Return to Hand Drawn Animation, Return to Form, Return to Awesome
The Princess and the Frog was one of the most important movies in my love for Disney, because it would be the first Disney Animated Studios movie that I actually saw in theatres since Lilo & Stitch. That's seven years without being interested enough in a Disney movie to run out and go see it in theatres. I can remember the night I saw it super vividly, mostly because myself and my friend, Anita, acted like damn fools during the movie... in the best way possible. I guess we just both emotionally connected with the movie so much because we were guffawing, and crying, and kicking the back of the seats in front of us...
I think it was such an effecting movie for me, because it was a catharsis of sorts. I had been waiting for Disney movies, which had always been a part of my life since I was six months old, to finally return to form. And since Tangled (at the time Rapunzel: Unbraided or Rapunzel or whatever it was called at the time) just seemed to be pushed back further and further, it got to be point where I didn't think Disney would every return to creating fairytales with fantastic music and wonderful characters. So when all of a sudden we had The Princess and the Frog, the first hand drawn animated movie in four years from the Disney Company... it's exactly what I (and many others) had been waiting for. And seeing the return to heritage, that return to the dream, the return to tradition... that was just super emotional for me.
The Princess and the Frog was a critical and commercial success. It grossed almost $270 million worldwide, outgrossing every other hand drawn release from the company in the 2000s except Lilo & Stitch (which also made around $270 million worldwide as well). Along with Lilo & Stitch and Bolt, it became only the third Disney Animated movie in the 2000s to be both a critical success and to gross back its budget.
That being said, the company considered it a disappointment, because even though it was a huge hit, they wanted it to be an enormous, gigantic hit as big as Beauty and the Beast or The Lion King. This 'disappointment' caused Disney execs to announce a name change for Rapunzel to the more gender neutral Tangled and declaring that they would not create any more fairytale based movies (haha, good joke that lasted until about two seconds after Tangled was released... Frozen anyone?)
Luckily, The Princess and the Frog has been given a legacy with airings of the movie on ABC Family and Disney Channel as well as Tiana and Naveen having a huge face time in the Disney Parks as well as merchandise around the world allowing the movie to grown into a true Disney classic that it deserves to me.
All right, that's enough jibber jabber, let's get to the actual movie... it's going to be hard to be snarky about this movie, because it's like practically perfect, but whatever... we're gonna try! This is gonna be good!
The movie begins by introducing us to Tiana and Charlotte. Tiana is the daugther of a poor seamstress, Eudora (voiced by Oprah), who is currently doing freelance work for Big Daddy LaBouf, the richest man in New Orleans and his daughter, Charlotte. Charlotte is obsessed with being a princess and marrying a prince, and terrorizing cats and making outrageous demands. Tiana, on the other hand, isn't buying into the whole kissing frogs and wishing on stars shit. It ain't her thang. Despite their different views of life and economical standings, the two girls are total BFFLs.
Tiana also loves cooking with her daddy. They make the best gumbo into the entire world, and together they dream of opening their own restaurant, Tiana's Place. Tiana's daddy, James, instills some pretty awesome morals into Tiana (probably some of the best ever for a Disney movie) that wishing on stars can only take you part of the way, with some hard work, love, dedication, and family... you can do anything.
Unfortunately, this is a Disney movie, so one of the parents is most likely to be killed off. And since you really can't kill off a character voiced by Oprah, Tiana's daddy bites the bullet while fighting in World War I, as we find out as we flash forward to the movie's current setting. Tiana continues to work for their dream of opening a restaurant, working night and day at two different jobs making mere pennies and being ridiculed by those around her for working too hard and trying to reach out of her league. Tiana, though, without her daddy's guidance, has lost sight of actually taking time to enjoy life and share it with those around her... spending all of her time skipping out on dancing and fun to save, save, save. Maybe she'll meet someone who could remind her that she needs fun in her life...
Speaking of fun, the Prince of Maldonia, Naveen, himself, the most fun (and attractive guy) like ever, is visiting New Orleans for the Mardi Gras festivities.
He's staying with the LaBoufs and attending their Mardi Gras ball that evening, where Charlotte plans to stun him with her charm and good looks and marry him. Probably right there on the spot if she had her way. Tiana makes a great suggestion (the best way to get a man is through his stomach) and the LaBoufs higher her to cater the party with her man catching beignets as the featured item on the menu. With the money paid from the catering gig, Tiana can finally afford her restaurant!! It looks like Tiana may be almost there...
I think one of the reasons I really like this movie is because I'm a food-y. And so is Tiana. And like almost every other character in this movie. I also love gumbo. And jazzy music. And princesses. So more or less... It's perfect.
Meanwhile, Naveen and his right hand man, Lawrence, are traipsing around town. Well, Naveen is traipsing and having a grand old time, Lawrence is just kind of stressing out. And being obnoxious. And reminding Naveen that he has been cut off from his family's riches and either needs to 1) marry wealthy 2) get a job or 3) make a deal with a voodoo doctor shadow man. The second option is obviously out of the question... And the first option might take some work, so the only way to go is the way of Dr. Facilier and his friends on the other side.
Dr. Facilier, or known by most as the Shadow Man, is a witch doctor, voodoo king, who has strong association with the forces and powers of Hell. No big. Not frightening at all. Especially for a children's movie... OH WAIT. If I was a child and I saw this scene where he is literally conjuring up dark spirits and shadows, and transforming into a skeleton voodoo/hoodoo god thing... I'd probably be haunted for the rest of my life. No big. Rated G. The usual...
Now, I feel like I should put in a disclaimer here that I know that all voodoo is not bad, and a lot of it stemmed from a mix of African culture mixed with the plights of the slave community in Louisiana. But let's be honest, Dr. Facilier is def dealing with the Hell-ish powers here...
Yeah, this bitch is evil.
So Dr. Facilier promises Naveen to restore the 'green' to his life... which really means he's going to make him physically green... by turning him into a frog. And Lawrence turns into the man that he always wanted to be... aka Naveen.
That night at the LaBoufs party, Charlotte (who is sweet as she is spoiled) is sweating like a sinner in church as she waits for Naveen to arrive at the party and fulfill her dreams. Meanwhile, Tiana is celebrating having the money to put the downpayment on her restuarant... until Mr. Fenner and Mr. Fenner, who I guess own building or are at least in charge of selling it, appear at the party and inform Tiana that she's been outbid and that a woman of her stature (cough cough race and income level) probably couldn't handle it. Tiana is devastated. And Mr. Fenner and Fenner are assholes.
Naveen (or really Lawrence as Naveen) finally arrives at the party just as Charlotte is about to go completely Mariah Carey breakdown all over the place. Her dance is cut short when she sees Tiana, broken and covered in beignets residue... And in a twist, Charlotte isn't the nasty blond rich bitch, but instead is a great friend who, while self obsessed and oblivious at times, wants nothing more than to help her friend out.
Not even a beautiful new dress can help cheer up Tiana (and let me tell you, it's a beautiful dress too). So she sings a reprise of her 'I want' song and finally gives and wishes on a star... only to find this guy:
Still adorable as a frog. And I told you the dress was pretty...
Tiana freaks out because 1) it's ironic that there's a frog of all things on her balcony and 2) the frog talks back. After Tiana's done having a panic attack, Naveen breaks down the situation. He's under a spell and according to the fairytale he needs a princess to kiss him and turn him back. And he has a lot of money (or at least his parents do) that could help out Tiana (who happens to look like a princess at the moment due to the fierce dress). So he makes a deal. Except... problem is Tiana is not actually a pretense and spells know better than that. And when you try and trick a spell through deceit (especially a voodoo/hoodoo spell), it's gonna come back and bite you in the little froggy butt.
So Naveen and Tiana are frogs, Lawrence is freaking out because he needed Naveen's blood to be able to maintain his form, and Dr. Facilier is about to shit a brick because he's running out of time to pay back his shadow friends on the other side. And to top it off... Naveen and Tiana don't really like each other because the entire time they've known each other they've been lying. Understandably so why they wouldn't like each other.
After a midnight run in with some alligators who wanted some frog legs for lunch... The next morning they run into a gator who's less about the food and more about the music, Louis! Louis isn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but damn can he play a sweet horn! And has aspirations of playing jazz with the big boys... but it looks like the only way he'll ever get accepted as a jazz playing master is if he's human... so at the passive aggressive workings of Naveen, Louis joins the party and helps guide Naveen and Tiana to Mama Odie, the Voodoo Queen of the Bayou, who has the power to not only restore Naveen and Tiana but transform Louis into a more approriote jazz playing form.
And with all this musical talent in one traveling party... you know they are going to sing about it.
When we're human... Love that song!
Meanwhile, back at the plantation home of the LaBoufs, Charlotte is busy getting swept away by the awkward advances of Lawrence/Naveen... She's desperate for a prince, though, so it's understandable that she's completely taken by him. She could give a fuck less what he actually says as long as it ends in a proposal. Too bad for Lawrence, the blood of Naveen that is causing the spell to work is running out, and with Naveen traveling somewhere in the bayou... it looks like Dr. Facilier is going to have to call up some more of his Hell sent shadow friends to do a little retcon work for him... Uh oh...
Back in the swamps, Tiana and Naveen do a little unintentional French kissing when they get a little tongue tied. Literally. Their natural froggy instincts to catch flies with their tongue gets a little bit... intense. Especially when they get tangled while going after a little firefly named Raymond. Or Ray as his friends like to call him.
Ray is one of the best, like up there with Sebastian for, Disney sidekicks ever. He's hilarious and heartwarming all while never becoming obnoxious. Even Louis, who is also a great Disney sidekick, falls into the annoying sidekick stereotype every once in awhile, but not Ray. Ray finds himself being the grounding character in the movie, no matter how kooky or Cajun this guy is... He shines bright with his little firefly butt and reminds us that love is the thing.
And with such a sensible bug in the party, maybe they can actually make it to Mama Odie? Since apparently Louis was leading them in the wrong direction the whole time (I told you... not the sharpest tool...) He's gonna take them there with the help of his firefly family and their beautiful glowing lights... It looks like things are going to work out just fine and they are heading in just the right direction...
As long as Dr. Facilier's shadow minions don't get them before they get there.... Uh oh.....
[To Be Continued in Part 2!!]
