Walt Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog” should be commended for featuring an African American woman as the lead character, Tiana (Anika Noni Rose). It is nice to see diversity in the world of Walt Disney. The princess as a girl has a loving father and mother and she dreams of one day opening her own restaurant, a dream she shares with her dad until he passes away. She works double shifts at her job as a waitress and just when it seems she is about to realize her dream, it is cruelly snatched away from her. Her life takes an amazing turn when she sympathetically kisses a prince who has been turned into a frog and instead of restoring him to human form, she becomes a frog herself.
There are many funny scenes in the film, and the kids in the audience I screened the film with laughed heartily several times. I was disappointed to see several scenes of voodoo as practiced by not only an obviously evil character but by an old lady known as the queen who supposedly practices the black arts in a good way. There are some scary images including dark spirits as shadows moving about, a large snake; and the use of tarot cards. This pushed the film to the brink of not receiving our Seal, but we are listing it as a two in the “other” category and had it been a three, we could not have awarded the movie our Dove Seal. Parents should consult our content listing below and use their own discretion. There are positive themes of not judging someone by their outward appearance, of perseverance, and of hard work to realize one’s dreams. For these positive themes, we gladly award “The Princess and the Frog” our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal and recommend it for ages twelve plus. The animation in this film will dazzle your family.