Disney is back with a new feature-length cartoon. In traditional style this film offers exciting, musical and fun entertainment for the whole family.

Plot
Disney is known for its many charming fairy tale princesses, and in this film a new heroine is introduced. Little Tiana has grown up in New Orleans, and her father teaches her early on that you may wish upon a star, but hard work is needed to fulfil a dream. Tiana takes this seriously, and as a young lady she works double shifts as a waitress, and saves all her money to achieve her life’s goal - to start her own restaurant.

This dream means that Tiana will neither have the time nor the desire to amuse herself as she has absolutely no room for love. But all that is going to change. The handsome Prince Naveen of Maldonia comes to town, and even though Tiana initially helps her upper class friend Charlotte win the prince's heart, something happens that turns Tiana’s life upside down.

It so happens that Naveen gets tangled up in some business with Dr. Facilier, a shady voodoo doctor. He changes Naveen into a frog, and only a kiss from a princess can rescue the prince. Coincidences lead Naveen to Tiana, who he mistakenly believes is a princess. He persuades Tiana to give him a kiss, but because she isn’t a princess, she too is transformed into a frog.

Soon Tiana and Naveen are thrown out on an adventure in the Louisiana swamps. Here they befriend the trumpet-playing alligator Louis, Ray the firefly and the colourful Mama Odie. But it is not easy to get by in a scary swamp as a little frog, and it will be very difficult to defeat Dr. Facilier and his evil assistants in the spirit world. In addition, it is far from certain that Tiana and Naveen will manage to transform themselves back to human beings before it’s too late.

Quality and Theme
”The Princess and the Frog” continues the tradition of the many well-known and beloved animated cartoons from Disney. We get to experience great musical numbers, fun characters and a wide range of enjoyable and exciting scenes. As expected, the animation is very good, with nice colours and beautiful shapes. This is the first cartoon from Disney with a dark-skinned princess in the lead role, which is a welcome innovation. This is a good film, but it will probably not be remembered as one of Disney's best cartoons. The story is built on the same template as previous films, which make it lack in originality, and both the songs and the story itself are far from the quality that we find in "The Lion King".

The message in the film is, as in most Disney movies, very appropriate for children. The value of hard work is highlighted, but at the same time Tiana learns that she must not lose sight of what really matters. Love, and the ability to let loose and have fun is just as important. Throughout the story a gradual change in character occurs in Tiana and Naveen. The Prince started out, in Tiana's words, as a lazy flirt, while Tiana did not know how to have fun. But after a while the prince learns to enjoy doing honest work, while Tiana learns how to dance and relax. At the same time they both understand that the things they thought they wanted, wasn’t what they really needed.

Suitability
"The Princess and the Frog" has a ”U” rating, but due to some scenes that can be a bit frightening and dramatic for the younger child, the film is best suited for children from about 6 years and above.

Conclusion
This is a fine film that offers good, family-friendly entertainment.

Facts

Director: Ron Clements and John Musker Genre: Comedy, Musical, Animation Language: English Nationality: USA Production Company: Walt Disney Animation Studios Length: 1h 40mins Production Year: 2009 Age Limit: U Suitability: Children/Family BBFC’s Consumer Advice: Contains mild scary scenes.

Our Assessment: Recommended

Official website:
http://www2.disney.co.uk/the-princess-and-the-frog/

Other reviews:

Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/7094244/The-Princess-and-the-Frog-review.html

Independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/the-princess-and-the-frog-u-1882241.html