Review: The Princess and the Frog
So I've been waiting for this movie pretty much since 2007 (or whenever they announced it...I think it may have been before that, and I started dancing in my seat with excitement), and my expectations for it were pretty high. The two-second review is that it met all of those expectations, though it did not surpass them (as was the case with Enchanted, which blew me away, to put it mildly). It did most things right, a few things very right, and even fewer things not so right, but overall, it was a beautifully-made movie that recalled (at least for me) what Disney can be when it's as concerned with quality as it is with cash.
I'll start with what I didn't like, because that list is much shorter.
The primary problem I had was the same one Kyle had...the exposition seemed much shorter than it could have or should have been. I know the focus of the movie was supposed to be Tiana, so it makes sense that we got to know her a bit more than the other characters, but I don't think it would've hurt to give Prince Naveen, Lawrence, and Dr. Facilier a tiny bit more exposition. They barely more than appeared onscreen before we were all swept into the wonderful "Friends on the Other Side" (because that song was a blast), and the effect was a bit jarring. There wasn't quite enough given about Naveen, Lawrence, and Facilier to really determine what kind of characters they were until after that scene took place. Even a bit more to demonstrate Naveen's irresponsible ways, Lawrence's resentment, and Facilier's greed would've done the trick...not even a huge song-and-dance, but perhaps a longer scene between Lawrence and Naveen, and maybe a bit more of Facilier scamming people (admittedly, his first scam with the guy's hair made me snort).
The second problem I had was that I don't think the movie got across clearly the message it really wanted to get across. Because of a few lines, it seemed like the message was that you can't be happy with your dreams unless you're in love, which I don't think is what Disney was going for ultimately. I think what they were trying to say was that family, friendship, and the relationships you build with people are more important than any material dream, but a few lines made it seem like it was about romance instead. I don't completely disagree with the romance angle (speaking from experience, the line where Tiana tells Naveen, "My dream wouldn't be complete without you," is a pretty accurate description of how I feel about Kyle), but I also think that it's not really true. No, your material dreams aren't worth as much as the relationships you build with people, but you don't have to be in love to have those sorts of dreams. So that grated, but it only came across in a couple of lines, so I think it may have been unintentional on Disney's part.
The final problem I had was with the music. Don't get me wrong--I thought the songs were very catchy and was tapping my feet and humming along with all of them, but I think they were significantly less catchy than the songs of the Disney Renaissance...there was nothing I'd categorize with great songs like "Never Had a Friend Like Me," "Under the Sea," and "Be Our Guest." In other words: I love Randy Newman, but Disney should've kept Alan Menken on for this project. It's been two years since Enchanted, so it doesn't feel like Menken overload, and I think that a handful of Menken numbers would've taken what is a pretty good soundtrack and made is spectacular.
NOW! Onto the good.
The story itself made me pretty happy. I liked how a lot of the Disney conventions were pretty much turned on their heads, while still respecting the power of the kind of story only Disney can tell. Tiana as a girl working two jobs to make her dreams come true instead of sitting on her bottom, waiting for Prince Charming to rescue her...that was a pretty cool thing to see. I love the films of the Disney Renaissance and all, but I always found myself getting furious when the heroines responded to being in trouble by screaming and looking terror-stricken until the prince saved the day...I mean, we had it in The Little Mermaid (Ariel at the bottom of the maelstrom screaming as Ursula tries to zap her while Eric stabbities), Beauty and the Beast (Belle fails at defending herself against wolves and only screams until the Beast roars in and pwns), and Aladdin (Jasmine in that entire end sequence...which pissed me off the most because in the rest of the movie, she's shown as independent and capable, keeping up with Aladdin, calling him on his bullshit, and refusing to do what everyone wanted her to do, but suddenly, when Jafar's in charge, she's all "EEK! SAVE ME!").
There were other conventions turned on their heads as well. The dead parent cliche is still there, but interestingly, it's Tiana's father who's dead and not her mother, which is a first for Disney Princesses (yes, Snow White and Cinderella both had mother figures, but they weren't kind and supporting like Disney father figures tend to be...I mean, have you ever seen a Disney father who's a jerk or a deadbeat?). The prince isn't perfect...in fact, he's kind of a jerk until his love for Tiana transforms him (literally and figuratively). The other girl the princess' age isn't a rival in any sense of the word, and the rich people with power aren't complete and total twats.
I also thought the animation was great, even beautiful. It kind of served as a reminder to me that, no matter how advanced digital renderings can be, hand-drawn animation always seems to have more heart. I mean, I love Pixar as much as the next person, but I felt much more warmth in this picture than I even felt in WALL-E, which is possibly the warmest and tenderest computer animated film ever. The colors were gorgeous and rich, and the depiction of New Orleans and the bayou were just dazzling. I loved the shadow people and the bright greens, yellows, and purples against the blues and greys of New Orleans...just gorgeous.
Of course, I liked the main characters. They were adorable in their individual ways...as capable and hard-working as Tiana is, she is realistically very turned off at kissing a frog and then later, at kissing a frog and eating a bug in the same day, and it's adorable. Naveen's (inner) transformation from a ne'er-do-well selfish brat who wouldn't do anything for anyone else to a man who would move heaven and earth to grant the wishes of the woman he loved was charming to watch. Ray made me bawl like a little baby (SPOILER!!! especially his death and that he took his place beside Evangeline), and Louis was hilarious...I loved the scene that explained why he doesn't play on riverboats leik woah. Mama Odie cracked me up, Dr. Facilier was great, and I didn't hate Oprah! (I know, stop the presses)
What I really loved...well, it really boils down to two things.
First, I loved the entire ending, from the point where they get back to New Orleans right on through the credits. I loved that Tiana saved the day, I loved Facilier's death (admittedly, I was sad to see such a great villain be dragged down to hell), I loved Ray's death and ascent to the sky to join Evangeline (even though I knew that was coming, it still made me cry), I loved the froggy wedding, I loved the finale song, I loved the way Tiana and Naveen were drawn in that last sequence (I don't know, there's something about the way people who are madly in love with and married to each other that the animators captured perfectly throughout that sequence). What I loved even more is that the film didn't rely on a sort of deus ex machina to bring our heroes back to humanity, but rather something that made perfect logical sense and was somewhat unexpected (Kyle didn't see it coming, and I only did because I read the storybook beforehand).
Second...CHARLOTTE LA FREAKIN BOUFF. Oh. My. God. She is quite possibly my favorite Disney character of all time, largely because she's kind of, um, me. She was the ridiculous Disney Princess fan (that I totally am), but she was also incredibly loving towards Tiana...you could tell that they were really friends. And her animation and expressions were just so cute. AND HER DRESS OMG. Her dress in the ballroom scene was just hilarious. I cannot stop laughing about that skirt. I mean, the shots from above just had me falling out of my chair giggling. I loved her so much. I wish there was a Charlotte doll, too. I mean, she's going to be a princess, too! In about twelve years, but still!
Overall, I give this movie a solid A. It was exactly what I expected it to be, with a few reaches into excellence that still have me smile. It had its weaknesses, but I'd rank it around probably Aladdin, as far as quality goes. It's making me happy to be a Disney fan, happier than I was before John Lasseter took over the animation department. He and Iger deserve major props for creating this, and I think we can expect great things from the studio in the coming years.
I'll start with what I didn't like, because that list is much shorter.
The primary problem I had was the same one Kyle had...the exposition seemed much shorter than it could have or should have been. I know the focus of the movie was supposed to be Tiana, so it makes sense that we got to know her a bit more than the other characters, but I don't think it would've hurt to give Prince Naveen, Lawrence, and Dr. Facilier a tiny bit more exposition. They barely more than appeared onscreen before we were all swept into the wonderful "Friends on the Other Side" (because that song was a blast), and the effect was a bit jarring. There wasn't quite enough given about Naveen, Lawrence, and Facilier to really determine what kind of characters they were until after that scene took place. Even a bit more to demonstrate Naveen's irresponsible ways, Lawrence's resentment, and Facilier's greed would've done the trick...not even a huge song-and-dance, but perhaps a longer scene between Lawrence and Naveen, and maybe a bit more of Facilier scamming people (admittedly, his first scam with the guy's hair made me snort).
The second problem I had was that I don't think the movie got across clearly the message it really wanted to get across. Because of a few lines, it seemed like the message was that you can't be happy with your dreams unless you're in love, which I don't think is what Disney was going for ultimately. I think what they were trying to say was that family, friendship, and the relationships you build with people are more important than any material dream, but a few lines made it seem like it was about romance instead. I don't completely disagree with the romance angle (speaking from experience, the line where Tiana tells Naveen, "My dream wouldn't be complete without you," is a pretty accurate description of how I feel about Kyle), but I also think that it's not really true. No, your material dreams aren't worth as much as the relationships you build with people, but you don't have to be in love to have those sorts of dreams. So that grated, but it only came across in a couple of lines, so I think it may have been unintentional on Disney's part.
The final problem I had was with the music. Don't get me wrong--I thought the songs were very catchy and was tapping my feet and humming along with all of them, but I think they were significantly less catchy than the songs of the Disney Renaissance...there was nothing I'd categorize with great songs like "Never Had a Friend Like Me," "Under the Sea," and "Be Our Guest." In other words: I love Randy Newman, but Disney should've kept Alan Menken on for this project. It's been two years since Enchanted, so it doesn't feel like Menken overload, and I think that a handful of Menken numbers would've taken what is a pretty good soundtrack and made is spectacular.
NOW! Onto the good.
The story itself made me pretty happy. I liked how a lot of the Disney conventions were pretty much turned on their heads, while still respecting the power of the kind of story only Disney can tell. Tiana as a girl working two jobs to make her dreams come true instead of sitting on her bottom, waiting for Prince Charming to rescue her...that was a pretty cool thing to see. I love the films of the Disney Renaissance and all, but I always found myself getting furious when the heroines responded to being in trouble by screaming and looking terror-stricken until the prince saved the day...I mean, we had it in The Little Mermaid (Ariel at the bottom of the maelstrom screaming as Ursula tries to zap her while Eric stabbities), Beauty and the Beast (Belle fails at defending herself against wolves and only screams until the Beast roars in and pwns), and Aladdin (Jasmine in that entire end sequence...which pissed me off the most because in the rest of the movie, she's shown as independent and capable, keeping up with Aladdin, calling him on his bullshit, and refusing to do what everyone wanted her to do, but suddenly, when Jafar's in charge, she's all "EEK! SAVE ME!").
There were other conventions turned on their heads as well. The dead parent cliche is still there, but interestingly, it's Tiana's father who's dead and not her mother, which is a first for Disney Princesses (yes, Snow White and Cinderella both had mother figures, but they weren't kind and supporting like Disney father figures tend to be...I mean, have you ever seen a Disney father who's a jerk or a deadbeat?). The prince isn't perfect...in fact, he's kind of a jerk until his love for Tiana transforms him (literally and figuratively). The other girl the princess' age isn't a rival in any sense of the word, and the rich people with power aren't complete and total twats.
I also thought the animation was great, even beautiful. It kind of served as a reminder to me that, no matter how advanced digital renderings can be, hand-drawn animation always seems to have more heart. I mean, I love Pixar as much as the next person, but I felt much more warmth in this picture than I even felt in WALL-E, which is possibly the warmest and tenderest computer animated film ever. The colors were gorgeous and rich, and the depiction of New Orleans and the bayou were just dazzling. I loved the shadow people and the bright greens, yellows, and purples against the blues and greys of New Orleans...just gorgeous.
Of course, I liked the main characters. They were adorable in their individual ways...as capable and hard-working as Tiana is, she is realistically very turned off at kissing a frog and then later, at kissing a frog and eating a bug in the same day, and it's adorable. Naveen's (inner) transformation from a ne'er-do-well selfish brat who wouldn't do anything for anyone else to a man who would move heaven and earth to grant the wishes of the woman he loved was charming to watch. Ray made me bawl like a little baby (SPOILER!!! especially his death and that he took his place beside Evangeline), and Louis was hilarious...I loved the scene that explained why he doesn't play on riverboats leik woah. Mama Odie cracked me up, Dr. Facilier was great, and I didn't hate Oprah! (I know, stop the presses)
What I really loved...well, it really boils down to two things.
First, I loved the entire ending, from the point where they get back to New Orleans right on through the credits. I loved that Tiana saved the day, I loved Facilier's death (admittedly, I was sad to see such a great villain be dragged down to hell), I loved Ray's death and ascent to the sky to join Evangeline (even though I knew that was coming, it still made me cry), I loved the froggy wedding, I loved the finale song, I loved the way Tiana and Naveen were drawn in that last sequence (I don't know, there's something about the way people who are madly in love with and married to each other that the animators captured perfectly throughout that sequence). What I loved even more is that the film didn't rely on a sort of deus ex machina to bring our heroes back to humanity, but rather something that made perfect logical sense and was somewhat unexpected (Kyle didn't see it coming, and I only did because I read the storybook beforehand).
Second...CHARLOTTE LA FREAKIN BOUFF. Oh. My. God. She is quite possibly my favorite Disney character of all time, largely because she's kind of, um, me. She was the ridiculous Disney Princess fan (that I totally am), but she was also incredibly loving towards Tiana...you could tell that they were really friends. And her animation and expressions were just so cute. AND HER DRESS OMG. Her dress in the ballroom scene was just hilarious. I cannot stop laughing about that skirt. I mean, the shots from above just had me falling out of my chair giggling. I loved her so much. I wish there was a Charlotte doll, too. I mean, she's going to be a princess, too! In about twelve years, but still!
Overall, I give this movie a solid A. It was exactly what I expected it to be, with a few reaches into excellence that still have me smile. It had its weaknesses, but I'd rank it around probably Aladdin, as far as quality goes. It's making me happy to be a Disney fan, happier than I was before John Lasseter took over the animation department. He and Iger deserve major props for creating this, and I think we can expect great things from the studio in the coming years.