The Princess and The Frog (Three Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo with Digital Copy)
Product Description
After the visual bombast of many contemporary CG and motion-capture features, the drawn characters in The Princess and the Frog, the Walt Disney Studio's eagerly awaited return to traditional animation, feel doubly welcome. Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin), The Princess and the Frog moves the classic fairy tale to a snazzy version of 1920s New Orleans. Tiana (voice by Anika Noni Rose), the first African-American Disney heroine, is not a princess, but a young woman who hopes to fulfill her father's dream of opening a restaurant to serve food that will bring together people from all walks of life. Tiana may wish upon a star, but she believes that hard work is the way to fulfill your aspirations. Her dedication clashes with the cheerful idleness of the visiting prince Naveen (Bruno Campos). A voodoo spell cast by Dr. Facilier (Keith David) in a showstopping number by composer Randy Newman initiates the events that will bring the mismatched hero and heroine together. However, the animation of three supporting characters--Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley), a jazz-playing alligator; Ray (Jim Cummings), a Cajun firefly; and 197-year-old voodoo priestess Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis)--is so outstanding, it nearly steals the film. Alternately funny, touching, and dramatic, The Princess and the Frog is an all-too-rare example of a holiday entertainment a family can enjoy together, with the most and least sophisticated members appreciating different elements. The film is also a welcome sign that the beleaguered Disney Feature Animation Studio has turned away from such disasters as Home on the Range, Chicken Little, and Meet the Robinsons and is once again moving in the right direction. Rated G: General Audiences, suitable for ages 6 and older: violence, some scary imagery, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon
Stills from Princess and the Frog (Click for larger image)
Stills from Princess and the Frog (Click for larger image)
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
★★★★☆ Finally, a movie that can be seen more than once!
First off, I must comment on the blu-ray triple pack of this film. I like that Disney movies have been coming out in these jumbo packs that come with both the dvd and the blu-ray. If you're not interested in one or the other, you can give either as a gift. For example, I had no use for the dvd; so I gave it as a gift to my niece and nephew who love the movie, and I saved myself the twenty dollar price of the DVD by itself. All in all, great bargain.
Now, I want to review this movie. For those of you debating whether this movie is buyable or not; stop thinking, and buy it, especially if you have kids. This film has a lot of the charm that made the classic Disney movies so great, even though I do not think it will be on the shelf with films like The Little Mermaid, Lion King, or Beauty and the Beast; but it may make it as a secondary classic on par with Hercules and Tarzan. The film has many catchy tunes, tunes I memorized within the first week of seeing this film, and I sing them to my niece and nephew any chance I get. The film strays away from many of the Disney film cliches in the way that it breaks away from the tradition of "happily ever after." For one thing, the protagonist is not a rebellious or snobby young woman who thinks solely of herself; she is a hard-working and independent African-American woman striving to make her own dream come true in a world where it's been denied to her. In any case, she is relatable and honorable. When other princesses were unrelentingly wishing upon stars, this princess felt ridiculous doing it. She takes herself too seriously, therefore creating a character that seems too clever to live inside the realm of fairy tales. On the other hand, the prince, rather than be an accessory or one-dimensional (as he is portrayed in films such as Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty), is surprisingly really funny and delivers some really good one-liners (he's finally given a personality we can sympathize with). Just here alone, Disney already broke away from a certain mold. The villain actually plays a really small role in this film, unlike Ursula in Little Mermaid or Jafar in Aladdin. This, however, does not make him a boring adversary. On the contrary, he is interesting since he has quite a debt to pay to his "friends on the other side." The sidekicks, a trumpet-blowing alligator and a Cajun firefly, are very funny and provide some interesting comic relief as well as enhance the theme of looking deep within yourself to find what you need. An interesting character in this film is Mama Odi, an old, blind voodoo witch who practices "white" magic.
Before this film was released in theaters, I heard a lot of speculation that Disney was typecasting and stereotyping African-Americans. That was not what I believed, but I accepted peoples' judgement. When I saw this movie, I did not see anything racist about it. I heard complaints that the princess sounded too black, but I think it would have been insulting if Disney casted a white woman to voice the protagonist. They didn't get a black woman to voice Belle in Beauty and the Beast. I think the voice of princess Tiana had the accent of Old New Orleans, and I think to get insulted from the little things is quite ridiculous. Secondly, I think people should feel honored that finally a princess representing African American women has come along with a lot of depth in her character and a lot of culture and spirit in her heart. Another thing I thought might upset some people was the fact that the villain, Dr. Facilier, was a Voodoo doctor, who they also called the "Shadow Man." I'm sure there are many people who practice voodoo who would argue that Disney made it look like a bad thing. However, the storytellers are quite smart; instead of showing one side to voodoo, they show two, with Mama Odi. Dr. Facilier's positive counterpart in this film is Mama Odi who practices good magic, and is full of insight and wisdom. Therefore, in cancelling each other out, no room is left for speculation or debate. The film was being true to a spirit, a spirit they tried to capture by hiring musicians who spent a great deal of their life in New Orleans. I personally think the film did justice to New Orleans and America, in general. They, the filmmakers, applied various aspects of old African-American traditions to make a film that paid homage to that lush culture.
See this movie; you'll love it, your kids, nieces, nephews, and cousins will love it. It's got zing, it's got heart, and most of all, it's got gumbo. Enjoy.
Now, I want to review this movie. For those of you debating whether this movie is buyable or not; stop thinking, and buy it, especially if you have kids. This film has a lot of the charm that made the classic Disney movies so great, even though I do not think it will be on the shelf with films like The Little Mermaid, Lion King, or Beauty and the Beast; but it may make it as a secondary classic on par with Hercules and Tarzan. The film has many catchy tunes, tunes I memorized within the first week of seeing this film, and I sing them to my niece and nephew any chance I get. The film strays away from many of the Disney film cliches in the way that it breaks away from the tradition of "happily ever after." For one thing, the protagonist is not a rebellious or snobby young woman who thinks solely of herself; she is a hard-working and independent African-American woman striving to make her own dream come true in a world where it's been denied to her. In any case, she is relatable and honorable. When other princesses were unrelentingly wishing upon stars, this princess felt ridiculous doing it. She takes herself too seriously, therefore creating a character that seems too clever to live inside the realm of fairy tales. On the other hand, the prince, rather than be an accessory or one-dimensional (as he is portrayed in films such as Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty), is surprisingly really funny and delivers some really good one-liners (he's finally given a personality we can sympathize with). Just here alone, Disney already broke away from a certain mold. The villain actually plays a really small role in this film, unlike Ursula in Little Mermaid or Jafar in Aladdin. This, however, does not make him a boring adversary. On the contrary, he is interesting since he has quite a debt to pay to his "friends on the other side." The sidekicks, a trumpet-blowing alligator and a Cajun firefly, are very funny and provide some interesting comic relief as well as enhance the theme of looking deep within yourself to find what you need. An interesting character in this film is Mama Odi, an old, blind voodoo witch who practices "white" magic.
Before this film was released in theaters, I heard a lot of speculation that Disney was typecasting and stereotyping African-Americans. That was not what I believed, but I accepted peoples' judgement. When I saw this movie, I did not see anything racist about it. I heard complaints that the princess sounded too black, but I think it would have been insulting if Disney casted a white woman to voice the protagonist. They didn't get a black woman to voice Belle in Beauty and the Beast. I think the voice of princess Tiana had the accent of Old New Orleans, and I think to get insulted from the little things is quite ridiculous. Secondly, I think people should feel honored that finally a princess representing African American women has come along with a lot of depth in her character and a lot of culture and spirit in her heart. Another thing I thought might upset some people was the fact that the villain, Dr. Facilier, was a Voodoo doctor, who they also called the "Shadow Man." I'm sure there are many people who practice voodoo who would argue that Disney made it look like a bad thing. However, the storytellers are quite smart; instead of showing one side to voodoo, they show two, with Mama Odi. Dr. Facilier's positive counterpart in this film is Mama Odi who practices good magic, and is full of insight and wisdom. Therefore, in cancelling each other out, no room is left for speculation or debate. The film was being true to a spirit, a spirit they tried to capture by hiring musicians who spent a great deal of their life in New Orleans. I personally think the film did justice to New Orleans and America, in general. They, the filmmakers, applied various aspects of old African-American traditions to make a film that paid homage to that lush culture.
See this movie; you'll love it, your kids, nieces, nephews, and cousins will love it. It's got zing, it's got heart, and most of all, it's got gumbo. Enjoy.
★★★★☆ (3.5 STARS) Good Old Disney Style
As many reviewers have pointed out, "The Princess and the Frog" is Disney's welcome return to the traditional hand-drawn-style animation. What is more important is that the film is helmed by Ron Clements and John Musker, a director team responsible for two great Disney animations - "Little Mermaid" and "Aladdin" - and, well, less impressive "Treasure Planet." "The Princess and the Frog" marks the "comeback" of the creator pair since the ill-fated sci-fi action adventure, and their latest work, though not perfect, is entertaining enough to remind us of the glorious days of Disney animation.
Tiana (voice by Anika Noni Rose, "Dreamgirls") is a hard-working girl dreaming of one day owning a restaurant in New Orleans. One night she encounters a talking frog begging for just one kiss. This is actually Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos), a spoiled prince magically turned into a frog by voodoo master Dr. Facilier (Keith David). She does, reluctantly though, like in a fairy tale she once read - which is only the beginning of adventures and a romance for Tiana and the prince.
Though "The Princess and the Frog" is an enjoyable tale with colorful designs and talented cast, it doesn't quite reach the height of classic "Little Mermaid" as the film lacks two major characteristics: a compelling story and memorable music. The story starts out interesting with a few unexpected turn of events, but it sags a bit in the middle part. The musical part (songs penned by Randy Newman) is good, but not as great as Alan Menken/Howard Ashman's original songs like joyful "Under the Sea."
What you have instead is Jazz-age New Orleans and everything associated with the city turned into animation - the swamp, the French Quarter, Mardi Gras and Tiana's Cajun cookbook. The goofy trumpet-playing croc steals every scene from the two leads. Maybe not as great as "The Lion King," but "The Princess and the Frog" is a pleasant fantasy tale.
Tiana (voice by Anika Noni Rose, "Dreamgirls") is a hard-working girl dreaming of one day owning a restaurant in New Orleans. One night she encounters a talking frog begging for just one kiss. This is actually Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos), a spoiled prince magically turned into a frog by voodoo master Dr. Facilier (Keith David). She does, reluctantly though, like in a fairy tale she once read - which is only the beginning of adventures and a romance for Tiana and the prince.
Though "The Princess and the Frog" is an enjoyable tale with colorful designs and talented cast, it doesn't quite reach the height of classic "Little Mermaid" as the film lacks two major characteristics: a compelling story and memorable music. The story starts out interesting with a few unexpected turn of events, but it sags a bit in the middle part. The musical part (songs penned by Randy Newman) is good, but not as great as Alan Menken/Howard Ashman's original songs like joyful "Under the Sea."
What you have instead is Jazz-age New Orleans and everything associated with the city turned into animation - the swamp, the French Quarter, Mardi Gras and Tiana's Cajun cookbook. The goofy trumpet-playing croc steals every scene from the two leads. Maybe not as great as "The Lion King," but "The Princess and the Frog" is a pleasant fantasy tale.
★★★★★ Reminiscent of my childhood!
You don't realize how much you missed old school Disney animation until you are completely mesmerized once again by it! Don't get me wrong, the new CGI stuff is cool, but this movie is an instant classic. I felt like a little girl again completely engrossed in "The Little Mermaid" or "Beauty and the Beast". Thank you Disney for this beautiful story, wonderful characters, amazing drawing, and a trip down memory lane!
★★★☆☆ Eh... It's alright....
The movie wasn't necessarily BAD. It simply didn't live up to the hype created by the first ever black Princess. That Disney didn't create a black princess until 2009 is simply shameful, and I don't think the movie lived up to it's potential.
Honestly, it felt like a re-hashed mix-matched version of every other Disney movie that has come before. I've grown up watching Disney movies and had high hopes for this one, but instead saw bits and pieces of every movie I've loved thrown together to a new soundtrack. A soundtrack that sadly sounds like Phil Collins doing jazz.... I can't bring specific moments to mind (I watched it in the theatre when it opened and haven't seen it since), but if you've seen Disney movies several times, you'll see what I'm saying.
I did like aspects of the movie. Princess Tiana is beautiful and gorgeously voiced. But, I find it interesting (and disheartening) that Disney's first BLACK princess is forced into a FROG form 3/4's of the movie. I wish there'd been more African-American culture included in the movie.
I liked the villain. He was scary, but so have ALL Disney villains. I liked the hoo-doo Voo-Doo. It may have been theatrical, but at least it was different than all the other villains (even though this villain looked like Jafar redrawn and had a similar sidekick).
And, I LOVED Lottie, Tiana's friend! She was hilarious, the only character who made me laugh out loud!
The kids liked it, I didn't mind it. I'll buy it and we'll watch it a lot I'm sure, but it will never gain the place in our hearts held by movies like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast.
Honestly, it felt like a re-hashed mix-matched version of every other Disney movie that has come before. I've grown up watching Disney movies and had high hopes for this one, but instead saw bits and pieces of every movie I've loved thrown together to a new soundtrack. A soundtrack that sadly sounds like Phil Collins doing jazz.... I can't bring specific moments to mind (I watched it in the theatre when it opened and haven't seen it since), but if you've seen Disney movies several times, you'll see what I'm saying.
I did like aspects of the movie. Princess Tiana is beautiful and gorgeously voiced. But, I find it interesting (and disheartening) that Disney's first BLACK princess is forced into a FROG form 3/4's of the movie. I wish there'd been more African-American culture included in the movie.
I liked the villain. He was scary, but so have ALL Disney villains. I liked the hoo-doo Voo-Doo. It may have been theatrical, but at least it was different than all the other villains (even though this villain looked like Jafar redrawn and had a similar sidekick).
And, I LOVED Lottie, Tiana's friend! She was hilarious, the only character who made me laugh out loud!
The kids liked it, I didn't mind it. I'll buy it and we'll watch it a lot I'm sure, but it will never gain the place in our hearts held by movies like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast.
★★★☆☆ A little to satanic for me
This had SUCH great potential for a great movie. The characters were cute, storyline was creative....why did we have to bring satan into it? There was an EXTREMELY scarry scene where the prince makes a "blood pact" with the devil in order to find true love. They actually show him pricking his finger and FEEDING the blood to a statue. Umm....all I can say is wow. And people are comparing it to the "evil" in other disney movies. NO WAY. This is actual satanic rituals being played out on a children's movie. I bought it without seeing it first...and now my copy is for sale at Amazon.com. The only reason it gets a 3 out of 5 for me...was because it was the closest thing to a good Disney fairy tale we have had in a long time. Wish we could have left the devil out of it.
Similar Items
●Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel [Blu-ray]
●Astro Boy [Blu-ray]
●Ponyo (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
●Fantastic Mr. Fox [Blu-ray]
●Planet 51 (Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) [Blu-ray]