My six-year-old daughter and I had the opportunity to preview Disney’s latest princess movie, “The Princess and the Frog.” Princess Tiana, the first African American princess created by Disney, works hard to save money to open a restaurant in New Orleans. Unlike other Disney princesses, Tiana is not interested in waiting “someday for her Prince to come.” She makes sure her life’s happiness does not depend upon anyone else – including a Prince.
It’s refreshing to see a Disney Princess story line that shows a woman does not have to lie in wait for her rescuer. Tiana is enterprising. She knows what she wants and seeks out the people who will help her get it. Even if it happens to be a Prince.
Of course, the movie is not without controversy. Two main objectives are 1) Her Prince is not African American; 2) She is a frog 75% of the movie. However, its strong points far outweigh the negatives.
The music is superb, the animation is reminiscent of Disney’s early yaers(sans Pixar), it teaches hard work, self determination and fortitude and most importantly, the kids love it.