The Princess and the Frog (2009)

The Princess and the Frog (2009)

After years of struggling to reconnect with audiences in a way that they did during the Renaissance, Disney decided to go back to basics with a traditionally animated musical based on a fairytale, The Princess and the Frog. The result is a film which feels so at home with the other Renaissance classics that it’s like no time has passed at all, as The Princess and the Frog avoids trying to be needlessly hip and instead plays to Disney’s strengths, doing all the things that they know how to do best.

Disney returns to 2D animation here and after the last few features, it’s certainly a sight for sore eyes; even Bolt and to a lesser extent Meet the Robinsons, which were decently animated, are light years behind the quality of Disney’s traditional animation, a fact that audiences were pleasantly reminded of with this feature. Because there had been a reasonably large gap between this and Disney’s last traditionally animated film, the increase in quality between the two looks huge; the film looks incredibly crisp and clear, with a gorgeous and varied colour palette which practically leaps off the screen. The animation is back to Disney’s best, lively and expressive with lots of little touches and examples of the animators going the extra mile to add as much life to the film and its characters as they can. Some of the characters’ movements are so fast and frantic that all you can really do is marvel in awe of how expertly they are animated and how things never get out of the animators’ control, a feeling that has been missing from Disney pictures for some time, at this point; evidently, The Princess and the Frog not only revitalised the Disney formula, but also the passion and interest of its animators, a passion which definitely comes across in this wonderfully animated film. 

Just as the stories and characters of the Renaissance harked back to those of the early Disney films, (although with a modern twist) The Princess and the Frog harks back to those of the Renaissance itself, attempting to recapture the way those movies told classic myths and fairytales in a timeless, but still modern and relevant way; on top of this rather broad point of reference, the film takes more direct inspiration from The Little Mermaid,Aladdin and Hercules, but never feels like it’s copying or cheating, it just takes different elements from these films and combines them together to make a strong narrative and setting of its own. The film is very well structured and paced and with the exception of a single scene where the heroes encounter some hunters, there are really no wasted scenes or pointless moments, everything serves to develop the story and the characters, but is paced well enough that scenes are still given time to breathe and play out without being rushed. This is a relief considering that the majority of the movie is kind of a road movie, with the heroes trying to get through the bayou and then back to New Orleans and Disney road movies have a tradition of being boring and not really going anywhere COUGH The Aristocats COUGH, so it’s a welcome surprise to have one so full of fun, but relevant moments. The film also borrows another of the Renaissance’s typical aims, to approach an aspect of the early Disney movies with a modern perspective, in this instance, the idea of wishing on a star and believing in magic and the power of hope to make your dreams come true. The Princess and the Frog pushes the idea that, although hope is important and you should never give up on it, you can’t just sit around and wait for the world to give you what you want either, you have to go out there and work for your dreams, a good moral which tackles some of the issues people have with Disney films, which they suggest encourage children to wish upon a star and then expect everything to turn out alright; here, Disney reminds us that while we should never lose our optimism, there is no substitute for hard work. 

The characters are a lively and colourful bunch, with the slight of exception of the more low-key Tiana, who can be a bit shaky as a protagonist; on the one hand, she is hard-working and determined, with a lot of agency and attitude for a Disney princess, which is a refreshing change from their typical, overly sweet, pushover personas. On the other hand, this can at times lead to her being, as Naveen himself says, a bit of a killjoy; the point of her character IS that she learns to not always be so serious and that it’s okay to loosen up and have a little fun, but her attitude towards Naveen and Louis can come off as a little holier-than-thou. A little over half-way through she becomes a lot more easygoing and likeable however, so I’d still say she’s one of Disney’s better female protagonists. Naveen is a rarity, a Disney prince with an actual personality and a very likeable one at that! He’s a lazy, free-spirited kind of guy who just wants to have fun and avoids hard work and responsibility whenever he can. This means that he is a bit of a spoiled brat, but it is played in an oblivious and extreme way so that Naveen always comes off as humorously unaware of his own selfishness, rather than deliberately spiteful; he is funny and charming. Though his and Tiana’s relationship is a little rushed, they do have a natural chemistry between them which is bolstered by their individual character development and the fact that they help one another to overcome their flaws and become better people – Tiana teaches Naveen the value of hard work and personal accomplishment, while Naveen teaches Tiana the importance of fun and companionship, as well as professional success. Louis is the comic relief, a big, goofy, cowardly alligator who dreams of being human so he can become a famous jazz musician. While very silly and a little useless, he never moves into “The Hooter” territory, his anxiousness, incompetence and loud personality being used just enough to be funny without going too far and causing him to overstay his welcome. Ray plays a similar role, though he’s more of a fast-talking, easily distracted airhead than a big, loud goofball; he too is funny and likeable, but never takes too much attention away from the main characters.

Charlotte is one of the best animated characters in the movie, her movements are so sudden and energetic and her facial expressions so extreme and full of personality that there’s never a dull moment when she’s on screen. She’s a spoiled, materialistic Daddy’s girl, but like Naveen, isn’t malicious, she’s just oblivious to how less privileged people live; she’s very sweet and very funny. Her father, “Big Daddy” La Bouff is just as sweet, a kindly Southern gentleman who lives in his own little world; he doesn’t appear as much as his daughter, but they work well together when they’re both onscreen. Dr. Facilier takes a lot of inspiration from previous Disney villains, particularly those of the Renaissance, but manages to combine a bunch of their different attributes to become a great one in his own right. Like most of those from the Renaissance, Facilier is a weak and somewhat cowardly villain, who relies on cunning and manipulation to defeat his opponents, rather than brute strength; he is also devious, witty and all around charming. Facilier most resembles a kind of fusion of Jafar, Scar and Hades, though with his own individual quirks and personality traits; I think he can stand quite comfortably alongside some of Disney’s best villains. Lawrence is also a fairy traditional villainous sidekick – bumbling, ineffectual and utterly terrified of his boss; he doesn’t have as strong a relationship with the villain as his predecessors, but he works well all the same.

As with everything else, The Princess and the Frog’s music resembles the Renaissance, as it returns to a traditional musical format which we haven’t seen Mulan. To fit the New Orleans setting, the film is full of big, jazzy numbers, starting off with the appropriately titled “Down in New Orleans”, which introduces the audience to the setting and tone of the film adequately. Next is “Almost There”, a fun chirpy number with a very catchy rhythm; this segment is well animated, with a really cool look and design. “Friends on the Other Side” is a classic Disney villain song and a fantastic number in its own right; it takes inspiration from a number of others, particularly “Poor Unfortunate Souls”, but ramps the rhythm and animation up to an even more frantic pace than that. This song is a lot of fun, a great introduction to Dr. Facilier and overall, the best sequence in the film. “When We’re Human” is another fun, jazzy song; not much else to say, it’s just a good time. “Gonna Take You There” is also fun, though a bit brief; of all the songs it feels the least necessary and honestly doesn’t really need to be there, but it’s certainly not anything bad. “Dig a Little Deeper” is a big, show stopping, gospel number; again, it’s full of fun and energy. Clearly, the film is full of a lot of upbeat numbers; in fact, the only slow song it really has is “Ma Belle Evangeline”, which is effectively the film’s “Whole New World Number”, but I don’t mean that disparagingly, as it’s a nice song and takes the necessary time to slow things down for a moment in such a fast-paced, high energy movie. Though most of the songs are a little simplistic, with basic lyricism and a single musical style running through them, they are still very enjoyable and honestly, after so many years of not having a real Disney musical, it’s just nice to have them at all.

The Princess and the Frog is a great return to the style of the Renaissance, resulting in Disney’s best movie in years. It has no cynicism, no marketing ploys, no attempts to be “cool” or “edgy” and no efforts to disguise what it is – a Disney movie and this sincerity and openness is really what helps it shine so brightly. Beautiful animation, fun songs, likeable characters, an enjoyable story and most of all, a genuine desire to make its audience smile makes The Princess and the Frog a return to form for Disney and one hell of a good time for its audience.

8/10