Disney's The Princess And The Frog review and featurette
ANIMATION has been the new frontier in terms of pioneering computer-generated images and 3D features. Disney’s The Princess And The Frog recognises there is still a place for traditional techniques and old-fashioned craftsmanship in this brave new technological world.
It is a joyful, toe-tapping throwback to fairytale musicals such as Beauty And The Beast and The Little Mermaid. Set in Twenties’ New Orleans, it makes some nods towards modernity with an African-American character who is decidedly more feisty than a typical Disney maiden.
Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) is a go-getter who loves cooking and dreams of opening her own restaurant. When she meets feckless jazz-loving Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos) he has been transformed into a frog by voodoo doctor Facilier (Keith David).
A kiss should set him free but a kiss is what also transforms Tiana into a frog and has them both running for their lives through the Louisiana bayou.
With some gorgeous hand-drawn sequences, The Princess And The Frog may stick to a well-worn formula but it is a formula that works to perfection.
VERDICT 4/5
(Cert U; 97 mins)