To sum up my thoughts on Disney's latest "The Princess and the Frog" in as few words as possible: It's 'bout time. Yes. Classic cell-animated pictures are alive and well again. Gone are the days of "Lilo of Stitch" and hello the brand new day that the new Pixar-infused Disney animation department has brought us. From the beginning where we see Disney Animation's new company logo of the first shot of "Steamboat Willy" to the end, this is classic Disney at its finest. Not racist Disney but the Disney with a song in its heart.
Before I dive in, I want to bring up something that has possibly troubled people from seeing this movie: good old-fashioned Disney racism. It's true that a lot of the film feels more like a mythical version of New Orleans than what it was historically. However, surprisingly, the racism of the era (around the 1920's/30's) in South is brought up albeit passingly. It really doesn't fit in the film's overall feel but it's not washed away from the picture entirely.
It's interesting how the film really doesn't dwell on sadness. The entire film is just one big, giant happy sopository. And it is beautiful. Oh G-d is it beautiful. From the swamps to the city, everything is rendered in such minute detail that it will probably take a few more viewings just to see more of what the animators left around. Sticking around after the end credits, I found it fascinating that the animators on the project were broken up by character. It really shows on the screen. A special kudos is in order for the team that brought Charlotte to life. Charlotte's character in particular wouldn't be as memorable if it weren't for the team behind her. She moves so fast yet so fluid that it would make The Flash do a double take.
Speaking of the animation, the musical sequences in this are some of the most extravagant and mind-blowing pieces of work I have seen in a long while. At the end of every sequence, I just wanted to stand up and applaud. Of course, I didn't, I don't want to look like a crazy person. Some of this applause has to go to Randy Newman, the sometimes unsung hero of Pixar. Returning to the territory of his greatest album "Good Old Boys", Newman brings an energy and wit to the songs and lyrics that really brings all of the latest Disney crap to shame. You know who I'm talking about *cough*HannahMontana*. Heck, it even brings a lot of musicals now out on Broadway to shame *cough*Shrek*cough*.
Look, if I didn't convince you to see this movie after gushing all about it, then do yourself a favor and pay good money for it so it can prove to Disney that cell-animated films aren't dead. They're tanned, rested, and ready for a new wave of golden age goodies that we haven't seen since the beginning of the 90's. The musical animated film is back for better or worse. Hopefully Dreamworks doesn't get their hands on it *shudders*.
Rating: 9/10
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