Family movie review - The Princess and the Frog

Took the kids to see Disney’s latest release, "The Princess and the Frog," this weekend and all of us — Dad, Mom, the kindergartner and the toddler — gave it two webbed thumbs up.

The story, of course, is a retelling of the fairy tale in which a prince is turned into a frog and can’t be released from the enchantment until he is kissed by a princess. Disney cranks up the fun factor by setting the story in 1920s New Orleans watch for references to Packard cars, flapper fashion, Art Deco and, of course, to jazz. (Randy Newman composed the music.)

While the prince is genuine, our heroine, Tiana — who makes history as Disney’s first black princess — is not royalty at all but the daughter of a laborer and a seamstress. She grows into a waitress who cheerfully takes on two jobs to save money toward her dream of opening a restaurant. At a costume ball, she’s mistaken for a princess, a plot twist that becomes key to the ending.

Here’s how our family rated the film: Dad: He joked afterward, “Is Disney doing what FEMA couldn’t?” At times, the film could be an ad for the New Orleans visitors bureau. My husband particularly enjoyed the voodoo subplot. But he noted that Disney just seems unable to wean itself completely off cultural stereotypes the caricaturing was especially notable in the Cajun bayou characters.

Mom: I was thrilled to see that, unlike so many other Disney moms, Tiana’s mother not only survives the plot but also gets to savor her daughter’s happy ending. (To which my husband countered, “Yeah, they killed off the dad instead.”)

There’s some violent slapstick involving the Cajun bayou characters, but it’s over pretty quickly. The film’s probably a bit young for anyone who’s already a fan of Hannah Montana or “High School Musical.” Kindergartner: He's sensitive to scary scenes and characters, but he loved the voodoo doctor known as Shadow Man and the sinister spirit sidekicks. He laughed out loud at the Cajuns’ slapstick.

Toddler: He got restless in the last 10 minutes the film runs 97 minutes but otherwise sat raptly. When asked what his favorite part was, he replied, “The pirates,” meaning the Cajuns.
If you’ve seen “The Princess and the Frog,” what did your family think?