The Princess And The Frog

Even after the universally acclaimed new-age animations like Wall-E or Cars, quite a few people feel that animations are meant solely for the children, and no serious adults should be caught watching them. I really feel sad for those people, because in their lame posturing, they are missing out some of the greatest joys cinema has to offer. I confess I am an unabashed fan of animations – and The Princess And The Frog is right up there with best that Disney has offered so far.

For the past few years though, Disney hasn’t been on the cutting edge of the animation - with Pixar producing most of the recent animation masterpieces like Wall-E, Cars, Incredibles, Ratatouille etc and Dreamworks producing Shrek, Kung Fu Panda & Madagascar. All the above movies are all a product of CGI animation and look more expressive and real, compared to the old style 2D animations like Aladdin. The Princess And The Frog too is rendered in the old style, but and what it lacks in technology, it makes up with cheerfulness, vivacity and song-and-dance.

It is a Disney musical like Lion King or Mulan – with lot of fun songs and amazing choreography. The one with the fireflies is incredibly vivid and beautiful – sure to bring a wide smile to your face. And it has its fair share of lovable characters, without which any Disney movie is incomplete. There is a Louis, the jazz-loving alligator and Ray, the romantic firefly. The story is a tweak to the old fable about a Princess and a Frog - only, the story is set in the early 20th century. Where a hard working waitress Tiana is saving up for her own restaurant and runs into the visiting Prince Naveen of Maledonia.

The story is formulaic, and Tiana and prince Naveen are adorably cute – and the baddies are clearly bad. But even with all the predictability, the movie is a joy to watch. So if you feel like you need a helping of good cheer and fun, watch The Princess And The Frog this week. And watch out for the blind Mama Odie.