With their latest release Disney have decided to take a brief departure from the razzle and dazzle of Pixar-generated CGI and 3D and take it back to the old school – hand-drawn animation.

In September I travelled to LA to interview artists and directors about the return to this traditional style of animation and their excitement was palpable (you can read a bit more about that here and here). And so after spending some time with the people who have poured their heart and soul into this film I was fairly excited to head along to the cinema a week or so ago and see the finished product.

I wasn’t disappointed. It’s beautiful.

The Princess and the Frog puts a spin on the classic frog prince fairytale that most of us are familiar with.  The heroine comes in the form of hardworking waitress Tiana, who is Disney’s first African-American "princess". No-nonsense Tiana is fiercely committed to honouring her daddy’s memory and opening her own restaurant in New Orleans.

While she is working away at the local cafes and saving her pennies, Prince Naveen is living a reckless life on the other side of town, frittering away his parent’s money and playing jazz like it’s nobody’s business. During a trip into town Naveen comes across Dr Facilier, a dodgy lanky man who dabbles in black magic and turns the arrogant prince into a frog.

Naveen and Tiana eventually meet and take a magical adventure through the alligator-infested waters of the New Orleans bayou, in a quest to return to human form. Along the way they meet a trumpet playing alligator named Louis, a love-sick Cajun firefly named Ray and a blind witch doctor who uses a snake as a walking stick.

The elements that most people love about the classic Disney animations are all here. There’s the rollicking soundtrack from Randy Newman (who apparently has a real love for jazz music and jumped at the chance to create the soundtrack for this film) and the distinctive Disney artwork.

Visually, it’s a real treat. The production crew have done a great job of recreating New Orleans during the jazz era. The producers, composers and directors spent some time in the deep south immersing themselves in the sights, sounds and smells of the area. And it’s really paid off – everything from the colour palette to the southern cuisine and architecture is faithfully recreated. The producers are right - this film just wouldn't have worked as CGI. Classic fairytales such as this just work better with the classic hand-drawn style. 

The film is directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, the two gentlemen who bought The Little Mermaid and Aladdin to the silver screen. Pleasingly, a similar family-friendly humour permeates their latest creation as well. Kids and adults alike are bound to adore the cheesy charm of the frog prince, and giggle at the simple silliness of Ray the firefly.

Another of the film’s likable qualities is that the main female character is almost an anti-princess. She has no interest in being “saved” by a knight in shining armour - she’s quite happy to work hard and achieve her dreams on her own merits. This strong female character is a welcome departure from the dreamy love-focused heroines of earlier fairytales.

There is one fairly sad turn of events towards the end of the film that may upset some little tackers (okay … I’ll admit it … I actually shed a tear myself), but there’s something fairly poignant and genuine about the fact that not every character survives. And it’s not a first for Disney either. They’re the ones that killed Bambi’s mum in 1942, remember?
 


I’m still not over it.

Kids will love this film – there’s no doubt. And adults will hopefully appreciate the nostalgia that only a hand-drawn Disney animation can provide.

If you have a hangover at some stage over the holidays and want to escape the heat, you could do worse than seeing this at your local multiplex. It will cleanse you of you yuletide overindulgence and help you regain some of your childlike wonder again.

The Princess and the Frog opens in cinemas on January 1, 2010.
You can view The Princess and the Frog movie trailer here on TheVine.