Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), the waitress-turned-frog of The Princess and the Frog, is the first traditionally animated Disney Princess to be introduced since Mulan of 1998. She does a terrifically great job of upholding the standards of Disney’s more modern princesses. Strong, independent, and true to herself, she doesn’t let love (or fun) get in the way of making money to open her own restaurant, a childhood dream she shares with her father, who passes away.
The plot is fairly predictable (after all, it’s a Disney Princess movie), but that doesn’t make it any less entertaining. Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos), playboy extraordinaire of Maldonia, who has recently arrived in New Orleans after being cut off from his parents’ riches, is quick to be lured into the charms of Doctor Facilier’s (Keith David) voodoo magic. Naveen is thus turned into a frog, Tiana kisses Naveen-as-frog, and the rest is, quite frankly, history as Naveen and Tiana must make their way through the Bayou to find a way to become human again. And fall in love, of course.
The storyline does feel decidedly rushed at times and thus doesn’t allow quite enough time for relationships to develop fully. But for a 90-minute film targeted at kids who probably don’t care too much for the trials and tribulations of love, The Princess and the Frog certainly does well enough. Leave it to Disney to create a children’s film that effectively brings both smiles and tears (at the same time!) to the audience and doesn’t shy away from the concept of death. Remember the death of Mufasa in The Lion King? Be ready for such a tearjerker.
What truly makes this film so great, though, is everything that happens on the side, all the details and the care that went into making every character (even the bad guy) worth loving and every scene breathtaking. Disney takes us deep into the heart of New Orleans with lush scenes of the Bayou and retro-animated musical numbers, and deep into the mind of Dr. Facilier, reminding us just how terrifying true villains can be, even when animated.
But in true Disney fashion, love conquers all—from the evilest of villains to the painful heartbreaks of reality—and in this film, love doesn’t make its way to the audience only through Tiana and Naveen but also through an alligator’s love for his music, through a firefly’s unrequited love (or is it?) for the North Star, and through the all-powerful love of family and friendship.
Because in our world today and in this holiday season, The Princess and the Frog reminds us that we mustn’t forget that true love isn’t found only in that special someone but is all around us, if we only open our hearts to it.
Rating: A+
