"The Princess and the Frog" Review

Hi folks. It's been a while. Sorry, but I've been a little busy lately, and haven't had much to write about anyway. But, now, I am back. I'll be retiring the "Brady____" method of describing posts, because I find it really unnecessary and a bit dull.

But anyways, onto the review: Disney's The Princess and the Frog.

The return of the "real" Disney after a long five-year hiatus, PatF (as it shall be abbreviated from now on) is directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, the directors who woke animated films from their hibernation 20 years ago with The Little Mermaid. And I'm pleased to say that, yes, they have done it again.

Set in New Orleans, Louisiana sometime in the 1920's, PatF follows the story of Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), a girl who dreams of fulfilling her father's (Terrence Howard) own dream of starting his own restaurant. But for this, she needs money, and has spent most of her life working hard to get enough to buy the old barn she plans to convert to the restaurant.

Her life takes an unexpected turn when, at a Masquerade ball hosted by her friend Charlotte's father, Eli La Bouff (John Goodman), Tiana meets a talking frog. It claims that it is really the visiting Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos), and, thinking she's royalty due to her fancy dress, explains that Tiana must kiss him for him to become human again. After some coaxing, Tiana complies, but is instead turned into a frog herself, and the two must find a different way to become themselves again.

Featuring an excellent score and memorable songs by good old Randy Newman, The Princess and the Frog is one of Disney's most enjoyable films, never losing its sense of humor and fun even in its darkest scenes, and with a talented cast that is mercifully free of top-tier celebrities (save for a brief performance by Oprah). Princess Tiana has gained a lot of buzz, mostly because of her race, but she deserves more than that, because she is one of Disney's best characters. From the first moment she appears onscreen, the audience wants to see her succeed, and is thoroughly satisfied when she does (not a spoiler). The supporting cast is equally excellent; particularly shining is famed voice actor Jim Cummings as Ray, a wisecracking hillbilly firefly, and Michael Leon-Wooley as Louis, a jazz-loving alligator.

In my opinion, Princess and the Frog is one of the years best films, and is a shoo-in for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature (Provided that Pixar's Up receives the Best Picture nomination it is heavily favored for). We need more classic-style movies like this: traditionally-animated, musical, no big-name stars, and with a real heart and soul. If you're reading this, do old Luke a favor and go see The Princess and the Frog.

BradyReviews: Film: The Thief and the Cobbler

It was going to be the greatest animated movie ever made. Directed by the famed lead animator of Who Framed Roger Rabbit and starring Vincent Price, it was to be the magnificent product of 30 years of hard work and perseverance. But in 1995, it was tragically taken from its loving father, turned into something it was not, and forgotten. The proper version of the film has never been finished.

That director is Richard Williams, that heartless studio that took it from him is Miramax, and that film is The Thief and the Cobbler.

Thankfully, a fan named Garrett Gilchrist has discovered a work-in-progress version of the film, and with the help of music that he has added, we can now see what might have been.

The Thief and the Cobbler's main characters are, you guessed it, a thief and a cobbler, as well as a princess. The Thief, whose name is never given, is a greedy, clumsy fool who nevertheless has incredible luck, repeatedly escaping certain death by mere inches. The Thief has entire scenes all to himself, which is a good thing, because he is easily the best part of the film. His completely silent escapades resemble a "Best of Looney Tunes" compilation all rolled into one movie, and you will probably find yourself laughing out loud..

The Cobbler, Tack, also never speaks, but he is more heroic in both his deeds and his appearance. In an interesting artistic license from reality, Tack's mouth is not visible- the tacks he holds in his mouth form his facial expression.

The third main character, Princess Yum-Yum, does speak, though most of her dialogue seems a bit unnecessary. No matter; she's a likable character.

Thief and the Cobbler is set in an unnamed Middle-Eastern city, which is safe from all harm thanks to the magical protection of three golden balls on the top spire of its castle. However, if the balls are ever removed from the spire, the kingdom will fall under attack by a ruthless race of evil one-eyed men. At the beginning of the story, Tack and the Thief accidentally causes the King's grand Vizier, Zigzag (Vincent Price), to trip, which Zigzag mistakenly interprets as an attempt on his life. The two are sent to the castle to be executed.

Princess Yum-Yum, however, manages to spare Tack by breaking her shoes and pointing out that she is in need of a cobbler. Tack, who's taken a special interest (winkity wink) in Yum-Yum, is all too happy to oblige.

Meanwhile, the Thief escapes, and after several hilarious failed attempts, manages to steal the golden balls on top of the spire. Unfortunately, the one-eyed men (aided by the traitorous Zigzag) are readying an attack on the city at the same time as these events, and Tack, Yum-Yum, and the Thief become the kingdom's only hope from destruction.

Unfortunately, I feel that I can't fairly critique this film, as it is, again, unfinished. About 20% of the film is either not colored or represented by storyboards, many scenes are missing sound effects, and the editing was not performed by a professional. As a result, some scenes move a bit too quickly to be understood, while others seem to drag on too long. If these scenes were finished, these problems would likely not be present, so I did my best to ignore them.

However, what I can say is that the true star of the movie- and the reason production took so long- is the animation. Based on the ancient Persian artwork styles, the characters move as fluidly as real people, the backgrounds are amazingly detailed, and at times the camera movement seems impossible. The highlights include an MC Escher-esque chase sequence, and an unfinished shot in which the entire scene moves in three-dimensions. All of this, I'd like to remind you, is entirely hand-drawn.

Well, I think you've heard enough of my raving. I bet you'd like to see this work of genius for yourself, wouldn't you? Well, here's the entire movie on Google Video.


Final Grade: A+

BradyNews: Disney's "Fish Hooks"

Disney has begun work on their latest animated series, Fish Hooks, about a small group of aquatic buddies. The premise sounds suspiciously familiar to a certain most-popular-animated-series-on-television airing on Nickelodeon right now, but hey, has Disney EVER let us down when it comes to animation?

Fish Hooks begins airing sometime in 2010.

BradyNews: Snow White on Blu-Ray

According to Animation Magazine, the world's first-ever animated feature is available now on Blu-Ray! Most likely, it's being released with Disney's usual "Limited Time" clause, so you folks with Blu-Ray players should get this one before it's too late.

BradyNews: Despicable Me Trailer On Apple.com

You guys may remember that my first-ever article, posted about four months ago, was on the Steve Carell comedy "Despicable Me". Well, now the second trailer is available to watch on Apple.com; head over there to check it out.

BradyNews: Toy Story Double Feature extended!

Howdy, Howdy, Howdy folks- Guess what? The box-office profits for Toy Story 1+2 in 3D went to infinity and beyond, so Disney has expanded it to a regular theatrical release! Don't miss out on a chance to see these two classics in theaters!

BradyReviews: TV: "The Simpsons": "Homer the Whopper"

The season premiere of FOX's long-running signature series, The Simpsons, was aired on Sunday. This episode was both written by and guest starred Seth Rogen, as a fitness instructor who helps Homer get into shape for a role in a Superhero film. Despite the comedic talents of Rogen, the regular cast, and The Simpsons in general, "Homer the Whopper" is underwhelming in most respects.

While the jokes do work about 60% of the time, the problem is that there aren't enough of them- this episode mostly revolves around plot rather than humor. Additionally, the few funny moments (such as a movie studio's dumpster marked "Studio Heads"-"My only sin was believing in George Clooney!") are more hee-hee than haw-haw.

Perhaps the best thing about "Homer the Whopper"-albeit one that will likely be repeated in later episodes- is the outstanding animation quality. The Simpsons has finally gotten with the times and gone to digital cel-painting and HD, causing a sharp upward climb in quality. It's hard to believe that this episode and one from two years ago were produced so close together.

In the end, "Homer the Whopper" is a lackluster episode of such a legendary series. Surely there must be better episodes produced this season- why not make one of THOSE the season opener?

Final Grade: C