Film review
Directed by Ron Clements, John Musker
Starring the voices of Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David, Michael-Leon Wooley
Release date Out now (UK & US)

In 1920s New Orleans, a prince-turned-frog mistakes a waitress for a princess and kisses her, hoping to have the spell on him reversed. Instead, she too becomes a frog...

Very much following in the mould of traditional Disney animation – to the extent that one of the principal characters strongly resembles one of the henchmen from 101 Dalmatians – The Princess and the Frog is an enjoyable 90 minutes of Broadway-style musical, with just a tinge of social commentary thrown in.

A few years ago, chances are that the spoilt daughter of the New Orleans landowner would have been the main character. This time around, it's her best friend, the daughter of her father's dressmaker. It's the first time Disney has risked breaching this particular colour barrier, and the producers don't shy from the period's innate racism, with subtle touches like Tiana and her mother having to sit at the back of the bus while the white folk sit at the front.

There's a slight Tim Burton air to some of the animation, particularly the sequences featuring the Baron Samedi-esque Shadow Man (although these are a little too reminiscent of similar scenes in The Hunchback of Notre Dame). The musical numbers flow more naturally from the action than in some recent films, while the plot can easily be followed by its target juvenile audience without sending parents to sleep (unlike, say, Alvin and the Chipmunks). Paul Simpson

VERDICT: 9/10
Demonstrating that there's a place for traditional 2D animation alongside the incredible computer graphics of films like Up, The Princess and the Frog is a winner.