Two-Second review
Question: Should I take my kids to see this movie?
Answer: Yes.
by Jessica D. Kopolow
My 4.5-year-old daughter and I recently saw Disney’s latest animated feature, “The Princess and the Frog.” As a devout admirer of the Disney Princesses, I think I was just as excited about “Frog” as my daughter was, if not even more so. And just so we’re clear, when I say “devout admirer”, I mean “living, breathing encyclopedia.” Go ahead, ask me anything. I guarantee you can’t stump me. But enough about me…
“The Princess and the Frog” is the story of Tiana, a young, working-class African-American girl living in Jazz Age-era New Orleans. (The setting allows for a great soundtrack, by the way!) Disney’s latest “princess” is ambitious and self-assured, and her dreams have nothing to do with finding her prince and living happily ever after with him. Her plans hit a snag, though, when she reluctantly agrees to kiss the legendary prince-turned-into-a-frog. The plot-twisting adventure that ensues turns everything you thought you knew about fairy tales upside down.
Things that are good to know ahead of time:
- The villain himself (Dr. Facilier, a.k.a. “The Shadowman”) is not nearly as scary as I had anticipated, but beware of his “friends from the other side.” The couple of scenes that these creepy shadow-like creatures appear in are brief, however, and my daughter (who scares pretty easily) didn’t even flinch.
- Keeping true to Disney form, one of Tiana’s parents is deceased. Be prepared for your kids to ask (as my daughter did), “Where did Tiana’s dad go?” There’s never any real explanation; he’s there when she was young, then he’s gone.
- The story seemed to drag a bit at about the one-hour mark. It was not too long after this point in the movie when my daughter started asking, “Is it almost over?” and I started thinking, “Okay, let’s start wrappin’ this up!” To me, it felt much longer than 97 minutes, but trust me, the ending is surprising enough that it’s worth the wait.
- Your kids will want to leave the theater and immediately find “Frog” merchandise to purchase. Don’t worry, though, there’s plenty to be had!
As connoisseurs of the Princess genre, my daughter and I both thoroughly enjoyed “The Princess and the Frog.” It is sure to become another Disney classic, and Tiana has rightfully taken her place as the reigning Queen-to-be.
Jessica Kopolow
Jessica D. Kopolow is a Chambana mom whose favorite Princess is Cinderella. She doesn’t get to go to the movies nearly enough and looks forward to writing more “Mom-to-Mom” reviews if Amy and Laura will let her.
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We enjoyed this movie as a whole family — Dad and brother included. My husband and I really liked the “just wishing isn’t enough” message – hard work needs to go along with that wish/hope/dream.
Being from Louisiana (both the bayou and New Orleans), I was a little concerned about how the city, the bayou, and the culture might be depicted. These fears were for naught, and I found myself delighted with the visuals and the outstanding musical numbers.
We just *thoroughly* enjoyed it.