I consider Naveen’s country to be either in the Mediterranean sea, somewhere with both a European and Middle Eastern or African influence, or in Central America. So, either European/Middle Eastern or Latino.
But I don’t care what he is, he’s hot!
I watched PATF for the second time last night (this time, the English version).
It was even better than the first time, and once again the moment when [spoil]the new star appears after Ray’s funeral[/spoil] totally wrecked me.
Actually, I went to see Avatar, but it was sold out one hour before it was going to start (in a 700-plus-seat theater, no less).
So instead of 3D high-tech, it was low-tech all the way - traditional 2D animation on a lousy projection in a tiny theater, but who cares, it was so much fun! 
I saw it again today, guys!
With my family this time. They liked it. Not as much as me, but they liked it.
Good thing we got there when we did, though. It was easy to get in… but when we left, suddenly there was this HUGEE line of people, presumably for Avatar.
[spoil]I cried at the funeral. Again. Harder. And this time I heard Ray’s line about cute little tadpoles. I love you, Ray. ;_;[/spoil]
Also, I got the essential guide. The cover is shiny, oh, and as soon as I go to the Disney Store, I will have a Ray plush.
For ONCE, I’m trying not to spoil myself. Only, it is hard. Seeing as TPATF is only in Dutch cinemas next month and for ONCE I’m trying not to watch a bootlegged version…
Gah, I envy you Americans. Getting all the cool stuff first. xD
Except for all the cool stuff Japan gets. Plus, the UK gets more Pixarish school supplies than us. xD
I’m going to see it for a thrid time tomorrow when we drive my brother home and, if I’m lucky, I will see it next month in Berlin in English before or after I go to Disney On Ice. 
I’m really excited, can’t remember the last time I got so obsessed. 
Hopefully, I will be able to get a poster, didn’t manage to get one the last two times.
I’ve been listening to the soundtrack since I got it for Christmas, and I really do like the songs. Some of Randy Newman’s orchestral score puts me in mind of his Pixar work (the “Frog Hunters” music has a definite resemblance to some of the “Mater” cues from Cars); he has this definite “Americana” feel that works well here. (I’ve liked RN’s scores ever since he did “Ragtime” years ago).
I take back everything negative that I said about Louis; he is a fun character, and “When We’re Human” is great; I was just trying to think of places they could have “tightened things up.” (I still would have dumped the Frog Hunters and found a different way to make the story point between Naveen and Tiana.)
I probably won’t make it back to the theatre at this point, but I’m very eager for the DVD/BR release.
That soundtrack really does stick with you. I’ve had those songs stick in my head for days. They’re catchy and fun to sing along with In fact, almost everyday last I woke up with “Friends on the Other Side” in my head.
Haha, it seems I’m not the only one ‘obsessed’ with the soundtrack too, from the last few posts… I took up learning the theme song ‘Never Knew I Needed You’ (I play the piano), and, man, it ain’t easy, being in A♭ Major and with all those semiquavers… but it’s so worth it!
Here’s the score if you’re interested… 
We saw this over the holiday break, and enjoyed it. Charming is the best word to describe it, and Tiana is a very appealing lead character. The songs were good, too. It’s not Beauty and the Beast, but its hard to top those older classics.
Saw it for the third time, it gets better every time I see it!
Guess who was on the cover for Animation Magazine?!
Made me happy.
I saw it tonight for my birthday.
Oh, man, it’s charming, irresistable, and supercalifragilisticexpialidociously amazing! I loved the unexpected twists that gave it and its characters even more layers than I had thought it would have. Beautifully animated, just like Classics should be. Songs are catchy, and may not be quite as memorable yet, but they’re miraculous all the same, considering how long we’ve waited to hear new Classic songs from Disney. My favorite would be ‘Friends on the Other Side’, it’s so creepy and catchy at the same time. I think this is the first (or maybe second) time the villain’s song is my favorite of a whole movie!
The villain, Dr. Facillier, really shows that Disney can still do dark and even unexpected turns. What’s amazing is that though his intentions aren’t exactly clear, he’s smoothly persuasive. The shadows are stunningly creepy. His [spoil]death was the part that freaked me out the most. His desperate pleading, despite the nasty deeds he did throughout the film[/spoil] reminded me of Scar from The Lion King because [spoil]the friends on the other side are like the hyenas turning against him[/spoil]. 
Creepy, which is good, because if Disney can make it appeal to your emotions and give you chills (as well as other sensations), then that really contributes to what makes it a total Classic!
Haha, while speaking of how it reminds me of The Lion King, wasn’t anyone else reminded of the TLK stargazing quotes: [spoil]Timon: “They’re fireflies, stuck to that bluish black thing.” Pumbaa: “Oh, gee, I always thought they were big balls of gas burning from billions of miles away.” and how Simba was taught that they were actually the kings of the past watching over them? And in PATF, in a way, all three of them are correct! Stars really are big balls of gas miles and miles away, but some special stars turned out to be fireflies in a better place, as revealed in Ray’s funeral. Who knew Timon could’ve been right? I think they were inspired by TLK.[/spoil]
I like how Disney told it like it is and didn’t sugarcoat how different races were still treated a little lower at that time. [spoil]Like when Tiana had the building for her restaurant taken away from her and the men implied that they didn’t think someone like her could handle it.[/spoil] Some people out there take every line about different races too sensitively that they can’t even comprehend that Disney isn’t being racist at all - they’re just explaining that, truthfully, people were treated different at that time (if you call that racist, then so are social studies textbooks for just telling it like it is). shrug Anyway, let me stop myself before I go down the rant route again…
This film was really really impressive. It blew me away terrifically with how they could capture humor, sadness, romance, conflict, darkness, and twists and turns that could still make everything work out at the end, just the way Disney Classics should be. It’s nothing short of a Classic.
I nearly cried when [spoil]Ray turned out to have died[/spoil]. It’s slightly like Brother Bear where [spoil]the comic relief character that can be annoying at times and lovable at others, suddenly reveals another layer to us we didn’t expect, where even such happy-go-lucky characters can be hit down.[/spoil] Seriously, when Dr. Facillier [spoil]was about to step on him firmly, I expected some heroic thing at the last second to save Ray, because plenty of movies that are afraid of letting down the kids to that. Yet, in here, Disney was daring enough to actually make it happen, which made it shocking and sad but actually helped make the movie as good as it was. Especially when the second star appeared in the sky. It adds hope to that part of the movie, which made it touching.[/spoil] Another thing, it made me appreciate Ray more. I thought he would only exist in the film for laughs and just be annoying, but they proved me wrong.
Unfortunately, at the beginning, I was too into the movie too search for references, so I didn’t catch the carpet from Aladdin. But I did catch King Triton from TLM appearing as [spoil]a float in the Mardi Gras parage[/spoil] and [spoil]someone at the costume party[/spoil] was dressed as Ariel.
Charlotte was so spoiled, but also a good friend. And her puffy dress is hilarious!
Again, incredible film. Disney fans can finally thrill over what’s best about Disney, ex-Disney fans can finally have their faith in Disney renewed, and to-be-Disney fans (mostly little kids who have only lived during Disney’s downfall) will be excited and wonder why they haven’t seen this before. It is a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious treat that will send shivers down your spine, spark bittersweet tears, have you on the edge of your seat, have you loving the sweetness of the romance, laugh at the fresh and witty humor, touch, warm, and inspire your heart, and truly both haunt and amaze you. 
It was something that even before watching it, I KNEW I would love to bits. Didn’t have me skeptical for an instant. Although not many people were at the theater at the time (well, it’s a weekday, and I’m guessing most families want to watch with their kids, who are too busy with school), which meant the applause was no grand nonstop standing ovation, but there was definitely sincerely impressed applause, even before the film ended, which should tell you something. I’m one of the applauders. I’ll bet that if the theater were filled, there would be nonstop cheering and applause like no other modern movie for sure.
Thank you and wonderful job, Disney! Way to go! That’s what I’m talking about! How about some more Classics after this, too?
Great review, BDD. I’m glad you enjoyed PATF!
That was one of the most satisfying and biggest pay-offs I’ve seen for a villain’s death. Usually, it’s either the bad guy turns good in the end (like Treasure Planet) or they get punished, but not in a fatalistic way (like Pocahontas[/i], The Emperor’s New Groove), but this is a pretty surprising return to the classic Disney ‘bad guy dies in the end’ sort of ending. But far from being the hero kills the bad guy (like in Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid), Dr, Facilier actually perishes by his own hand (like Hercules, The Lion King), so you feel ‘better’ in the sense that he ‘asked’ for it. I had a feeling that would happen once he made that overconfident promise to the shadows when he was asking them to find Naveen.
I wasn’t reminded of TLK during the stargazing quotes, but there were a lot more Disney references I mentioned in an earlier thread, so you can try to spot 'em if you go for a repeat viewing.
I agree with you on how Disney was courageous enough to ‘tell it like it is’ about the race and class divisions back in those times. And as I mentioned in an earlier thread, Tiana and Charlotte’s friendship wouldn’t have been impossible, because there were free black people in New Orleans at that time. Just that there was a lot more prejudice back then, as insinuated in that [spoil]“Person of your background” line.[/spoil]
I was surprised by Ray and Charlotte’s characters, too. I thought they would be annoying (and in the case of Charlotte, [spoil]maybe a secondary villain, too![/spoil]), but they turned out to be just as endearing and charming as the heroes.
A lot of people complained that the storyline was predictable and all, but I think this is the most daring Disney animated film yet, because it’s set in an actual time and place (so besides being loosely inspired by The Frog Prince/ fable, it’s not a direct retelling of a fairy tale), and that they had the guts to depict adult themes like [spoil]racism and death[/spoil], in a kid-friendly format that the adults would still be able to appreciate. So for that, Disney, thank you for making us feel like kids again, while still being mature and thoughtful (if that makes sense)…
Oh, yes, I enjoyed it so much! Yeah, I agree, TDIT - it wasn’t one of those Disney movies that are “ok” or “fine” or “enjoyable to a certain level”. It was excellent all the way through and still showed a daring side that made it all the more exciting, so it didn’t just appeal to just kids, but families of all ages.
Well thought out comparisons! Yes, when the villain has [spoil]actually “asked for it”, it is very intriguing.[/spoil] It’s nice that Disney had a variety, though, and knew when to make the villain pay for it, when the villain showed another side and helped the protagonist, and when to make the villain disappear so you wonder if they’ll return or not. In PATF, [spoil]it was great to see a chilling dark penalty for the villain this time - so that Disney could do something unexpected again; though you still feel a little pity for him with his pleading, the sense that he deserved it kind of outweighs the pity.[/spoil]
Unfortunately, some people out there just hear the word “Princess” in the title and go, like, “Oh, it’s another girly fantasy movie for little ones…” (obviously ignorant people who don’t even get a clue about how amazing it can get and don’t look beyond the title. Pathetic as it is, some people out there have that opinion and don’t have the slightest idea just what a spectacular Classic they’re missing out on). 
About the TLK stargazing reference, well, there’s no hidden visual in-joke or quote directly from TLK. It’s just that [spoil]Ray’s funeral and the birth of a new star in the sky right next to Evangeline symbolized that he was in a better place, which reminded me so much about how in The Lion King, Timon, Pumbaa, and Simba had differing views about what stars really were. Timon’s sounded the most ridiculous of the three - “I don’t wonder - I know what they are. They’re fireflies stuck to that bluish black thing”. Yet PATF proved that maybe Timon’s theory may have been right. [/spoil]
TDIT, I know what you mean by that last sentence. I know, it’s hard to explain - but I get what you mean.
By the way, anyone think of Peter Pan “Second Star to the Right” when [spoil]Ray’s light appeared as a brand new star by Evangeline? When that happened, Evangeline was no longer by itself/herself and became the 2nd star to the Right, and was not just a wishing star but the star that directs to Neverland)[/spoil]. It took me a while to realize why the [spoil]couple of stars were so familiar[/spoil].
My thoughts, exactly.
With both characters they could have gone a much more straightforward and uninteresting way, but I’m so glad the old Disney magic kicked in big time.
Considering how many great characters they put into this film it’s quite hard to pick a favourite, I guess.
All throughout the film, Evangeline reminded me of the wishing star from Pinocchio but [spoil]after Ray joined her, I just had to think of “Second Star to the Right” from Peter Pan, too.[/spoil]
Yeah, it’s really a shame. Although people in Germany might not think that since the German title is Küss den Frosch, which means Kiss the Frog, but there’s no one in my area who seems to have seen the movie, and most people I know consider animated features as movies for little kiddies. sighs Quite a shame.
Well, at least my brother watched TPATF on my second viewing. He told me he liked it, but he thinks Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs is better. Well, at least he gave the frog a chance and ended up liking it.
I’m not sure what Disney could have done to get more audience for PATF - but I read the DisBoards, too, and I was surprised at the people there who hadn’t seen it yet and were asking, “Is it OK for boys?” “Will boys sit through it?” (The answers they got were, of course, “Yes, absolutely!”) On the one hand, you can understand them selling it as a “Princess” movie, to get that part of the audience in, but on the other hand, would they have gotten a bigger audience if they’d just called it “Frogs!” (however silly it might seem)?
It was actually drawing slightly bigger crowds in my area. I guess the word of mouth was good, so people got off their butts and went to see it.
“Kiss the Frog”? I think that works a little better, actually.
Ugh, it’s so unfortunate that it’s too late for some teens out there to enjoy the thrilling magic of a Disney Classic like this. One girl saw me looking up reviews on TPATF and asked if I watched it and if I liked it. I responded, “I love it” to say the least. But no doubt she gave me a weird look, judging by her tone, which sounded like the response if I had just told her the randomest immature thing ever (which is far from the truth). Her response was like, “It’s ok, I almost watched that, too” - but her tone was obviously that she felt sorry for me (in a pathetic way) because I enjoyed it. As if I just couldn’t “grow up”. She didn’t say that, but you can tell a lot from her tone of voice and how she normally treats me. I didn’t say much more on the subject, but I feel sorry for her, missing out on a treat like this to be “cool”. Ugh, the ignorance of some nowadays. It’s a timeless Classic to touch all ages, but it’s already been defined as a talking animal/ princess cartoon for some. 
That, and another kid glanced at how interested I was in this and said “What the heck?” (what’s worse is the only time they pay attention to me is when they don’t respect me enough to mind their own business, but that rant’s for another thread).
Oh well, their loss. I think Disney’s magic has left so long that, as sad as it is, had forgotten how awesome Disney animation was.