Movie Reviews: "The Princess and the Frog" - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

JamesG · 11-27-2009, 01:10 PM

Movie Reviews: The Princess And The Frog

Disney is opening The Princess and the Frog in two theaters in New York and Los Angeles for a two-week special engagement before its national roll-out.

In the apparent belief that audiences may feel short-changed by the lack of computer animation -- it's drawn by hand -- and 3D, the studio is compensating with a lot of marketing pizzazz, including games and other activities being presented next to the the theater.

In Los Angeles, it's actually being screened on the Disney lot, the first time in memory that a studio has opened its gates to the public as part of a theatrical run.

It's all totally unnecessary, most of the critics seem to agree.

The movie stands beautifully on its own, returning Disney to its glory days. "What a relief to watch an animated movie without 3-D glasses!" writes Claudia Puig in USA Today, "And what a pleasure, after a season of bland computer-generated tales, to be swept up in the visual magic of The Princess and the Frog."

Likewise, Betsy Sharkey writes in the Los Angeles Times: "After being bombarded by so much computer-generated, motion-captured high-and-higher jinks, the film feels fresh -- a discovery, or a rediscovery, depending on your age."

"Enchanted!" exclaims Lou Lumenick in the New York Post. "The Disney magic -- not to be confused with the delights of its Pixar subsidiary -- is finally back, after a decade in the animated wilderness."

Most of the reviews make only passing reference to the fact that the movie features the first black princess in Disney history.

But Manohla Dargis in the New York Times faults the movie for doing so itself. After all, the princess spends much of her on-screen time as a frog. "It's not easy being green, the heroine of The Princess and the Frog discovers," Dargis writes. "But to judge from how this polished, hand-drawn movie addresses, or rather strenuously avoids, race, it is a lot more difficult to be black, particularly in a Disney animated feature."

But perhaps the basic problem with the film, Joe Neumaier suggests in the New York Daily News, is that this princess is "achingly one-dimensional."

-IMDB News

Scoobiedoo30 · 11-27-2009, 10:40 PM

Princess and The Fog was made here

Schmoopie · 11-28-2009, 04:16 AM

The Disney "classics" aren't nearly as good as they used to be. I've seen the previews for this and honestly I'm not that impressed. I'm going to wait until it comes out on DVD. I think the last great Disney film was Beauty and the Beast. All the other ones have just been mediocre, IMO.

PlayOn · 12-01-2009, 12:07 PM

I love the fact that Disney has returned to the hand drawn medium for their newest princess feature. That's one of the thing's Disney is famous for: Princesses. Another is animation. You can't have one without the other.
I can't wait to see this with my little cousins.

11-27-2009, 01:10 PM	#1
JamesG Freakshow Moderator Forum Icon Join Date: Feb 01, 2008 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 57,129	Movie Reviews: "The Princess and the Frog" Movie Reviews: The Princess And The Frog Disney is opening The Princess and the Frog in two theaters in New York and Los Angeles for a two-week special engagement before its national roll-out. In the apparent belief that audiences may feel short-changed by the lack of computer animation -- it's drawn by hand -- and 3D, the studio is compensating with a lot of marketing pizzazz, including games and other activities being presented next to the the theater. In Los Angeles, it's actually being screened on the Disney lot, the first time in memory that a studio has opened its gates to the public as part of a theatrical run. It's all totally unnecessary, most of the critics seem to agree. The movie stands beautifully on its own, returning Disney to its glory days. "What a relief to watch an animated movie without 3-D glasses!" writes Claudia Puig in USA Today, "And what a pleasure, after a season of bland computer-generated tales, to be swept up in the visual magic of The Princess and the Frog." Likewise, Betsy Sharkey writes in the Los Angeles Times: "After being bombarded by so much computer-generated, motion-captured high-and-higher jinks, the film feels fresh -- a discovery, or a rediscovery, depending on your age." "Enchanted!" exclaims Lou Lumenick in the New York Post. "The Disney magic -- not to be confused with the delights of its Pixar subsidiary -- is finally back, after a decade in the animated wilderness." Most of the reviews make only passing reference to the fact that the movie features the first black princess in Disney history. But Manohla Dargis in the New York Times faults the movie for doing so itself. After all, the princess spends much of her on-screen time as a frog. "It's not easy being green, the heroine of The Princess and the Frog discovers," Dargis writes. "But to judge from how this polished, hand-drawn movie addresses, or rather strenuously avoids, race, it is a lot more difficult to be black, particularly in a Disney animated feature." But perhaps the basic problem with the film, Joe Neumaier suggests in the New York Daily News, is that this princess is "achingly one-dimensional." -IMDB News

11-27-2009, 10:40 PM	#2
Scoobiedoo30 Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Jun 27, 2002 Location: KENNER, LOUISIANA Posts: 27,654	Princess and The Fog was made here
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11-28-2009, 04:16 AM	#3
Schmoopie Keep Calm and Love Snoopy Forum Star Join Date: Jul 13, 2008 Location: Lynnwood, Washington Posts: 15,697	The Disney "classics" aren't nearly as good as they used to be. I've seen the previews for this and honestly I'm not that impressed. I'm going to wait until it comes out on DVD. I think the last great Disney film was Beauty and the Beast. All the other ones have just been mediocre, IMO.
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12-01-2009, 12:07 PM	#4
PlayOn ADHD: what I have not who I am Senior Member Join Date: Jun 17, 2006 Location: I'll never tell. :p Posts: 2,745	I love the fact that Disney has returned to the hand drawn medium for their newest princess feature. That's one of the thing's Disney is famous for: Princesses. Another is animation. You can't have one without the other. I can't wait to see this with my little cousins.
	__________________ Have you heard the ? Jesus saves!!!