What is Disney’s role in the modern day? I don’t mean to ask some sort of deep, difficult question like this at the beginning of a review, but it’s an important consideration, one that will inform the rest of this review. How does Disney fit into the yearly list of new films?
So, is Disney a company that makes standard, formulaic animated tales with Randy Newman’s musical compositions to back them, or is Disney a company that should be experimenting with storytelling to create something we’ve never seen? I ask because only one of these groups will have any chance at all of enjoying The Princess and the Frog.Â
What is Disney's role in the modern day? I don't mean to ask some sort of deep, difficult question like this at the beginning of a review, but it's an important consideration, one that will inform the rest of this review. How does Disney fit into the yearly list of new films?
So, is Disney a company that makes standard, formulaic animated tales with Randy Newman's musical compositions to back them, or is Disney a company that should be experimenting with storytelling to create something we've never seen? I ask because only one of these groups will have any chance at all of enjoying The Princess and the Frog. {{page_break}}
The Princess and the Frog is a modern retelling of The Frog Prince with one very important twist: it takes place in New Orleans and stars the first black princess in Disney's history. Tiana grows up poor in New Orleans and dreams about opening her own restaurant with her father. As she gets older, Tiana works hard in order to save up enough to start a restaurant, but a couple of swindling land owners won't let that happen easily. Once she meets Prince Naveen (in frog form, of course), a series of events is set into motion that will either lead her to her dream or into ruin.
Like Up, the film's early minutes are by far its best. The beginning of The Princess and the Frog introduces the viewer to the city of New Orleans, painting an extremely vibrant picture of a city full of life, music, diversity, and passion for living. In a particularly memorable scene, young Tiana cooks gumbo for her family, and the entirety of her poor community gathers to enjoy it together. It's an incredibly genuine scene, and if there's any true emotion found in the film, it's found here.
Past this, however, the film falls apart. Really, once the character depart from New Orleans, the benefits afforded by the setting disappear. The film becomes just another journey, and the swampland is far from an interesting setting. While the New Orleans scenes make the picture feel like something entirely new, the rest of the movie reminds us that it is not.
And make no mistake: this is as typical of a Disney movie as you can find. It's just as formulaic as any classic Disney story, and the storytelling itself doesn't take any risks whatsoever outside of the minor twist to the setting. It's a movie that any adult has already seen before.
What's really a shame, though, is that even the formula isn't executed well. For instance, films like Aladdin succeeded thanks to the likability of their main characters, but separate and, especially, as a couple. The formation of the bond is key, but that bond isn't believable in The Princess and the Frog. This is mainly Tiana's fault: as an adult, she's just not the sort of character that connects with an audience. She works hard and dreams big, but nothing else sets her apart. Naveen, the fun-loving and often hilarious prince, falls for her to easily, and the audience is left wondering why either of them have any bond at all.
Also problematic is that the film never really commits to its story and the themes it presents. While hard work is definitely a theme in the beginning (especially as we see Tiana working two jobs and having no time for herself), it is quickly forgotten during the characters' journey. So, what does the message ultimately end up being? Wish hard for your prince to save you, and you'll get what you need. Contradictory much?
Randy Newman returns for a typical Disney score, and it's perhaps the least memorable score of any film from Disney's history. Newman, frankly, has no business writing music for films anymore, and he has become a blemish to television and cinema alike. When you want an entirely generic, forgettable composition, turn to Newman. It never fails, and Newman is in full force here. The New Orleans jazz peppered into the film feels great, but it is far too sparse. Had those musical themes been more prevalent, this might have been anything but a terrible soundtrack.
Modern animated films are better than this. They have to be better than this. Aside from a decent premise and some well-done classic animation, this film isn't worth any viewer's time, children and adults alike. Worse than being a painfully typical Disney film, The Princess and the Frog is nothing more than a mucous-covered fright that belongs in the swamps.
Overall Score: 4.65 – Terrible. (4s are terrible in many ways. They’re bad enough that even diehard fans of its genre, director, or cast still probably won’t enjoy it at all, and everyone else will leave the theater incredibly angry. Not only are these not worth renting, you should even change the TV channel on them in the future.)
One of the worst films that Disney has to offer, The Princess and the Frog is a lackluster execution of a good concept. Its numerous story, musical, and thematic failures make it a difficult film to watch, especially given the abundance of similar, far better movies.
