Reception<\/strong><\/p>\n

The film was well received critically but garnered only average returns at the box office, perhaps because boys were turned off by the word \u201cprincess\u201d in the title. (3) Such was the conclusion of Disney\u2019s research team and a key reason why the project \u201cRapunzel\u201d was renamed Tangled<\/em> the following year. (4)<\/p>\n

Plot Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n

In early twentieth century New Orleans, a young woman named Tiana tirelessly labors as a waitress at Duke\u2019s Caf\u00e9 to earn enough money to open her own restaurant, a goal originally proposed by her late father. She is well short of the requisite money, but, out of the blue, her rich friend Charlotte La Bouff affords her the balance in exchange for a ton of delicious beignets to entice the visiting Prince Naveen of Maldonia at a masquerade ball.<\/p>\n

\"ThePhoto Copyright\u00a0Laurie Eck<\/em><\/p>\n

On the way to the party, Prince Naveen makes a wrong turn. He decides to deal with a voodoo witch doctor named Dr. Facilier, who turns Naveen into a frog and plans to use the Prince\u2019s valet, Lawrence, to elevate himself into the most powerful man in The Big Easy!<\/p>\n

As if this dark magic was not bad enough, Tiana is simultaneously informed that she has been outbid for the building she wants for her restaurant. Tiana is devastated, and New Orleans is in grave danger of being duped into disaster. What will become of the girl and her city?<\/p>\n

Priorities<\/strong><\/p>\n

The protagonists of The Princess and the Frog <\/em>struggle with a common problem: finding the proper balance between work and leisure. Similarly, it is shown that effort, rather than mere magic, is needed to make one\u2019s dreams come true.<\/p>\n

Book Covers<\/strong><\/p>\n

The most complex character in the movie is Charlotte La Bouff. Seemingly selfish on the surface due to her father\u2019s spoiling, Charlotte is actually incredibly selfless. As the old saying goes, \u201cdon\u2019t judge a book by its cover.\u201d<\/p>\n

Music<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the tradition of Disney\u2019s greatest animated movies, The Princess and the Frog<\/em> is a musical. The vast majority of the film\u2019s soundtrack is the work of Randy Newman, who previously contributed music to such Disney and Pixar films as James and the Giant Peach <\/em>(1996), Toy Story<\/em> (1995), A Bug\u2019s Life <\/em>(1998), and Monsters Inc. <\/em>(2001). (5)<\/p>\n

Two of Newman\u2019s songs from The Princess and the Frog<\/em>, \u201cAlmost There\u201d and \u201cDown in New Orleans,\u201d were nominated for \u201cBest Original Song\u201d at the 2010 Oscars, though \u201cThe Weary Kind\u201d from Crazy Heart <\/em>took the prize. Newman had previously won an Oscar for Best Original Song in 2002 with \u201cIf I Didn\u2019t Have You\u201d from Monsters Inc.<\/em>, and he won again in 2011 for \u201cWe Belong Together\u201d from Toy Story 3<\/em> (2010).<\/p>\n

On the whole, I think The Princess and the Frog<\/em>\u2019s soundtrack is exceptional and ranks with any of the gems from the 1990s and above those of \u00a0Tangled\u00a0<\/em>(2010) and\u00a0Frozen <\/em>(2013). The songs, unfortunately or otherwise, just do not receive as much exposure as those from other Disney films.<\/p>\n

Humor<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Princess and the Frog<\/em> is not a comedy, but laughs are had throughout.<\/p>\n

Charlotte appreciates frogs more than Tiana. Indeed, the latter finds these amphibians disgusting. Eww, slimy!<\/p>\n

Much to Lawrence\u2019s chagrin, Prince Naveen is quick to assimilate to New Orleans. Lawrence would rather get on to the masquerade ball than dance in the street.<\/p>\n

Louis the alligator brings awkwardness, bluntness, and a mean Satchmo impression. Man, can he play that trumpet!<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>Photo Copyright Liliane Opsomer<\/em><\/p>\n

Three frog hunters are concurrently inept and hampered by Murphy\u2019s Law, not a good combination.<\/p>\n

Though seemingly burnt out at first appearance, Ray the firefly retains much energy. He can turn entangled frogs into a disco ball and travel at nearly supersonic speeds. Ray to the rescue!<\/p>\n

Relationship to Other Disney Films<\/strong><\/p>\n

A bayou was previously featured in The Rescuers <\/em>(1977).<\/p>\n

As in The Little Mermaid<\/em>, a character in The Princess and the Frog <\/em>uses magic to change his or her identity for the sake of forging an ill-conceived marriage. Additionally, most of the bayou scenes in The Princess and the Frog<\/em> remind me of Mermaid<\/em>\u2019s \u201cKiss the Girl\u201d scene.<\/p>\n

Several characters wish upon a star, an act prominently introduced in Pinocchio <\/em>(1940).<\/p>\n

A major European figure also visited America in Pocahontas<\/em> (1995).<\/p>\n

Big Daddy La Bouff\u2019s costume at the masquerade ball is reminiscent of the title character from Hercules<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Animals previously played musical instruments in The Aristocats <\/em>(1970).<\/p>\n

In the Parks<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tiana regularly interacts with guests in the Liberty Square section of Walt Disney World\u2019s Magic Kingdom.<\/p>\n

Two hotels at Walt Disney World, \u201cPort Orleans Riverside\u201d and \u201cPort Orleans French Quarter,\u201d are themed after New Orleans. Both of these resorts are priced in the \u201cmoderate\u201d category.<\/p>\n

Though not prepared by Tiana, guests at Walt Disney World can enjoy beignets throughout the day at Port Orleans French Quarter\u2019s \u201cSassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory\u201d food court. At Disneyland in California, beignets and other Cajun offerings are available at Downtown Disney\u2019s \u201cRalph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen\u201d and Disneyland Park\u2019s \u201cCaf\u00e9 Orleans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Disneyland Park features an entire land, \u201cNew Orleans Square,\u201d dedicated to the famed city. Here, guests can enjoy a pair of classic attractions in \u201cPirates of the Caribbean\u201d and \u201cThe Haunted Mansion,\u201d and dine at \u201cCaf\u00e9 Orleans\u201d and \u201cBlue Bayou.\u201d The latter establishment offers views of \u201cPirates of the Caribbean.\u201d A portion of Tokyo Disneyland\u2019s Adventureland is also themed after New Orleans.<\/p>\n

Overall<\/strong><\/p>\n

With heartwarming moments, whimsical characters, and an amazing soundtrack, The Princess and the Frog<\/em> is a contemporary Disney gem.<\/p>\n

Notes<\/strong><\/p>\n

1) Germain, D. (2009, December 10). That Disney magic is back — in the bayou. The News Journal<\/em>. Retrieved June 28, 2015, from http:\/\/0-search.proquest.com.alpha1.suffolk.lib.ny.us\/docview\/275300602?accountid=35174<\/a><\/p>\n

2) Ibid.<\/p>\n

3) Barnes, B. (2010, November 21). Disney Ties Lots of Hopes To Lots of Hair. New York Times<\/em>, p. AR8. Retrieved June 28, 2015, from http:\/\/0-search.proquest.com.alpha1.suffolk.lib.ny.us\/docview\/1478001815?accountid=35174<\/a>; Barnes, B. (2013, December 2). Boys Don’t Run Away From These Princesses: [The Arts\/Cultural Desk]. New York Times<\/em>, p. C.1. Retrieved June 28, 2015, from http:\/\/0-search.proquest.com.alpha1.suffolk.lib.ny.us\/docview\/1462757323?accountid=35174<\/p>\n

4) Ibid.<\/p>\n

5) Himes, G. (2011, February 25). In Newman, lyric meets satiric. The Washington Post<\/em>, p. WW.5. Retrieved June 29, 2015, from quest.com\/docview\/853671562?accountid=35174<\/p>\n

What do you think of The Princess and the Frog? Let me know in the comments!<\/em><\/p>\n

Sponsored Ad:<\/strong>\u00a0 Would you like to help support The Mouse For Less website in continuing their mission of being THE Disney vacation planning resource?\u00a0 You can do so by purchasing The Princess and The Frog<\/a> from our Affiliate Link through Amazon. Thanks so much for your support!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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    DVD Cover Copyright Disney The forty-ninth full length animated feature in Disney history, The Princess and the Frog was theatrically released on December 11, 2009. It is based loosely on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale \u201cThe Frog Prince\u201d and is ninety-seven minutes in length. Back to the Past and the Future The Princess and the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":40809,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40808","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-disney-movies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40808"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40808\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82576,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40808\/revisions\/82576"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}