I couldn't believe the amount of voodoo incorporated into the movie. I wish we hadn't taken our daughters to see it at the theater and we are not buying it. Any good that could have come from the example of Tiana's hard work was over shadowed by the scariness of the witch doctor. Seriously.
The Princess and the Frog
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
First African-American Disney princess is a good role model.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 6 and Up
The good stuff
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Educational value:
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Role models:
What to watch out for
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Violence & scariness:
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Sexy stuff:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of The Princess and the Frog was written by S. Jhoanna Robledo
Parents need to know that The Princess and the Frog is Disney's first movie to feature an African-American heroine, Tiana. The New Orleans-set story is a spin on the classic fairy tale about the princess who finds true love when she kisses an enchanted amphibian, but there's more to this tale than just romance: Tiana is a resourceful, hardworking heroine who's a strong role model and is one of the first Disney heroines who doesn't have to be rescued by a man. While some have been concerned that the movie might reinforce stereotypes -- and it's true that many of the supporting characters feel shallow (and the movie's voodoo subplot is far from subtle) -- overall the film does a good job of adding diversity to Disney’s hit parade. But while the movie is kid-friendly on the whole, the villain and his shadowy spirit henchmen can be quite scary, and one important character does die, which makes it a little too intense for the youngest viewers.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about whether there are any stereotypes in the movie. Which characters or storylines might be seen as stereotypical? Why?
- What do you think of Tiana as a heroine? How does she stack up against other Disney princesses? Does she send girls any new/different messages than previous Disney heroines?
Have you seen it? Review It!
More on The Princess and the Frog
What’s the Story?
Tiana (voiced by Anika Noni Rose) grew up loving fairy tales but not believing that good things happen when you wish upon a star. Hard work, her father told her, was the way to go. For years, she’s dreamed of making her doting dad’s dreams come true: to own their own New Orleans restaurant and cook good food for everyone. But when greedy real estate agents threaten to nix a deal for the space she’s been saving up for, Tiana has to come up with a plan. Meanwhile, Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos), the penniless crown prince of Maldonia, has descended upon the Louisiana bayous in search of a monied debutante to marry -- but a run-in with voodoo master Dr. Facilier (Keith David) turns him into a frog. As in the fairy tale, only a kiss from a princess will set him free. But transformations don’t come easily. Perhaps having a firefly (Jim Cummings) and an alligator (Michael-Leon Wooley) on your side helps.
Is It Any Good?
THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG has an old-fashioned look, in a good way. Gone are overblown CG effects; what’s left is good, old-fashioned hand-drawn animation and storytelling that thrums to the beat of a big, old-fashioned heart. What’s not traditional is the heroine, Tiana, who -- very refreshingly -- fends for herself and doesn’t need to be rescued as much as learn. Plus, a Disney staple -- the love song -- takes a surprising turn here, telling the story of one couple while illustrating the sweetness of another.
Yet, entertaining as it is, The Princess and the Frog lacks verve. Some songs -- “Evangeline,” for instance, as well as the jazz interludes --- are memorable, but many others don’t make an impression. And while the film doesn’t completely shy away from referencing the chasm between rich and poor -- the streetcar goes from the mansion section to a neighborhood lined with neat but tiny houses -- it treads very lightly. Those concerned about stereotypes might find a bit of justification in the voodoo storyline, which doesn't veer far from preconceived notions -- couldn’t New Orleans have been portrayed without a tooth-necklace-clad letch? Villains can be much more interesting than this.
Movie Details
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures, Directors: John Musker, Ron Clements
Run time: 97 minutes
Theatrical release: 12/11/2009, DVD release: 3/16/2010
MPAA Rating: G
Run time: 97 minutes
Theatrical release: 12/11/2009, DVD release: 3/16/2010
MPAA Rating: G
Our Members Say
See 181 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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Kids ages: 3, 4
I rate this title iffy for age 4 and give it- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
Am not going to buy
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I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
This movie is great for families! It has great messages for kids to know. Although there is a bad guy in the movie that might be scary for kids younger than 6. Over all, I loved it!
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I rate this title on for age 3 and give it
loved it!
We watched this movie twice in 1 day and my kids ask for it all the time. We love the music and the humor, and of course the message. The vodoo was a little surprising and a tad scary but a good chance to talk to my 6 year old about how he felt when he saw that kind of thing (good/evil.) This movie is also close to our hearts since we live int he South.
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I rate this title iffy for age 5 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Family movie
I loved the movie! The bad guy in the movie might be scary to younger kids. But a good family movie.
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I rate this title iffy for age 4 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
5 Stars
I liked this movie a lot. I actually thought it was a little creepy at some spots in the movie, especially at the end where the villain is dragged into darkness. My cousin was a little scared at some spots too, but other than that she was alright. The ending actually made me cry a little, since things like that don't usually happen in Disney movies. In all, It's a spectacular movie that is worth watching.
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Kids ages: 3, 6, 12
I rate this title off for age 2 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
Will not recommend to anyone.
Disney normally means great storyline, great songs & great animation. That was mostly true. Unfortunately, The Princess & The Frog also had way to much "evil" -- even for a Disney movie, where there's always a bad guy. Marketed to little children, yet full of voodoo, tarot cards and demons. Not what I want my kids seeing at any age. For us, the songs & love story were completely negated by the dark side of the story. Will not recommend to anyone.
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
The best Disney movie in a loooong time!
It was great not only to see 2D animation from Disney again-- 2D is what they do best-- but with such good storytelling and music! I especially love the opening song, Down In New Orleans. It was really upbeat and set the mood for the movie. Friends On The Other Side was one of those songs that creeped you right out and therefore set the atmosphere for Dr. Facilier's scene. And I looooved When We're Human. Very catchy! I actually cried at the end when Ray the firefly died. This is the only Disney movie-- besides Mulan II (when the gang thought Shang died)-- that made me cry. So there's a lot of sad moments, happy moments, and everything in between. The only thing that may concern some parents are the battle scenes, one leading to a death like I mentioned, and the voodoo magic. I'm Christian and my parents, nor I, have never been offended by witchcraft references in movies, shows, or books-- but there are parents out there who are very strongly offended by it. Despite all that, this is definitely one of the best animated features of the year.
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I rate this title on for age 4 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Educational
For 4 year olds and up kinda scary for 3 years and down.
I like this movie. A first African American princess. WOW! First An African America president, Now a black princess. This is a amazing! This movie teaches you to never give up on your hopes and dreams.
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Safety is an issue
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
great for younger kids, older than 8, not so much
I'm 10, so it was WAY to young, but it is probably one of the better Disney movies.
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I rate this title iffy for age 7 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
An Excellent Disney Film, but pretty scary.
I really enjoyed this film, but I think this film was too freaky for a G rating. It should've been PG. A main character dies, and the villain is literally dragged into what appears to be hell. Be forewarned before letting your youngest see it.
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I rate this title on for age 4 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Negative role models
Not recommended for anyone - boring movie - racist slant
In order to promote the black girl to princess and help her win the heart of the Middle Eastern prince, they give the blonde white girl a small role and make her look like a stupid stuck up snob. Not to mention the fact that it was incredibly boring.
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I rate this title on for age 4 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
Great for kids 3 1/2 and up - boys and girls will enjoy despite the title!
My nearly 4 year old son wanted to get the movie - and I was surprised. He and his brother got it for Easter, and we watched it together. Some of the stuff with the bad guys & evil spirits was a little scary (typical Disney but we don't watch much Disney), but overall it was very good. The boys LOVED the music (as did I) and we liked how the girl was a very empowered character, and the boy had to essentially grow up rather fast. There were many funny scenes, not a lot of romance, and terrific music and characters. Overall, a win for the family.
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Kids ages: 3, 4
I rate this title on for age 4 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
My 4 year old and her little friend laughed throughout this movie. They weren't scared or bored. I'm not sure they got the complexities of everything going on, but they definitely got the humor!
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Kids ages: 6
I rate this title iffy for age 6 and give it- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Inappropriate sexual content
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Why is Disney always so intense?
My 6yr old found it scary and was covering her eyes through most of the movie. Also, I thought there were overtones of Old South-style racism (the benevolent rich White plantation owner and his spoiled daughter/the Black servants working for him) that made me uneasy for younger kids to try to process accurately. I like that finally Disney introduced a non-White heroine, one that little girls would like to relate to. But she was a frog throughout most of the movie -- so what was the point? There was only 1 brief scene of her in the princessy dress/tiara after all. And then she had the requisite wedding scene. I like 'Mulan' a lot better.
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I rate this title iffy for age 4 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Great themes, a little scary for young children.
It was a little scary, but my 4 1/2 year old really enjoyed the movie. I could have done without the 'spooky spirits' - as they were too scary. I did enjoy that the title character worked hard for her dreams - good role model for girls/boys.
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Adorable with realistic life lessons.
I absolutely adored this movie. First off, the new princess isn't already privileged, which makes the person watching it feel closer to her as a character. People may be weary of the villian, but if you think about it, it's a good way to keep kids out of future troublemaking. Think about how many palmreaders and tarrot card places there are. Wouldn't you Want your child to think of that as bad and evil even if it was just because of Dr. Facilier? It sends the right message, in my opinion. Another thing that caught my attention in a good way was that the prince wasn't perfect. In pretty much all the other disney princess movies, the prince is made to be handsome, strong, intellegent, and kind- perfect. Prince Naveen isn't and I think that makes it easier for children to believe in fantasy and that they really can follow their dreams, because it's alot more realistic than the usual princess story. The issue of there being a few kisses and a glass of wine in somone's hand, are quite frankly so little that I doubt anyone under the age of 8 would notice or care. They probably see more of it in reality than they will in this movie. Lastly, it's set in New Orleans, with fantastic music, amazing voice acting, and absolutely gorgeous HAND-DRAWN animation. I'm proud of disney for going back to the traditional animation. This is how a movie truly should be made. I'm 15, and I have seen this movie over 15 times. I'm not tired of seeing it, and I doubt I ever will be. Disney has done it again.
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I rate this title on for age 2 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
I bought the album!
Awesome movie with great songs
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I rate this title on for age 5 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
I read the reviews of this movie before I took my kids to see this movie and as a result, I decided to leave my 4 year old son at home. The comments about the Shadow Man, voodoo, and general scariness are, I am sure, in some cases valid. However, after seeing it and my 6 & 8 year old loving it, I decided to buy the DVD and let my 4 year old watch it. He wasn't at all frightened by the Shadow Man, the darkness of the voodoo scenes, or the slightly intense music that is associated w/him. I think this movie had a good message and compared to some of the other Disney villains, the Shadow Man is small potatoes. I am rating it ON for 5+ because I am sure some children under 5 could be frightened, but in general, I think it is an appropriate movie for most kids.
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I rate this title on for age 4 and give it
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
A family favorite!
The Princess and the Frog! Ah, yes! The name so dearly loved inspired by the story of the Frog Prince. A magical time with a message ("It's not slime, It's mucus") and loveable characters!
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I rate this title on for age 6 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- My highlights are:
- Good role models
Disney does it again
I loved this movie. I loved the plot and the concept and it was very fun to watch. The messages are great and Tiana, being the only African American princess, is a great role model being a hard worker and always believing that you should work hard to achieve your goals. The only problem with the movie is that the main antagonist of the movie uses demons and has deals with the devil to give him power and in the end, one of the characters die, which is kinda much for a kid movie.
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Ratings at a Glance
| 69% | of parents say it's too violent |
| 49% | of parents say it gives kids positive messages |
| 43% | of parents say there are good role models |
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