Movie Review: The Princess and the Frog
Well, my Monday has begun with a plumbing leak and a bit of panic...so there likely won't be a whole lot of bloggery happening today as I wrestle with figuring out how to possibly afford Christmas presents AND the home repairs that are now mandatory. If I sound depressed, that's only because I am. On a positive note, I loved the latest from Disney and had I been afforded the word count, I would have discussed the significance of not only a black princess but a black villain and would have further discussed the value of having Disney provide the basis for some difficult but necessary parental conversations. Instead, this is what I came up with:
Hand-drawn Happy Hoppy
The Princess and the Frog takes a joyous leap back
Although Song of the South, the semi-animated love letter to the master/slave dynamic, has been permanently locked in the Disney home video vault—oh, not to drive up demand, but to deny its existence—its ghost had to haunt the makers of The Princess and the Frog. Already a risky endeavor because of the decision to poo-poo the cash cow of computer animation in favor of a nostalgia-inducing hand-drawn style, directors Ron Clements and John Musker and their team of fellow writers were challenged to transcend such ancestors as the crows from Dumbo, the “savages” from Peter Pan and King Louie from The Jungle Book and finally deliver a black cast worth celebrating. In defiance of their heritage, they did just that and more.
Set in the jazz-age in New Orleans, Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) is deeply loved by her mother (Oprah Winfrey) and father (Terrence Howard), who pass on a wicked work ethic and a dream of owning her own restaurant. Poor but not impoverished, Tiana is contrasted by her best friend, the daffy, sweet, spoiled-rotten rich kid Charlotte (Jennifer Cody), who longs to be married off to royalty. When the voodoo-wielding Dr. Facilier (Keith David) turns Charlotte’s intended suitor, Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos), into a frog, Tiana’s attempt to reverse the curse with a kiss renders her 100% more amphibian. Seeking the aid of Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis), the Louisianan answer to a fairy godmother (and the only character to tiptoe the tightrope of racial stereotype), the pair meet Ray (Jim Cummings), a Cajun firefly, and Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley), a trumpet-playing alligator. Hilarity, romance and Randy Newman songs predictably ensue.
Most notably absent are the winks and nods to the elders in the crowd, relying entirely on nostalgia to ensure the goodwill of the grown-ups. Instead, the film doles out dutiful messages and shovels spoonfuls of sweetness, most endearingly Ray’s misguided romance with the evening star. What cannot be overlooked is the significance of the skilled handling of race; how refreshing to see the blonde, white Barbie doll relegated to the goofy supporting role and how even more inspiring to imagine a multiracial young audience subtly imbibing diversity.
Beyond its significance, The Princess and the Frog is a modern classic, from the gorgeous hand-penciled imagery to the genuinely humorous dialogue. There is nothing wrong with children enjoying the Shreks and Ice Ages of this era; there is just something more right about them enjoying this.
Grade – A-
The Princess and the Frog takes a joyous leap back
Although Song of the South, the semi-animated love letter to the master/slave dynamic, has been permanently locked in the Disney home video vault—oh, not to drive up demand, but to deny its existence—its ghost had to haunt the makers of The Princess and the Frog. Already a risky endeavor because of the decision to poo-poo the cash cow of computer animation in favor of a nostalgia-inducing hand-drawn style, directors Ron Clements and John Musker and their team of fellow writers were challenged to transcend such ancestors as the crows from Dumbo, the “savages” from Peter Pan and King Louie from The Jungle Book and finally deliver a black cast worth celebrating. In defiance of their heritage, they did just that and more.
Set in the jazz-age in New Orleans, Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) is deeply loved by her mother (Oprah Winfrey) and father (Terrence Howard), who pass on a wicked work ethic and a dream of owning her own restaurant. Poor but not impoverished, Tiana is contrasted by her best friend, the daffy, sweet, spoiled-rotten rich kid Charlotte (Jennifer Cody), who longs to be married off to royalty. When the voodoo-wielding Dr. Facilier (Keith David) turns Charlotte’s intended suitor, Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos), into a frog, Tiana’s attempt to reverse the curse with a kiss renders her 100% more amphibian. Seeking the aid of Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis), the Louisianan answer to a fairy godmother (and the only character to tiptoe the tightrope of racial stereotype), the pair meet Ray (Jim Cummings), a Cajun firefly, and Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley), a trumpet-playing alligator. Hilarity, romance and Randy Newman songs predictably ensue.
Most notably absent are the winks and nods to the elders in the crowd, relying entirely on nostalgia to ensure the goodwill of the grown-ups. Instead, the film doles out dutiful messages and shovels spoonfuls of sweetness, most endearingly Ray’s misguided romance with the evening star. What cannot be overlooked is the significance of the skilled handling of race; how refreshing to see the blonde, white Barbie doll relegated to the goofy supporting role and how even more inspiring to imagine a multiracial young audience subtly imbibing diversity.
Beyond its significance, The Princess and the Frog is a modern classic, from the gorgeous hand-penciled imagery to the genuinely humorous dialogue. There is nothing wrong with children enjoying the Shreks and Ice Ages of this era; there is just something more right about them enjoying this.
Grade – A-
Labels: movie review, the princess and the frog
posted by Ryan at
8:57 AM
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