Blu-ray Review: THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG
Once upon a time the Disney brand was the greatest name in entertainment; in the end it seems wishing upon a star has finally brought it back.
For nearly a decade, we have awaited Disneys long overdue return to quality 2D animation. After 1999s Tarzan, the absent-minded Disney CEO Michael Eisner and his army of suits tightened their hold on the already troubled company for which, much like a certain boy wizard, dark times most certainly lay ahead. In subsequent years top-notch flicks such as Fantasia 2000 and The Emperors New Groove proved Disney hadnt completely lost the proverbial plot, but the ever diminishing box office receipts had the final word. For every Lilo & Stitch there was a Brother Bear, a Home on the Range and (shudder) Chicken Little. With the big turnaround in 2006, a magnificent reformation occurred and piece by piece each division was restored to its former glory. Each division, that is, except the one that really counted. Until now. So after years of prematurely exclaiming that Disneys back!, I can finally say with absolute confidence that this time, they truly are. Ask any animation fanatic about The Princess and the Frog and hell undoubtedly wax lyrical about the similarities between this and The Little Mermaid, a sort of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs redux that helped usher in the second golden era of animation. On the surface it may appear to be nothing more than fanboy rhetoric, but on closer inspection the parallels become uncanny. 
The Princess and the Frog, like The Little Mermaid before it, reveals a charm and warmth largely absent in modern toons and while neither are overly ostentatious, they do exhibit all the necessary ingredients of a classic Disney recipe. Its genius lies in the way in which it embraces tradition, yet simultaneously usurps it. The Prince is a bankrupt womaniser, the Princess not really a Princess. Its not Shrek like cynicism were dealing with here, but neither is it Sleeping Beauty. The beautiful and head-strong Tiana, arguably one of Disneys most endearing leading ladies voiced pitch-perfectly by Anita Rose, dreams of getting her restaurant, not Prince Charming, while the latter (in this case the genuinely likeable Prince Naveen) cares only for snagging a rich Royal to line his empty pockets. Needless to say, this mismatched pair is brought together by that fateful kiss and the ensuing adventure demonstrates a refreshingly deft and mature chemistry between the two leads. 
The surprisingly endearing firefly Ray and his cute but unforgettable crocodile chum fulfill the role of the obligatory sidekicks, although they lack the appeal of a Timon and Pumbaa. Dr Facilier also is somewhat of a letdown, a villain who lacks the dramatic presence of previous baddies and falls short of his potential which is unfortunate, as his character design is flawless. Invoking the spirit of Jafar and the like, Facilier has that classic look which children should come to both love and fear: a face, in other words, destined for merchandise. Of course, much the same can be said of every character. The gorgeously animated world is simple but elegant, the characters flowing upon the screen with natural finesse. Its a subtler style than the norm, but its the right one. There are no 3D glasses or dazzling CG effects, just plain old-fashioned drawings which, when combined with the heart-warming score, instill in the viewer a sensation not felt since childhood. Randy Newmans upbeat and infectiously catchy tunes fit the New Orleans milieu like a glass slipper and if the songs fall short of classic status, theyre still more than worthy of restoring faith in musical animation. 