I don't know about you, but I've missed the traditional, hand-drawn, classic Disney musicals, the kind that ended with Mulan in 1998. Don't get me wrong - I do love Pixar and the wonderfully sophisticated movies they make, but the old Disney movies have a certain special quality to them. Maybe it's because we all grew up on them, whether it was The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin for my generation, or Snow White and Pinocchio all those decades ago.
So while The Princess and the Frog, the much-anticipated return to traditional animation form, may be kids' stuff, it's also worth grown-up viewing for anyone with a healthy sense of nostalgia. I know that when I saw the Magic Kingdom intro, I felt pulled back to Sunday night Wonderful World of Disney and all the movies of my youth. But it works because it doesn't just rehash the old, instead finding a new enough variation on the familiar story to hold up to what came before it.
Set during Jazz Age era New Orleans, Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) is a waitress who has always dreamed of opening her own restaurant. Instead of living her life, she's worked two jobs and saved every penny. Rich and lazy party boy Prince Naveen (Bruce Campos) arrives to New Orleans and soon ends up turned into a frog by Voodoo Man Dr. Facilier (Keith David). When froggy Naveen convinces Tiana to kiss him and turns her into a frog as well, they set off on an adventure to regain their human forms. Will they learn their life lessons and fall in love in the process? If you don't know the answers, you've never seen a Disney movie.
While the formula's still intact, the setting and characters do make this feel new beyond the obvious benchmark of "first African-American Disney princess." This older New Orleans may be Disneyfied, but it's still a fun place to visit, and Tiana makes for an immensely likable lead. It's refreshing that Disney took a turn away from the current inclination to stuff animated movies with celebrities. Sure, you may remember Rose from Dreamgirls and Campos from Nip/Tuck, but John Goodman's the most known voice here (outside of Terrence Howard and Oprah in bit parts). The actors all slip into their parts without distracting and make the movie feel all the more timeless.
Mostly though, it's the familiarity that makes Frog successful. Tiana and Naveen meet up with an assortment of colorful animal characters along the way, including an alligator who wants to play jazz and a firefly in love with the North Star, both of whom would fit in just fine in The Jungle Book. The villain is like every other Disney villain, even if the voodoo gives him a new twist. And like all Disney movies, it ends with easily digestible morals and a happily ever after. But while all of that shows how much more ambitious Pixar may be with its stories, that doesn't mean there's not a place for this simpler form, which continues to satisfy each and every time Disney does it.
I do wish the music had been stronger, as all Randy Newman songs kind of sound the same to me (plus I always think of that Family Guy bit from the Y2K episode). But while there's no "A Whole New World" or "I'll Make a Man Out of You," and you likely won't be humming any of the songs a week later, they're all perfectly serviceable and entertaining. The Princess and the Frog may not be in the same league as The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast, but it's a worthy addition to the canon that will hopefully inspire more to follow, proving they still can make 'em like they used to.
