So, what do you people think about Disney’s latest (and maybe last?) hand-animated movie?
I just saw it (took my sister to see it as a Christmas gift; my niece was also invited but she had to train for a Sorority dance) and I think it was OK, but I’m puzzled by a couple of things.
The first was the pacing. Is it me, or did everything happen TOO quickly? To the point that it was, sometimes, hard to believe how the characters came to their decisions? Examples: Lawrence joining in on Dr. Facilier’s scheme without even talking to him; the frogs trusting the goofy alligator after having almost being eaten by several of them; even the romance seemed a little rushed- though being a Disney Fairy Tale -deconstructed as it may seem at spots- I guess you CAN fall in True Love and then marry a near-complete stranger in what, two days? I suspect they spent a little too much time in the setup sequences (though they did capture the mystique of 1920’s Orleans perfectly) and then had to speed up the rest of the movie. (Or maybe I’m just too used to movies that take their time with their character development. 
)
My other big beef is that there really was no need for Ray’s death. I mean, in a Disney movie, the only ones who usually die are the villains! Yes, I know, it was a way to get him to finally be with his love (a star) but that whole concept seemed out of place in the movie; you could’ve cut it out and nothing important would have changed.
I’m a bit surprised by the backlash the movie has received. After complaining that Disney had yet to have a Black Princess (which is a fair criticism) many people were pissed anyway by TP&TF. Maybe they weren’t expecting them to use the Black Poor People approach, instead of having Tiana just be a real princess (though obviously Disney was just trying to recapture that turn-of-the-Century charm their earlier films, like The Aristocats and 101 Dalmatians, had.) I heard some people complain that the Prince “wasn’t Black enough” (well, OK, his face doesn’t look that African, but Tiana’s definitely was. And isn’t ignoring racial traits the whole POINT?) Some people criticized the use of Voodoo (I understand that one; first, Voodoo is a religion, not a magic cult, though of course some people exploit it that way, the way Santeria does with Christian beliefs; and second, they used every voodoo stereotype in the book (though ironically enough, Voodoo isn’t supposed to turn you into a frog that I know; a zombie maybe, but not frogs). Why not just have Facilier and the Madam just be “generic” witches, to avoid all that criticism? Though I must admit, basing Facilier on the Voodoo god Baron Samedi (judging from his clothing) was a nice touch.
(Hmm. I wonder if, despite his nasty ending, Facilier will be back, in a sequel? Perhaps… as a ZOMBIE!!)
I DID find some mildly offensive sterotypes in this movie, mind you. But not with the Black people. I think the Cajun Hillbilly Hunters were groan-inducing terrible. And Tiana’s White childhood friend as a the very embodiment of the Idiot Blonde was also awful. Funny, but awful. But hey, at least she was shown as nice to Tiana, even willing to give up the opportunity to be a Princess to make her happy. Though I’m sure some people will complain that the white girl was the one with all the money (thus missing the whole point.)
Overall, I like The Princess And The Frog. I think it could’ve been a little better, but it’s still a worthy Disney Princess Movie. I hope there’s a sequel, or a crossover with some of the other movies. And yes, I hope it’s drawn by hand. I know, we’re in the Digital Era, and those Pixar movies (that Disney now also owns) are wonderful. But there’s a certain charm to this style that I hope is never lost.