It certainly wouldn’t be right to end The Frog Prince month without talking about Disney’s take on the tale!
Today Hayden and I are excited to bring you a joint review of The Princess and the Frog. So settle in, turn on your favorite jazz tunes, and let’s discuss one of Disney’s most unique fairy tale retellings!
(Note: This review does contain spoilers, so if you haven’t seen the film, do be warned.)
OVERVIEW
Christine:
For some reason, this was one of the few Disney movies I didn’t go see in theaters. It looked really cute, and I liked the fresh take on a well-known fairy tale, as well as putting it in such a unique setting, but something about it didn’t get me super excited enough to dish out theater money. I was looking forward to seeing it eventually though.
Once it released out of theaters, I finally saw it, and was pleasantly surprised. It definitely wasn’t my favorite Disney princess film, but it was certainly an enjoyable one. One of those feel-good, make you smile types of stories. I liked how Disney harked back to its older animated days, while also trying something utterly new. I mean, a Disney princess movie set in 1920s New Orleans? How fun and unique is that? And, true to any Disney movie, this one made me laugh a lot and moved me to tears.
Hayden:
Though “The Frog Prince” has never been one of my favorite fairy tales, I was really excited for this movie because it had seemed like so long since Disney had come out with a new princess film! It came out when I was in high school, so I actually went to the theater with two of my friends to watch it, and (aside from some parents) I’m pretty sure we were the only viewers there over the age of ten. Not that we particularly cared!
I was attracted to the film not just because of nostalgia and the promise of traditional 2D animation, but also because I’ve always loved the 1920s, and it seemed like such a rich and unique setting for a Disney fairytale. Overall, I have to admit that The Princess and the Frog is one of the movies I have the most mixed reactions to: parts of it I really like, but I’m also not a fan of all of the choices the film makes.
CHARACTERS
Tiana
Christine:
Tiana is a truly admirable character. Her ambition and willingness to keep working, no matter how far off her dream may seem, is something I can truly look up to, as I too often let the overabundance of work keep me from pursuing my dreams. But she doesn’t let her goals stop her from serving others as well. Sometimes we can work too hard and forget our loved ones need us just as much as our to-do lists do. Tiana, though exhausted and overwhelmed, still took time for her mother, her friend, and her neighbors. She knew the value of loved ones, and never took it for granted. For little girls, and all of us, she’s a beautiful role model.
With that said, as a character, sometimes I found her a little too perfect? Yes, when carefree Prince Naveen enters her life, she does show some annoyance and stubbornness. But she always pretty quickly came around. I wish her character arc of learning how to loosen up had been a bit deeper. The conclusion to her arc didn’t really move me, because it felt a little shallow. She was practically already the person she was supposed to become.
I did love though how, in the end, she accepted her lot in life, how she realized it was okay to have a new dream. She gave up Dr. Facilier’s promise of turning her back into a human and giving her her restaurant for Naveen’s love instead. She realized people and love were far more important than achievements, and it was truly beautiful.
Overall, Tiana is a fantastic princess role model. Yes, she could have been a smidge more flawed with a bit more depth to her character arc, but I’m still very fond of her.
Hayden:
I’ve always really enjoyed Tiana, because she can be a little bit of a fuddy-duddy (or as Naveen says, “a stick-in-the-mud.”) That’s not a popular personality trait for a heroine, but I find it relatable and funny. And Tiana does have a sense of humor and fun: it’s just buried a little bit, and I love how both Prince Naveen and Charlotte bring that out in her.
I do agree that she can be a little too perfect, and while she does “learn” to put people before dreams, I feel like it was something she already did know, she wasn’t just entirely embracing. That being said, I do love that theme! Too often I think that people fall into the trap of putting their desires and dreams above caring for other people and somehow twisting that into a virtue.
Prince Naveen
Christine:
I kind of feel like Naveen was Flynn Rider before Flynn Rider existed, which is basically the highest compliment I could give any male character.
Funny, reckless, and utterly charming—how could you not love Prince Naveen? The contrast between him and Tiana was perfection. In fact, one of my favorite romance tropes is the hardworking, logical person being thrown together with the fun-loving, lackadaisical one. And that’s precisely what these two are.
One of my favorite lines is when his valet, Lawrence, says, “Sire! I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” And Naveen replies with, “Oh, what a coincidence, Lawrence! I’ve been avoiding you everywhere!” I feel like that brought Naveen’s personality out to a T.
I love how Naveen tries to be Mr. Prince Charming, even after he’s turned into an amphibian. His carefree, trying-to-make-the-best-of-it attitude is adorable.
I feel like his arc hit a little harder, as he was anything but perfect. Though a prince, he’s completely broke being as how his parents cut him off for being a spendthrift. His plan is to marry someone rich who can make his problems go away. But then, of course, he meets Tiana and realizes he’d happily be poor if it meant spending the rest of his life with the one he loves.
After all the early Disney films produced so many personality-less princes, it was great getting one you can truly love!
Hayden:
Naveen is just a really fun character! Like Christine said, he was sort of “Flynn Rider before Flynn Rider,” only maybe not as competent, lol!
But honestly, I think what I like most about Naveen is that though he’s spoiled, he’s also kind of naive and wants to think the best of everyone. Though he and Tiana are SO different, they’re both dreamers, and I think that’s why they work so well together.
Also, one of my favorite lines is when Tiana scolds Naveen for getting involved with the Shadow Man, and his only excuse is that “he was very charismatic!” My family quotes that a lot.
Charlotte
Christine:
Okay, Charlotte is probably my FAVORITE. This girl. XD Her overdramatic, enthusiastic self is just hilarious. I feel like so much of the humor in the movie comes from her.
The thing I love most about Charlotte is, though she’s rich and shallow, she’s not unkind. At first, you expect her to be the cliche rich and snobby girl that only thinks about herself. But she’s NOT. My favorite is how it doesn’t once occur to her to not be friends with Tiana. The two live in entirely different worlds—Charlotte in high society and the lap of luxury, Tiana the working class. But Charlotte doesn’t care. She loves Tiana for Tiana, not for her bank account. Yes, Charlotte thinks about herself a lot and is extremely spoiled due to the life she was born into, but she’s not the snob you expect her to be. She’s even willing to kiss a frog if it means helping her friend.
I also love how Tiana cares about Charlotte too, despite them being so, so different. They have such a sweet, unexpected friendship. And is a good message of how money and status doesn’t matter, people do.
And, come on, Charlotte is just downright hilarious. Gotta love her!
Hayden:
I HAVE SO MANY FEELINGS ABOUT CHARLOTTE. She’s my favorite character in the movie because in nearly any other film, she’d be the girl who ends up being the bad guy or the “mean girl” who is only friendly at first. But she’s not. She’s truly Tiana’s friend, and honestly? Female friendship isn’t something we get in a lot of Disney movies. I also love how, even though Lottie is hilarious, her dreams are still considered as valid as Tiana’s. She likes pink and frilly things and wants to get married, and Tiana accepts that, even though she probably doesn’t understand it. And in return, Lottie supports Tiana in her desire to open a restaurant, even though she probably doesn’t “get” Tiana in that way, either.
And let’s face it: she has some of the funniest lines in the movie. One of my favorite parts is in the prologue at the beginning when she and Tiana are little and she’s so excited that she falls backward in her ridiculously huge and fluffy dress!
Louis
Christine:
Louis was definitely a fun addition to the movie. He kind of reminds me of Baloo from The Jungle Book—carefree and fun and not exactly you’re typical big, scary animal. Louis is an ol’ softy. His dream of playing the trumpet in a jazz band really brought in that New Orleans flavor. You did have to, erm, suspend your belief a little bit with him though. He’s not very…alligator-like. But hey, this is a Disney animated film about people being turned into frogs! Of course you have to suspend your belief some. And Disney always has a knack for making you care about the animals.
Louis was also a great tool for Tiana and Naveen. They couldn’t get far or stay very safe as frogs, after all. Adding in Louis was a great way for them to be able to travel as well as have some protection. Plus he added just a whole layer of fun. There was nothing greatly deep about him, but it was definitely satisfying when he finally got to fulfill his dream in the end.
Hayden:
I’ve always had a soft spot for the comic relief secondary characters, and Louis is no exception. To be honest, I feel like Louis–and Ray–aren’t quite as memorable as a lot of other animal sidekicks in Disney movies (they’re no Timon and Pumba) but they’re still enjoyable!
BUT I do find Louis really funny, and I love how his personality is nothing like you expect it to be after seeing Tiana and Naveen get chased by gators earlier in the film. His dream to be a Jazz performer is so random, but I love it–and I love how his dream comes true in the end (even if, you know, it’s not super realistic. But I doubt the filmmakers were going for that!)
Ray
Christine:
RAAAAY. Probably my other favorite character after Charlotte. Only Disney can make you fall in love with and cry over a FIREFLY.
I love how Ray, at first, seems pretty clueless. I mean, he’s in love with a star that he thinks is a firefly? But, in the end, you realize he’s actually very wise and so full of heart. He’s like the old, somewhat senile wise mentor of the group. It’s great!
I adored his Cajun accent, and he had so many great lines. Definitely one of the funniest, most endearing characters in the whole movie. And then his ENDING. *SOBS* It was so sad and so heartwarming all at once! And unexpected. Disney, how could you??? But it WORKED. And it brought a depth to the movie that most of the rest of the plot was lacking.
Ray was truly a shining star. (Why yes, yes that was 100% on purpose, I make no apologies!)
Truly, all the side characters just made this movie!
Hayden:
Okay, so actually I don’t really have any feelings one way or another about Ray until the end. It’s not that he’s unlikable, it’s just that he doesn’t really click for me as a character. (When it comes to humor, I guess I’m more drawn to characters like Lottie or Louis). But, I do love his ending, because it works so well with how his character had been established.
Dr. Facilier
Christine:
Whew boy. I have to say, Dr. Facilier is one of Disney’s most disturbing villains. I mean, the dude has basically made deals with what I guess are demons???
I have mixed feelings about him, honestly. On the one hand, personality-wise, he’s pretty fantastic. Even Naveen at one point said he was charismatic. And he is. He’s very much full of life and had an…I don’t know, otherworldly charm to him. You almost can’t blame Naveen and Lawrence for falling into his trap because he’s just that entrancing. I read somewhere that he was created to be a bit of a mix of Captain Hook and Cruella de Vil and come on, that is a pretty epic mashup!
My big beef with him though is we never get any backstory, and I always kind of forgot what exactly his plan was. Like, what was his ultimate goal? Is it ever really said or did I just miss something? There needed to be more to him. I wanted to know how he got into this mess of owing a debt to his “friends on the other side”.
Which brings up the other thing. That whole aspect of the shadowed villains seemed kind of…dark for this movie. The movie in general was very lighthearted and fun, but then you have these villains that are basically demons and a guy indebted to them who, in the end, gets dragged into a grave by the demons and just…WHAT? It was a cool concept for, um, not a lighthearted children’s movie. But, as it was, it kind of didn’t fit. I personally feel like the reason we didn’t get any backstory is because the writers realized they had made a villain that was a little too dark and had to backup with him a bit. They kept everything on the surface and didn’t dig in too deep with him, because then it would have just been darker and more disturbing. But, as a result, I never really got Dr. Facilier. What was his driving force? I wanted to know more because, like I said, I thought he was a fantastic villain. His charismatic, larger-than-life personality made for a very formidable, intriguing foe. But it got downplayed a little by the lack of reasoning behind why he was the way he was.
Hayden:
Okay…so my feelings on Dr. Facilier are almost EXACTLY the same, lol. He’s creepy and evil, but creepy and evil with style, which is something I can’t deny I tend to like in my villains. But I remember thinking in the theater that he really was pretty dark for kids, and it didn’t seem to fit with a lot of the lightheartedness of the rest of the movie. Also, voodoo has always seemed a little darker to me because it’s not vague “fairy tale” magic, but like…witchcraft that people actually do. (Interestingly, I think because of that, as a Christian I find Mama Odie’s voodoo, which is seen as “good,” the more problematic of the two; I’ve never had a problem with witchcraft being portrayed as evil, but I’ve never liked it portrayed as good.)
That being said, as an adult audience, I would have loved to have gotten more of Dr. Facilier’s backstory: we get so many bits and pieces (his deal with his “friends,” his hatred of “Big Daddy” La Bouff, etc.) but not the full thing. Basically, there was a lot of cool “show” with him, but not as much substance as there could have been.
PLOT
Christine:
The plot is another thing I’m a little mixed on. It was certainly an enjoyable one! There were soooo many funny moments and lines, the characters were delightful, and the whole 1920s setting was a blast. But something about the plot felt a little…simplistic. Some of the bits felt more like a made-for-TV movie than a big Disney theatrical film.
One thing was the time Tiana and Naveen had to fall in love. It seemed a little sudden when they were declaring their undying love and willing to give up their lifelong pursuits for each other. Their main bonding moment was Tiana teaching Naveen to mince mushrooms, basically. I just felt like they needed something more to drive them together. Then again, I’ve never been turned into a frog and gone on a dangerous adventure through the bayou, soooo it certainly could cause a person to rethink all their life choices. Yes, I 100% ship them and adored their opposite personalities together. But their romance just seemed sudden. Especially for Tiana, who couldn’t stand the guy for so long.
And, again, Dr. Facilier’s part needed to be developed more. OR they needed to decide if this was a dark movie or a lighthearted one. Because the villain aspects almost felt separate from the fun adventure bits. It was like two different movies smushed into one.
BUT. I still thoroughly enjoyed the film as a whole. Starting it out with young Tiana and watching her life unfold really made you feel like you were on a great journey with her. The conclusion to how the spell was broken—Tiana kissing Naveen once she was legally a princess—was a great twist. And the whole ending was so precious as everyone’s old dreams and new were fulfilled in such a satisfying way.
Not the deepest, most riveting plot. But certainly a fun, sweet one!
Hayden:
I am pretty mixed on the plot, too. I think the main thing is that, while the movie has some good scenes I really enjoy, there are a lot of parts where I lose interest because the plot isn’t as complex or tight as it could have been. It is a little simplistic, and not as engaging as a lot of my other favorite Disney animated films. On my recent re-watch, there were several scenes I didn’t mind missing as I went up to get a drink or take a break, because they didn’t hold my attention.
I also think that the romance moved too fast–of course, you can laugh because that doesn’t bother me in, say, Sleeping Beauty. But since Naveen and Tiana’s relationship wasn’t “insta-love” there needed to be a little more of an emotional arc to it, I think? It just seems like it would take two people who didn’t like each other at first more time to fall in love.
BUT I remembered being absolutely floored by the ending when I saw it for the first time, and shocked that I hadn’t guessed the plot twist at the end (even then, I was a writer! I should have seen it coming, right?). The way Tiana became the princess she needed to be to break the spell was just lovely, and a perfect pay-off to what the storytellers had set up earlier.
SONGS
Christine:
Gonna be honest, I would have been perfectly happy if this one was song free. Buuut I’m also really picky with musicals. They’re not always my favorite thing. So it takes some amazing songs for me to be satisfied.
With this one? Eh. The songs were certainly fun. I didn’t mind them so much while they were going on, but there just wasn’t a lasting impression with them. I always forget them right after I hear them. Even now, I’m struggling to remember the tune to a single one.
Usually Disney songs stay in my head for…ever. I could belt out some lyrics to pretty much any song from a Disney film at any given time. Except for this one. Now, the songs did perfectly fit the New Orleans flavor and brought it to life. It made you really feel like you were in 1920s New Orleans. But, for me at least, all the songs began feeling too similar. I totally see why they made it a musical, being as how music is so important in New Orleans. But something about these songs just didn’t do it for me.
Hayden:
The songs in the movie were really hyped up when the film was coming out, but I was kind of disappointed. None of them strike me as super memorable, and they all seemed to run together a bit after a while. They fit the movie really well, but none of them make the rotation on my Disney playlist very often.
If I were to pick one exception to this, it would probably be the song “Almost There.” Not only because I love the whole Art Deco animated sequence, but also because it’s one of the few Disney princess songs I can sing without straining my vocal cords!
ANIMATION/SETTING
Christine:
I’ve already mentioned (multiple times lol whoops) how much fun the New Orleans setting is. I’m proud of Disney for trying something new. Though, yes, as a fairy tale lover I do tend to prefer castles and forests and old world settings. But, for the occasional movie, I think changing it up is a great idea. There’s nothing wrong with giving us something fresh and new on occasion. (I wish they would do it more, in this day and age of remakes. Trying something original is a good thing, people!)
As for the animation…mmm. Sadly, it wasn’t my favorite, which makes me sad. I miss animated movies. CGI is great and all, but I grew up with traditional animation. Seeing it always brings back happy childhood days. So I was very glad to hear Disney was going to do an animated movie again. But, unfortunately, something felt off about it to me. It almost looked…cheap? It didn’t feel like the nostalgic animation of the classic Disney movies. Like I mentioned about the plot, something about it felt more like it was just a made-for-TV movie. The characters were almost a little over animated, stripping away any realism to their movements.
I appreciate Disney going back to traditional animation, but I feel like they missed the mark a bit.
Hayden:
It’s true I don’t think the animation is quite as good as the films we got during the Disney Renaissance Era, but I think I’m just so happy for another 2D animated film that I let it slide!
However, I definitely think that the backgrounds and New Orleans setting was the better animated aspect of the film, rather than the characters. Some of the night scenes in the city, especially, are very pretty.
Also, one thing that has always puzzled me is how unflattering both of Tiana’s “iconic” dresses are? I’m just not a fan of either her blue ball gown or the huge green swamp dress. (They are also, sadly, not very 1920s-ish). I love the wedding gown she wears at the end, though. But still, considering how princess movies are usually advertised more towards young girls, and considering how young girls love dress-up, you’d think that they’d have designed prettier gowns. huh.
(Don’t make fun of me, princess dresses are very important!)
LIKENESS TO THE ORIGINAL FAIRY TALE
Christine:
Lol. None? Tiana doesn’t even meet the frog-prince at a body of water. Disney is certainly not known for following along to the plotline of the original fairy tales. I think Disney fairy tales would be better described as inspired by fairy tales than outright retellings. But that’s all right. They bring something new and lighthearted to them.
Also, I think this particular movie was more inspired by the novel The Frog Princess by E.D. Baker instead of the original The Frog Prince story. They liked the idea of the princess turning into a frog herself and ran with it. And hey, why not? It’s a fun concept!
Hayden:
Yep, I’d say out of all of Disney’s fairy tale interpretations, this one is least like its source material. At the same time, they’ve transformed it into a very “American” fairy tale, which I think is kind of neat. Fairy Tales are always changing and evolving, so I don’t mind Disney doing that.
That being said, I would have loved for them to have kept the culture and setting that they chose for The Princess and the Frog but follow along the Grimm’s fairy tale a little more.
CONCLUSION
Christine:
Was I totally awestruck by this movie? No. Did I enjoy it? Absolutely!
With a cast of utterly endearing and diverse characters, a unique setting, and a great premise, you really can’t help but have fun with this one.
The plot and animation could have used a bit more defining, in my humble opinion, but the characters are ones to root for as well as admire. There was heart, lots of humor, and plenty of excitement along the way. Certainly one you’ll want in your Disney collection!
Hayden:
This movie isn’t on my list of favorite Disney films, but it is one worth watching at least once! I fully admit that it’s not one that I watch over and over, but it does have some really fun characters and a fun, unique, and lovable setting.
Now it’s your turn! Have you seen The Princess and the Frog? Do you agree/disagree with our assessments? We’d love to hear your thoughts!
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