If feels like we've been waiting for ages for Disney to excite us with a
new 2D animation, and here we are
today reviewing The Princess and the frog! While watching this film, I
gradually realized
how much the audience expectations have changed since The lion king and the other princess stories.
As the title suggests, the story is about a princess who kisses a frog, and then... simply transforms into a frog as well. Set in the city of jazz, Tiana's fairy tale is brought into life with bright colors and funky beats. New Orleans transmits the vibe of an entirely separate main character through its customs and rich culture. A few years ago I was wondering
where would Disney plan their new animation, since they've done most popular cultures. I thought the most obvious choice would be Africa or India, but New Orleans is pretty good as well. At least it gives the characters a reason to burst into singing and dancing,which to me is an inseparable and most magical part of Disney.
In contrast with the rest of Disney's animations, the prince here is quite active, in control and is given a significant amount of attention. There is a gradual development from Snow white, where the prince had barely a few lines, through Sleeping Beauty, with the hero being introduces in the middle of the story. I approve of this new initiation, breaking out of the cycle of predictable, ordinary and undistinguished "princes". Usually they are simply there to safe the princess, who embodies the image of perfection. But in the new animation, both characters have flaws and are expected to fight and overcome them. It seems than prince Naveen had stronger shortcomings than the princess, but that didn't lead me astray from the story.
Another strong impression I got from this film is how fast things are happening. Normally the characters will go though plenty of obstacles but also share the intimate moments of success. From these points we realize something is beginning between them. But that is not necessary for the contemporary young audience. Such taste require more action based situations and far more flirty characters than ten years ago. With the exception of the songs which I immensely enjoyed, the magic seemed hazy and the overall lifting experience was not one hundred percent full.
However, the film introduced the biggest twist in motion& animation picture industry: When the firefly Ray is squashed, he finally unites with his beloved star Evangeline, by actually becoming a star! And not only any star, but the second brightest star! I just sat there admiring this outcome. I am sure that Disney have had some pretty serious discussions whether they could murder the character on screen. Because no one good ever remains dead in fairy tales, they were obliged to deliver a satisfactory reason not to bring the firefly back to life. I think they did that in a brilliant way. By all means, I enjoyed the classic style of Disney's animation which has been missed by more than one fan.
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