There's Still Some Magic in Disney.

The Princess and the Frog

Directed By: Ron Clements & John Musker

Starring: Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, & Keith David

I have truly missed movies like The Princess and the Frog...no, not because it is a return to the classic hand-drawn animation that made Disney so wonderful. Certainly, that is an added bonus; watching a movie brought to life without all of the bothersome 3D or slick (but now overused) computer-generated animation is simply refreshing. I felt like a kid again. But, that isn't what makes this movie so special. What makes it come alive is that it is an animated movie, perfectly appropriate for children and their parents, that is every bit as charming and lovely as it should be. This movie, so beautifully drawn, is a throwback to a simpler time, when family movies were made to actually tell stories rather than to sell products. The story is reminiscent of other classic Disney princess stories. Tiana (voiced by Anika Noni Rose) is a young woman living in a poor section of New Orleans. The daughter of an aspiring restaurant owner who died in war before his dream could come true, Tiana wants nothing more out of life than to fulfill her father's dream and open up the most beautiful and elegant restaurant in the entire city. Working two jobs and saving every penny she makes in tips, she finds her dream even more unobtainable when the amount she needs to rent a building is suddenly raised. All of that changes when Prince Naveen (voiced by Bruno Campos), a prince who was just cut off by his parents for his philandering ways and bad boy antics, comes to town looking for a wealthy bride.

Upon his arrival, however, Prince Naveen is transformed by a villainous voodoo magician, Dr. Facilier (voiced by Keith David), into a frog. Naveen, now green and covered in mucus, makes his way to a nearby costume party where Tiana, dressed like a princess, is catering. Remembering the story of the frog prince from his childhood, he assumes that he must kiss a princess to return to his human form...and so he kisses Tiana...but she isn't a princess and, therefore, she is transformed into a frog too! Together, they must go on a whirlwind adventure through the bayou and across New Orleans to stop Dr. Facilier and escape the curse that has made them amphibians. Though the story sounds a little over-complicated when written out, it is told with fluidity and elegance, speckled here and there with fantastically-animated musical numbers. The songs are not the instantly-memorable ones that you might expect; in fact, with only a few exceptions, most of them are rather dull and seem wholly unnecessary, but they do not drag down the otherwise sparkling story too much. In fact, the production of the scenes that display these songs are so well-done and beautifully-creative that you hardly mind the otherwise lackluster musical numbers.

I have always believed that family movies should be appealing to everyone. Children should be able to watch them...parents should be able to watch them...and everyone else should be able to watch them without feeling as though they are being isolated. Often, a reliance on scatological humor that is funny to young children, but to no one else is severely problematic; screenwriters find that, when they cannot come up with a fresh joke, they just need to make a character fart to elicit hearty belly laughs from the five-year-olds in the audience. That's fine and well...except that our children deserve so much better than that. They deserve animated movies that are intelligent and thoughtful while displaying a vibrant effort and rejuvenating creativity. The Princess and the Frog contains all of these necessary ingredients. There are none of the lame and hokey gags that have become so prevalent in family movies. There is also none of the risque or suggestive humor that is meant to entertain parents, but serves only to make them feel awkward and uncomfortable while watching movies with their young children. Usually, to find a pure and lovely animated movie, you would need to watch a movie made by Disney and Pixar. That Disney has made The Princess and the Frog on its own shows that they still have the magic that made us believe in true love's first kiss. It's been hidden for a while now...but it's back again.