December 14, 2009 -- This is old-school animation with a jazzy beat and florescent colors. The setting is New Orleans, the way New Orleans used to be before the flood. The story is an old one about an enchanted frog being restored to human form by the kiss of a princess, but with a voodoo twist. It isn't a bad feature film, but the songs are forgettable, Randy Newman has done better before in the “Toy Story” movies, and the characters are a bit weak. This is well below the level of such Disney classics as “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Little Mermaid.”

The story has a hard-working woman, Tiana, in New Orleans saving money for an old sugar mill that she wants to transform into a restaurant. A playboy prince, Naveen, comes to town, thinking he might marry into a wealthy family. His parents have cut him off financially because all he wants to do is party. He makes a deal with a local voodoo practitioner, Dr. Facilier, who dabbles in the dark arts. Naveen is double-crossed and is turned into a frog. When Tiana kisses him, she too, is turned into a frog. The two hide in the swamps while Dr. Facilier sends his shadow demons to find them. He needs the prince's blood to complete his plans to rule New Orleans.

While hiding in the swamps, Naveen and Tiana find Louis, a trumpet-playing alligator and a friendly Cajun firefly, Ray, who help them in their quest to be human again. They travel the dangerous bayou paths to Mama Odie, a voodoo queen, who turns out to be very wise. She sees that both Tiana and Naveen are not on the true path to happiness. She tells them to look within themselves and urges Tiana to remember what her father told her when she was young about what is really important in life, beyond success and money. Meanwhile, in New Orleans, the rich heiress, Charlotte, is about to marry a man who she thinks is Prince Naveen, but who is really someone else in a magical disguise. The disguise is part of Dr. Facilier's evil plan to gain control of the wealth of Charlotte's family. Naveen must reach Charlotte before midnight to foil Facilier's plan and to become human again. Facilier is also hunting Naveen. He need's Naveen's blood to recharge the disguise spell and complete the wedding, which is in jeopardy.

Louis the alligator and Ray the firefly are the film's most engaging characters. Louis is a lot like the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz. Ray is a pure romantic with his heart among the stars. When his final wish is granted, it is a grand poetic vision, reminiscent of great myths and legends of the past. Louis, of course finds his courage and becomes a valued ally to Tiana and Naveen. This is an old school 2D hand-drawn cartoon. It is good to see that Disney has rediscovered the virtues of this storied art form it pioneered. Once, Disney had abandoned it in favor of computer animation. Critics wrote the obituaries of this art form, a bit premature, it seems. The artistic qualities of this film are dazzling. Earlier this year saw the release of another, superior, hand-drawn animated feature, “Ponyo.” “The Princess and the Frog” opened very strong at the box office, setting a December record for an animated film opening, due in no small part to inflation. Old school animation, once left for dead, is back on top. This film rates a C+.

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Copyright © 2009 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
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