Starring Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David, and Jennifer Cody
Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker
Music and Lyrics by Randy Newman
I'm doing this one in honor of Mardi Gras earlier this month. This was Disney's return to traditional animation and princesses after both fell out of favor in the late 90's, and their first African-American princess. Although it did well enough at the time, it was by no means a smash, especially having been released just a week before the record-breaking Avatar. How does the story of a hard-working waitress and a spoiled prince hold up a decade later? Let's head way down to New Orleans and find out...
The Story: Tiana (Rose) is a waitress in 1926 New Orleans who works hard in two diners, hoping to open her own restaurant like she and her late father (Terrance Howard) dreamed of. Her slightly ditzy best friend Charlotte LaBouff (Cody) is over the moon when she learns that Prince Naveen of Maldonia (Campos) is going to be staying with her and her father "Big Daddy" LaBouff (John Goodman). Naveen is more interested in her money. He's a high-living playboy whose parents cut him off without a cent until he can figure out what to do with himself. He's an easy mark for Dr. Facilier (David), the Shadow Man, a voodoo magician who intends to use him to get Big Daddy's money. He turns Prince Naveen into a frog and his valet Lawrence (Peter Bartlett) into Naveen, sending him to a ball at Big Daddy's mansion.
Meanwhile, Tiana's got her own problems. The men who were supposed to sell her the mill she wanted for her restaurant offered it to a higher bidder. Naveen mistakes the gown Charlotte gave her for a princess dress and kisses her...turning them both into frogs. They flee into the bayou, where they encounter frog hunters, love-sick firefly Ray (Jim Cummings), trumpet-playing crocodile Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley), and voodoo priestess Mama Odie (Jennifer Lewis). They have to get back to New Orleans in time for Charlotte to kiss Naveen back to his human form...but Naveen is starting to have second thoughts about the whole "marry for money" thing, and Facilier is still after them.
The Animation: I really wish Disney would do hand-drawn animation more often. Their work here was gorgeous, especially in the bayou, with its shadowy light and glowing colors. The sequences with Facilier are appropriately creepy as well, especially in his musical sequences and when he lures Naveen and Lawrence in.
The Song and Dance: Tiana is one of my favorite Disney princesses, and her strong character really anchors the movie. Absolutely nothing stops her, including witch doctors, obnoxious and racist real estate dealers, and hillbilly frog hunters, and Rose really does well with her. Cody as Charlotte, the ultimate man-hungry blonde, almost steals the movie and gets some of the best lines. I also like Ray the love-sick firefly; Cummings is warm and likable, and makes his unusual romance almost believable. He and Louis are not only funny sidekicks who actually move the plot forward, but Ray's sacrifice is one of the most touching things I've ever seen in an animated film.
Dr. Facilier is one Disney's spookiest villains, and the voodoo aspects just heighten the horror. He's charming and witty, but his charm hides sinister intentions. Disney doesn't often mess around with "the other side"; his death is one of the scariest in any Disney movie.
Favorite Number: I love "Way Down In New Orleans," performed by Big Easy native Dr. John in the opening and closing sequence. It makes an appropriately jazzy intro to what's about to come. Tiana's "Almost There" is her rousing "I Want" song, detailing in some nifty Art Deco-influenced animation how she'll run her own place. "When We're Human" is a fun ensemble song in the bayou. David's "Friends on the Other Side" is appropriately creepy, and Cummings "Ma Belle Evangeline" is a lovely ballad.
Trivia: "Way Down In New Orleans" and "Almost There" were nominated for Oscars in 2010; they lost to "The Weary Kind" from Crazy Heart. It was also nominated for Animated Feature, but lost to Up.
What I Don't Like: As much as I love Tiana, her story is a bit cliched. It feels like a retread of earlier Disney princess tales, including Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. Prince Naveen is thankfully far from bland earlier princes, but he can also be a bit obnoxious, especially in the beginning. And what was with the sequence with the hillbilly frog hunters towards the middle of the movie? Not only does it do nothing but pad out the movie and contribute a few bits of slapstick, but they're annoying hillbilly stereotypes. There's also complaints about Tiana's "balancing work and play" moral being pushed a bit too hard, and the fact that she can come off as a bit subdued next to the very funny Charlotte.
The Big Finale: This may not have been the instant masterpiece Disney was hoping for when it came out, but it is an enjoyable musical with a strong heroine, one of Randy Newman's better scores, and a diverse cast. If you or your elementary-school age girls are fans of other princess tales or historical fantasies, give this Big Easy fairy tale a try.
Home Media: As one of Disney's most recent animated movies, this is quite easily found in all formats, including most streaming companies.
