The Princess And The Frog

Reviewer: Alyice Edrich

The Cartoon

The Plot

A voodoo priest casts a spell on a Prince and turns him into a frog. In order to become a prince again, he must kiss a princess.

Starring

Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David, Michael-Leon Wooley, Ray Cummings, Jenifer Lewis, Terrence Howard, Jennifer Cody, Oprah Winfrey, and more.

The Review

Set in New Orleans, in the early 1920s, a young Afro-American girl dreams of opening a restaurant with her father—a restaurant where the food unites people of all races and all income levels. Unfortunately, her father dies before he has a chance to fulfill their dreams.

The girl, Tiana, determined to see her father’s dream come true, sets aside her personal life and works two waitress jobs—saving every single penny, in hope of one day having enough money to make that dream a reality.

Then one day, Tiana’s wealthy childhood friend, Charlotte, asks Tiana to serve her famous beignets at a Mardi Gras party given in honor of visiting Prince Naveen of Maldonia—and she finally has enough money to buy her restaurant.

During the Mardi Gras party, Tiana wishes upon a star and is suddenly approached by a talking frog who claims to be Prince Naveen. He asks one favor—a kiss to turn him back into a prince. The kiss, unfortunately, turns Tiana into a frog, herself.

Together, the two “frogs” set out to find Mama Odie, a 197 year old voodoo priestess, who has the power to turn them back into human beings. Along the way, they meet up with a jazz playing gator, a Cajun firefly, and soul-stealing shadows.

It’s a long, treacherous road to Mama Odie’s place. Along the way Tiana and the Prince fight for their lives, meet interesting characters, cook up a delicious Southern Gumbo, learn a little bit about themselves, and… fall in love.

First, let me say that I am thrilled to see Disney returning to the “hand-drawn” look of cartoons, the big musical numbers, and actual storylines. I was never very fond of the computer-generated look.

That being said, I am really disappointed to see so many reviewers turn their noses up to this cute children’s cartoon. Sure, it doesn’t have the same heart as Cinderella or Snow White, but the charm is definitely there! And it’s so refreshing to see a children’s cartoon that doesn’t set out to “entertain the adults with adult-related content”—when a children’s cartoon is just that, a children’s cartoon.

I also enjoyed the twist! In non-Disney versions of The Princess And The Frog, the storylines were dull, lifeless, and boring. In Disney’s version, the storyline is fun, energetic, and entertaining. I like that it was set in the 1920s when jazz was alive and the Mardi Gras was at its finest.

Your Task

Watch The Princess And The Frog with your children, then ask them what they’d do if they were in Tiana’s or the Prince’s position. What was so noble about Tiana’s desire to fulfill her father’s dream? And should she have fulfilled his dream if she later decided that owning a restaurant was no longer her dream? Why did the Prince’s parents cut him off financially? What do you think his parents hoped to gain by doing so? In the end, what do you think becoming frogs taught Tiana and the Prince? What do you think Tiana taught the Prince and vice versa?

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