THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG (USA 2009) ***
Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker

As the film’s trailer (which almost every moviegoer has seen by now) reveals, Disney’s PRINCESS AND THE FROG is a reversal of the fairy tale where a kiss turns a frog into a handsome Prince Charming.  A kiss to a frog transforms instead, the poor girl into an amphibian. 

But as far as originality goes, Ron Clements and John Musker’s Broadway-styled animation musical is as inventive as their previous works, ALADDIN and THE LITTLE MERMAID.  The story is remarkably simple allowing the directors freedom to create sidekicks and other humourous animation.  The prince, Naveen (Brazilian Bruno Campos) from Maldonia is transformed by the villain – a voodoo magician, Dr. Facilier (Keith David) into a frog.  Facilier aims to take over the town.  But a local waitress, Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) who aims to open her own restaurant saves the day and the town in the process.  THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG is a typical romantic comedy but with a fairy tale ending set in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

Disney skims on paying the big bucks for star voicing.  The only big names are Oprah Winfrey, Terrence Howard and John Goodman and they only do the supporting characters.  But one does no need big names for effective voice characterization.  Rose and Campos do a more than satisfactory job as Tiana and frog respectively but the best belongs to Jenifer Lewis as good voodoo priestess of the Bayou, Mama Odie – one of the film’s most inspired characters.  Other friends include an alligator and firebug providing the necessary goofiness.

One would wish the main protagonist (the princess) were not that perfect.  Though cast as an Afro Caribbean, the princess would be ‘funner’ if she were fat, clumsy or less perfect.  Fairy tale dreams do come true for imperfect human beings too.  If Clement and Musker left the princess and the prince as frogs at the end of the movie and not transformed back into human beings, their film would have been so cool and different.

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG is formulaic Disney fare done in old-fashioned 2-D - entertaining enough for a family’s outing to the movies.