DVD Review: The Princess and the Frog

Posted Mar 16, 2010 by Kevin Walker

Updated Mar 16, 2010 at 03:56 PM

The Princess and the Frog
Stars: Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David, Michael Leon-Wooley, Jim Cummings
Director: Ron Clements and John Musker (“Aladdin”)
The plot: Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) works as a waitress in New Orleans and hopes to one day run her own restaurant, a dream she shared with her deceased father. But when she kisses a frog — really Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos), cursed by the evil Dr. Facilier (David) — she turns into a frog herself. To become human again, Tiana and Naveen go on an adventure across the bayou and the Big Easy, getting help from a jazz-loving alligator, Louis (Leon-Wooley) and a Cajun firefly, Ray (Jim Cummings).
Bottom line: This marks Disney’s return to hand-drawn animation. That, along with an excellent batch of songs, make this worthy viewing for kids and animation-loving parents (my hand is raised). It’s amazing how “old school” animation looks fresh after years of watching computer-generated animation. This movie makes me optimistic about the sort of films Disney will produce, going forward.
Extras: This makes good use of the format, with plenty of extras. They include a look into how the animation was done and interviews with the creative team
Quote: “Kissing would be nice, yes?”
97 minutes (G)