Parents' Guide to

The Princess and the Frog

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

First African American Disney princess is a good role model.

Movie G 2009 97 minutes
The Princess and the Frog Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 6+

Based on 167 parent reviews

Marzypan
Marzypan Parent of 5 and 14-year-old
June 19, 2021
age 5+

More Joyful than Scary, great music & art

This movie is joyful and beautiful. It is scary yes but the reviews here are disproportionate in how they review other equally scary movies. raya & dragon is way scarier and more dystopian than this movie and the reviews here noting the death of one character disregard that almost every disney or pixar movie has a much more traumatic depiction in of a more gutting loss of parent or grandparent . The voodoo character is scary but this villain is not scarier than ursula in little mermaid . I wish we had more movies like this

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Too much violence
2 people found this helpful.
moksimsal
moksimsal Adult
March 10, 2022
age 5+
The setting of New Orleans was amazing, and shared a lot about the culture there. The romantic interest being lighter than the female main character is very important, as in media, the vast majority of portrayed black relationships will have the female romantic interest as lighter than the male. The diverse cast of majority black characters meant that there were very few characters that served as negative black stereotypes. Naveen makes remarks about characters that can be considered fatphobic, but this is part of characterising him as a little obnoxious before his character growth. The voice acting was lovely. There was a visual joke with a homophobic punchline, but it would probably go over most kids' -- and inattentive viewers'-- heads. A main character dies, but it's sentimental and not graphic. Some scenes could be considered scary, regarding the voodoo.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
1 person found this helpful.
See all 167 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, 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?

Our review:
Parents say (167):
Kids say (144):

This Disney film 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.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether there are any stereotypes in The Princess and the Frog. 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?

  • How do the characters in The Princess and the Frog demonstrate integrity and perseverance? What about gratitude and teamwork? Why are these important character strengths?

Movie Details

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