D52–The Princess and the Frog

Coming out in 2009, The Princess and the Frog was the first traditionally animated film from Disney in five years. The 2D division was championed by new animation head John Lasseter and the the film was eagerly anticipated by animation fans as a return to Disney’s traditional style. Unfortunately, despite strong reviews, Princess underperformed at the box office, with a domestic gross of just over $100 million.

Though the original tale of “The Frog Princess” would seem like traditional Disney fare, the studio used it only as a launching point, instead developing a story set in 1920s New Orleans and with a heroine not in need of rescue, but fully capable of rescuing herself and willing to put in the work to do it. The animation is stunning, with lush backgrounds, great character design, and fluid movement. It uses the rich history and varied landscape of the region to great effect, and is full of memorable characters. The music, by Randy Newman, uses a variety of southern styles, and the direction by Musker and Clements is strong as always.

I really enjoyed this movie when it came out, and I still enjoy it now. It is beautiful to look at and thoroughly entertaining. Some of the scenes dealing with voodoo may be too intense for the youngest viewers, but everyone else should absolutely see this.

Original theatrical trailer

Up next: Tangled (2010)