Disney Animation’s Post-Renaissance Era was widely considered to be underwhelming at best when following on from their string of genre defining hits in the 1990’s Renaissance. But despite generally not being as high in quality, the Post-Renaissance Era tried a lot of new things and gave Disney the ability to experiment with what would work, and what wouldn’t for the studio’s future as Hollywood animation shifted towards 3D computer generation. This is where the Revival Era came in, learning from the mistakes made during the Post-Renaissance, and combining these new ideas with themes drawn from beloved Disney Animated Classics of old.
There is some contention between whether the Revival Era started with Bolt or The Princess and the Frog, but the film I always associate with starting the era off is The Princess and the Frog. Where Bolt was a Post-Renaissance film that incorporated many older Disney tropes to bolster itself, The Princess and the Frog feels like a film ripped straight out of the Renaissance Era. Suffice to say, it’s a great film.
When Tiana was a little girl she was raised on princess stories about wishing on stars and kissing fogs to make your dreams come true, but her father instilled in her a strict work ethic that without hard work those dreams you wish for will never become a reality. Now an adult, Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) has almost achieved her dream of owning a restaurant in New Orleans, however her status as a black woman in the early twentieth century has always held her back.
Her friend, Charlotte (Jennifer Cody), is the daughter of a wealthy mill owner and has never given up on her dreams of marrying a prince. So, when the young Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos) arrives in town she simply must be his bride. But when Naveen gets caught up with the nefarious voodoo trickster Dr. Facillier (Keith David) and he is turned into a frog, Naveen seeks help from Tiana. Now both frogs, Tiana and Naveen must learn what’s really important to them on their journey to be transformed back into humans.
There is some contention between whether the Revival Era started with Bolt or The Princess and the Frog, but the film I always associate with starting the era off is The Princess and the Frog. Where Bolt was a Post-Renaissance film that incorporated many older Disney tropes to bolster itself, The Princess and the Frog feels like a film ripped straight out of the Renaissance Era. Suffice to say, it’s a great film.
When Tiana was a little girl she was raised on princess stories about wishing on stars and kissing fogs to make your dreams come true, but her father instilled in her a strict work ethic that without hard work those dreams you wish for will never become a reality. Now an adult, Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) has almost achieved her dream of owning a restaurant in New Orleans, however her status as a black woman in the early twentieth century has always held her back.
Her friend, Charlotte (Jennifer Cody), is the daughter of a wealthy mill owner and has never given up on her dreams of marrying a prince. So, when the young Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos) arrives in town she simply must be his bride. But when Naveen gets caught up with the nefarious voodoo trickster Dr. Facillier (Keith David) and he is turned into a frog, Naveen seeks help from Tiana. Now both frogs, Tiana and Naveen must learn what’s really important to them on their journey to be transformed back into humans.
The Princess and the Frog picks up where films like Mulan left off around a decade prior. It is a gorgeously animated 2D family musical based on fairy tale folklore and stuffed with great characters and funny moments. This is peak Disney Animation, and it’s great to see them return to what made the brand so iconic in the first place.
Tiana is a fantastic lead character. Not only being Disney’s first African-American Princess, but being considerably more down to earth and level headed than most of her peers. Her mix of undying aspiration for her dreams to become a reality and her understanding of a good worth ethic to achieve those dreams makes her extremely relatable to adults and also a great role model for children.
In contrast to Tiana’s hard-working nature, the film’s villain Dr. Facillier wants to achieve his goals by swindling people out of their money and ruining their lives. It’s a great parallel to have between these two characters, with a clear moral message sewn into their personalities that isn’t shoved in people’s faces.
I do kind of feel like the romance that blossoms between Naveen and Tiana isn’t completely natural though. Naveen is irritating and self-centred for much of the film, something that Tiana dislikes to no end. But once he does a couple of selfless things, she’s head over heels for him. It was a change of opinion that I felt happened too quickly, but with that said I enjoy the ending of The Princess and the Frog, with both characters realising what they wanted all along.
Part of what makes The Princess and the Frog so memorable is the stunning animation work. It really is a shame that so few films use traditional 2D animation anymore, especially Disney who were for quite some time industry leaders in that method. Even today Disney struggles to match up to its competitors with 3D computer animation, but The Princess and the Fog proves that the studio is at its strongest when traditional animation is used.
The colours are rich and the environments so detailed, and some sequences such as the fireflies lighting the bayou are just so pretty.
Being in the style of a Renaissance Era film, The Princess and the Frog brings back musical numbers and plenty of them. They’re all quite strong too with the likes of ‘Almost There’ and ‘Friends on the Other Side’ being standouts. They go a long way in making The Princess and the Frog feel like a classic right out of the gate with their infectiously catchy melodies and fantastic vocal performances.
The Princess and the Frog is a long overdue return to form for Disney. Whilst the Post-Renaissance Era certainly outputted some incredible films, Renaissance Disney is what we all want from the animation studio, and this film delivers that in spades. With excellent characters, songs, and stunning art direction, The Princess and the Frog must not be missed.
Tiana is a fantastic lead character. Not only being Disney’s first African-American Princess, but being considerably more down to earth and level headed than most of her peers. Her mix of undying aspiration for her dreams to become a reality and her understanding of a good worth ethic to achieve those dreams makes her extremely relatable to adults and also a great role model for children.
In contrast to Tiana’s hard-working nature, the film’s villain Dr. Facillier wants to achieve his goals by swindling people out of their money and ruining their lives. It’s a great parallel to have between these two characters, with a clear moral message sewn into their personalities that isn’t shoved in people’s faces.
I do kind of feel like the romance that blossoms between Naveen and Tiana isn’t completely natural though. Naveen is irritating and self-centred for much of the film, something that Tiana dislikes to no end. But once he does a couple of selfless things, she’s head over heels for him. It was a change of opinion that I felt happened too quickly, but with that said I enjoy the ending of The Princess and the Frog, with both characters realising what they wanted all along.
Part of what makes The Princess and the Frog so memorable is the stunning animation work. It really is a shame that so few films use traditional 2D animation anymore, especially Disney who were for quite some time industry leaders in that method. Even today Disney struggles to match up to its competitors with 3D computer animation, but The Princess and the Fog proves that the studio is at its strongest when traditional animation is used.
The colours are rich and the environments so detailed, and some sequences such as the fireflies lighting the bayou are just so pretty.
Being in the style of a Renaissance Era film, The Princess and the Frog brings back musical numbers and plenty of them. They’re all quite strong too with the likes of ‘Almost There’ and ‘Friends on the Other Side’ being standouts. They go a long way in making The Princess and the Frog feel like a classic right out of the gate with their infectiously catchy melodies and fantastic vocal performances.
The Princess and the Frog is a long overdue return to form for Disney. Whilst the Post-Renaissance Era certainly outputted some incredible films, Renaissance Disney is what we all want from the animation studio, and this film delivers that in spades. With excellent characters, songs, and stunning art direction, The Princess and the Frog must not be missed.