A Few Words About A few words about...™ The Princess and the Frog -- in Blu-ray (1 Viewer)

[Robert Harris]

What a great thrill to see genuine animation once again. Disney's The Princess and the Frog is a gorgeous film, and like many of the Disney releases over the past two decades is built around a clever story and terrific music.

This is quality entertainment for all ages.

I will make note of a single point. I don't recall whether Disney is referring to TPatF as a "classic" or whether the term is being used by reviewers, but I'd very much like to set some guidelines, much like the concept of using the term "restoration."

To my mind, Bambi, Peter Pan, Pinocchio and others are true Disney classics. A limitation should be placed upon the use of the word for marketing. Let's go with 18 months. After that it can be called a "classic."

And let's make it at least 24 months before a film can be referred to as masterfully or beautifully "restored."

Quality modern entertainment from Disney, which may well someday be a "classic."

Did I mention that this is a magnificent Blu-ray?

Highly recommended.
RAH

 

[Douglas Monce]

I believe the add I saw for the DVD used the term "Instant classic". I'll leave it to others to figure out exactly what that means.

Doug

 

[mattCR]

I thought the film was very good. Not great, but very good. It lags behind predecessors like "Lion King" "Little Mermaid" etc, but it also has one of the most memorable animated sequences of any film I've ever watched in the first twenty minutes, during the big song number.. that transition (I'm trying to not post huge spoilers) is an incredible bit, and it is unlike anything I've ever seen in Disney animation.
This is a solid, good story with a really great look. No, it's not what I'd call "tier-1" Disney at it's best, but this is still a solid "B" to "B+" effort and should be in every animation fan's collection

 

[Dick]

Originally Posted by Douglas Monce

I believe the add I saw for the DVD used the term "Instant classic". I'll leave it to others to figure out exactly what that means.

Doug

It's an oxymoron.

 

[Johnny Angell]

Originally Posted by mattCR

it also has one of the most memorable animated sequences of any film I've ever watched in the first twenty minutes, during the big song number.. that transition (I'm trying to not post huge spoilers) is an incredible bit, and it is unlike anything I've ever seen in Disney animation.

Are you referring to "Almost There"? I like that sequence very much too. Good song and I love the animation.

 

[Parker Clack]

Robert:

1) I think a movie classified as a classic should be at least 10 years out
2) Something that is a restoration be reserved for those films that have had to be restored from what was once a a masterpiece of film that has deteriorated to the point that it needs to be restored to be watchable.

Oh, I agree that the Blu-ray of this movie looks great.

 

[Mark-P]

Originally Posted by Parker Clack

Robert:

1) I think a movie classified as a classic should be at least 10 years out
2) Something that is a restoration be reserved for those films that have had to be restored from what was once a a masterpiece of film that has deteriorated to the point that it needs to be restored to be watchable.

Surely you didn't take Mr. Harris' comments about 18 and 24 months literally! It was definitely tongue-in-cheek.

 

[mattCR]

Originally Posted by Johnny Angell



Are you referring to "Almost There"? I like that sequence very much too. Good song and I love the animation.

Yes. That song and sequence is some really great stuff. Music on par with past greats, great animation.. that number really works. The rest of the film has a lot of up & down. That's not bad, while I love most Disney animated films, I've always considered an "upper" and "lower" class of films. I'd say this would be in the same camp as say.. The Rescuers, etc. but not in the same league as say, Lion King or Cinderella.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

I'd rank this a little higher than The Rescuers. It's a solid Disney renaissance effort comparable to The Great Mouse Detective, which I consider to be the beginnings of the rebirth that led to The Little Mermaid.

 

[Brian Borst]

Movies made by the Walt Disney Animation Studios are generally referred to as the 'Classics'. It's just a term, nothing less. Sure, a lot of them are really classics in the general meaning of the word (among them the titles Mr. Harris already mentioned) but in this case, saying that 'The Princess and the Frog is a classic' is the same as 'they're all made by WDAS'.

 

[Joseph Bolus]

I thought this movie was *terrific*!! The first 45 minutes was solid "A+" material; the last 45 minutes wasn't quite as strong, but remained highly entertaining. (This is from an adult's perspective; my 13 year old daughter was in absolute tears at the end. When I asked her what she gave the movie, she mumbled "Four Stars" while reaching for another tissue.) The Blu-ray disc transfer was consistently fantastic in all areas. I've never seen Disney animation look quite this good!!

Our family has already viewed the BD twice!

I'm ashamed to admit now that we made no effort whatsoever to view this movie during its theatrical exhibition.

 

[Sam Favate]

I missed this in the theaters last year, but just saw the BD over the weekend. It was great - best (non-Pixar) Disney movie in 15 years or so. I thought the music was terrific fun, and loved the jazz/blues/soul/zydeco soundtrack - very different for a Disney musical, most of which take their cues from Broadway.

I'll certainly be putting this alongside the Disney "classics" on the shelf.

 

[PaulDA]

My daughter loved this when I took her to see it some months ago and I look forward to watching it again with her (and hearing the music without the chattering of youngsters in the room--my daughter knows how to keep quiet during movies).

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

My family was visiting friends in North Carolina who have a four year old son. He had not seen the movie before, so I watched it again with him. He gave the ultimate four year-old positive review. With two or three minutes left in the movie, he started begging his parents relentessly to let him watch it again.

 

[Johnny Angell]

Originally Posted by Ken_McAlinden
He gave the ultimate four year-old positive review. With two or three minutes left in the movie, he started begging his parents relentessly to let him watch it again.

I wish I could do that again. I do watch favorite movies multiple times, but not back-to-back. I wish I could do that again[sigh].