WRITERS: Ron Clements
STARRING: Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Bruce Campos, Michael-Leon Wooley
RATED: G
OPINION STARS: 3 out of 5
THIS FILM IS: Funny, Clever, Dark
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DESCRIPTION: Living among the bustle of 1920's New Orleans, Tiana (voiced by Rose) is a poor African-American girl with a knack for cooking and the cherished dream of opening her own restaraunt. Her dedicated work ethic clashes with the cheerful idleness of Naveen, Prince of Maldonia (Campos). But when the Prince is turned into a frog by the nefarious Dr. Facilier (David), Tiana finds herself swept into a hilarious and dangerous adventure. Along the way, the mismatched duo encounter a Cajun firefly and a jazz-playing alligator named Louis (Wooley).
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VIOLENCE AND GORE: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
FRIGHTENING CONTENT: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
LANGUAGE: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
MATURE THEMES: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
INDECENT CONTENT: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
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NOTE: Knowing this film was aimed at younger audiences, I was surprised at how dark some of the themes were. While it is a clever and humorous twist on the classic fairytale, a great deal of the story is concerned with voodoo, demons, and the occult arts - issues which, to my mind, are a bit mature for little ones to be thinking about. Older children may find it amusing, and the whimsical hand-drawn animation is refreshing to watch - I just wouldn't recommend this one for family viewing.
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For Ages 11+
"Why, the Bayou is the best jazz school in the world!"
