The Princess and the Frog trailer

[CaptainCanada]

Beginning with an obligatory "hey, remember all these classic movies?" plug to build up audience goodwill.

You get a bit more sense of the plot, including the major deviation from the standard story; I was wondering how they were going to enlarge something that's barely short-film into feature-length.

Animation looks good.

 

[Thespeckledkiwi]

Wow, it does look very good.

 

[Icemizer]

Like the look of the new villian. Reminds me of the baddie from Live and Let Die.

 

[Cutter John]

Damn I've missed Disney 2-D animation so I'm gonna be all over this.

Dear God, please don't let it suck.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

Looks good. But how long until someone says it's racist?

 

[Thespeckledkiwi]

They already have. Hence the change of name for the Princess.

 

[Bacl]

We elected a black president. That means racism is dead.

But good thing sexism is still alive and well!

 

[melancholymecha]

I had to see it without sound, but it looks cute!
I still dont know why, if they wanted a black princess, they didnt just make a story set in Africa...or just adapt ther own musical version of Aida...

instead they have to(I assume) bring in some foreign royalty visiting the USA setting, which just seems kinda convoluted to me...

 

[CaptainCanada]

She was originally a chambermaid; African-American groups objected to that (despite it being good enough for Cinderella), so she got bumped up to this ritzier status, while still being from New Orleans (the prince in question is an actual prince, from a fake Mediterranean country).

 

[Casi]

I'm...I dunno. I worry about this film. I mean...it just seems like it can't win you know? We've heard how racist disney is supposed to be because they've never had an african american princess. And now they've made one, and that act is getting them called racist. I think it's just a no win situation for the movie itself.

That being said, I do miss 2-D animation. I don't know how I feel about the premise for this though. I remember getting chills when I saw the previews for say...Pocahontas and Mulan. I get no chills from this. I'm thinking it will be cute...but I don't see the Disney magic in it.

 

[DBR]

I simply don't think the market is ripe for a 2D animated movie that is featuring anything but fuzzy animals. Traditionally animated movies aren't dead, but I don;t think this movie will be the one to rejuvenate the medium.

 

[Casi]

I simply don't think the market is ripe for a 2D animated movie that is featuring anything but fuzzy animals. Traditionally animated movies aren't dead, but I don;t think this movie will be the one to rejuvenate the medium.

I don't think it's a daring enough idea to rejuvenate anything, let alone a dying medium.

 

[CaptainCanada]

I simply don't think the market is ripe for a 2D animated movie that is featuring anything but fuzzy animals.

Frogs aren't fuzzy, but they are animals.

All the talk about 2D vs. 3D misses the mark, I think, regarding the primary audience, ie, children. They don't really make decisions about what movies they want to see along those lines, and it's not like they're biassed against 2D anyway (pretty much all the cartoons they watch are 2D).

 

[Casi]

Frogs aren't fuzzy, but they are animals.

All the talk about 2D vs. 3D misses the mark, I think, regarding the primary audience, ie, children. They don't really make decisions about what movies they want to see along those lines, and it's not like they're biassed against 2D anyway (pretty much all the cartoons they watch are 2D).

I disagree. One of the things that has always set the Disney full length animated films apart from the rest of the cartoon movies out there is that they were meant to be enjoyed by adults as well as children. They've got adult messages as well as childhood morals. They teach lessens while entertaining. Even their less serious movies, like Emperor's New Groove, still had plenty of adult humor. So I don't think the opinion of the children is really the selling point with these big 2-D movies.

The bottom line for me is that it just doesn't feel like a big Disney movie. I may be proved wrong, but from the previews I've seen...it seems more on a level with movies like Anastasia than Lion King or Mulan.

 

[DBR]

All the talk about 2D vs. 3D misses the mark, I think, regarding the primary audience, ie, children. They don't really make decisions about what movies they want to see along those lines, and it's not like they're biassed against 2D anyway (pretty much all the cartoons they watch are 2D).

For a movie to be hugely successful, I think the best chances for that happening would be if the movie appealed to as large of an audience as possible.

I guess my last post was more of an aimless comment conveying my impressions of this movie, the state of 2D, and Disney's past successes and failures. Fuzzy animals or not, this movie does nothing for me so far, and I don't see it being very successful.

 

[roguephoenix]

i hope disney goes back to it's musical toons that they used to do so well. well enough to be nominated for best picture along with live-action shows.

 

[melancholymecha]

yeah I also feel that there's nothing really "wow" about this particular story, its feels like another variation of what we've see in the past, in the same mold of Little Mermiad & Aladdin, in fact I think its the same directors.

the thing is, back when Disney tried to do something out of the norm for them(Atlantis, Treasure Planet) they bombed badly (those films sort of became scapegoats for the death of 2d) & they were probably hesitant to do anything too daring & unfamilar for their first venture back to the 2d format.

Im hoping PATF is a success though, b/c then maybe Lasseter will encourage looking for more varied or even edgier fare to adapt in 2d. Here's hoping.

 

[Casi]

I do have high hopes for Disney now that Lasseter is in charge. I mean, Bolt, the first movie to be done under his leadership, was amazing. He's smart and really seems to understand that Disney magic. So I'll second your sentiment. Here's hoping.

 

[CaptainCanada]

I disagree. One of the things that has always set the Disney full length animated films apart from the rest of the cartoon movies out there is that they were meant to be enjoyed by adults as well as children. They've got adult messages as well as childhood morals. They teach lessens while entertaining. Even their less serious movies, like Emperor's New Groove, still had plenty of adult humor. So I don't think the opinion of the children is really the selling point with these big 2-D movies.

Er, no.

Disney (and Pixar) makes children's films, ones that mom and dad can enjoy (instead of suffering in silence for an hour and a half), and which also have a distinct minority adult fan base. But the primary audience is children (and their parents).

Which, anyway, I'm not sure what your post has to do with my point, which was that children don't really care whether a film is 2D or 3D (nor do parents prioritize that when looking for a film to take their kids to).

 

[Casi]

I disagree. One of the things that has always set the Disney full length animated films apart from the rest of the cartoon movies out there is that they were meant to be enjoyed by adults as well as children. They've got adult messages as well as childhood morals. They teach lessens while entertaining. Even their less serious movies, like Emperor's New Groove, still had plenty of adult humor. So I don't think the opinion of the children is really the selling point with these big 2-D movies.

Er, no.

Disney (and Pixar) makes children's films, ones that mom and dad can enjoy (instead of suffering in silence for an hour and a half), and which also have a distinct minority adult fan base. But the primary audience is children (and their parents).

Which, anyway, I'm not sure what your post has to do with my point, which was that children don't really care whether a film is 2D or 3D (nor do parents prioritize that when looking for a film to take their kids to).

I think you're misunderstanding me. I'm trying to make the point that the most popular and long lasting cartoons are the ones that appeal to adults as well as children. It's why Loony Toons were so successful. And it's why a lot of the Disney films have been so successful. I wasn't making a comment about 2D vs 3D, I was merely pointing out that Children aren't the only consideration when making a film like this.