Disney’s latest is something different

After watching The Princess and the Frog, I was a little befuddled. Yes, befuddled. Isn’t it supposed to be a Disney movie? It wouldn’t be surprising if the viewer forgot this fact. Where’s the majestic castle setting, the 100% happy ending, the Barbie-pretty princesses, the guy falling all over himself to win the affection of the girl? Not in this film, apparently, and I find that a marked improvement.

In a throwback to classic children’s films, it’s not computer-animated, but an actual hand-drawn cartoon, the only one from Disney in six years. Most other aspects of the film, however, are markedly nontraditional. Black voodoo winds its way through the plot, demons and “shadow creatures” haunt the protagonists. The heroine is African-American (a first for Disney), the characters actually have character, and the ending is surprising.

In early 20^th century New Orleans, young Tiana works long overtime hours in hopes of founding her own restaurant. This is not your typical princess, and actually not one at all. She is a driven young woman who supports herself, and opts to work instead of just asking her wealthy best girlfriend for the cash to start her business.

A wealth-less prince, looking for a cash-laden girl, arrives in the city. He runs astray of a black magic man who dabbles in voodoo and leads him down a treacherous path. This conceited prince plus a headstrong girl wouldn’t usually add up to anything good, and it ends up that they both are transformed into frogs and are on a quest to get their humanity back.

Into the swampland they venture, guided by talking fireflies, seeking white voodoo priestess Mama Odie in hopes of help. Instead, they get mystic advice from the blind, eccentric woman who lives in a tree, keeps an anaconda for a pet, and brews up gumbo in a bathtub. Sounds reliable, eh?

After attempts at thwarting by the voodoo master, who sends out shadow demons conjured by the devil, Tatia and Naveen manage to get back to the city and find out how to become people again. Their plan fails, and in the process, their beloved firefly friend Ray dies by footstep. They resign to be together, even if as frogs. But of course it’s not over yet…

Although hard to predict, the ending turns out to be happy, sweet, a bit sad, and unexpected. What happened? Well, I didn’t—and I’m not going to—tell you everything. Watch it yourself. Or, if you’re too lazy, Google it.