The Princess and the Frog

In January, I saw the film The Princess and the Frog in theaters. At first I had no idea what to expect, this was the first traditionally animated Disney film in about five years. So basically my hopes were very high, but I still had that nagging feeling that something would be amiss.

All I have to say is this is a delightful little film. The characters are cute, there's a sense of whimsical beauty not available in CGI-animated films, and there are a few catchy numbers here and there. But like every critic (hence the name) I had a few problems with the film...

First the name, I know Disney had problems with the title of this film. First, it was The Frog Princess, but it was somehow deemed "racist", "offending", and not "politically correct". I can't explain their reasons, but I can say that they were probably people who just jumped to conclusions. But Disney wanted to please everyone so the title was changed. Unfortunately, that didn't please anyone either. Apparently, some parents were offended by the fact that The Princess and the Frog didn't feature a "princess" but a hard-working, down on her luck girl named, Tiana (a very beautiful name in my opinion) and were amazingly offended by this as well. They claimed the title "lied" to them and caused them to misinterpret the film. In my opinion, the title didn't quite fit the film but it was still fine. Maybe The Frog Princess or simply, The Frog Prince would have sufficed.

Second the music, I'm not saying that Randy Newman is a horrible composer or lyricist. On the contrary, I'm a big fan of his work for Pixar. The song When She Loved Me comes to mind. But for The Princess and the Frog the music lacked memorable lyrics or tunes. The film may have done better with a simple love ballad, in the same vein of A Whole New World, Beauty and the Beast, or Can You Feel the Love Tonight. Ma Belle Evangeline doesn't quite fit the criteria of those other songs. Now don't get me wrong, I'm still tapping my toe to the oh so charming, Dig a Little Deeper and Friends on the Other Side. Even Anika Noni Rose's solo piece, Almost There was catchy. Unfortunately, it seems these songs probably won't be remembered like the other songs aforementioned.

Finally the story, probably everyone knows the story is the most important part of any film. Well, this film lacked one solid story. Instead, it focused on several stories and tried to be clever by combining them together at the end of the film. And sadly this left a severe amount of plot-holes that even the writers couldn't fill. You can justify those plot-holes all you want but if the average movie-goer such as myself can spot them. Then most likely anyone could have.

Other than the problems I have previously mentioned. This film is a delightful film, and I guarantee you will have a fun time. But don't expect The Second Disney Renaissance just yet.

iCritic Grade: B-

Top Track Picks:
Dig A Little Deeper
Friends on the Other Side
Down in New Orleans
Almost There