Year: 2009
Running Time: 98 Minutes
Rated: G
SRP: $44.95
Studio(s): Disney Studios
Release Date: March 16, 2010

Film/Feature: A–

You’re never too old to enjoy a Disney film, and if you find yourself at that place, then you may have lost your ability to have fun. Luckily for Disney animation, they haven’t lost their touch in making family films to lose yourself for an hour or two and let your inner-kid enjoy itself. In a brave move, Disney went against the grain and made a new hand-drawn animated feature going back to its roots to put their spin on another fairy tale. This time it was the Brothers Grimm tale of The Princess and the Frog.

Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) is a young and independent woman raised by a hard-working parents (Oprah Winfrey and Terrence Howard) and is saving up to open her own restaurant. She has been childhood friends with Charlotte, who was raised in a well-to-do aristocrat family and has taken the “wishing upon a star” literally. Tiana on the other hand, thinks good will only come to those who work for it.

Fifteen minutes in, and you might look at the cover of the box and wonder if you bought the right film. Disney’s twist of the Princess and the Frog fairy tale finally takes form when Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos) and his servant, Lawrence arrive to look for a rich suitor because they are broke. Charlotte’s father gets wind that a prince is in town and gets whatever his little girl wants and throws a big ball for his daughter to meet the prince. However, New Orleans is a town of opportunists like Dr. Facilier (Keith David), a voodoo magician who promises to fulfill their wishes before showing up to the ball. But the servant has taken the form of Prince Naveen, and Naveen has been turned into a frog. Naveen is able to convince Tiana that he is a prince, and all she needs to do is give him a kiss and he’ll revert back to his human form.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work out that smoothly and Tiana is instead turned into a frog and the leap into the swamps and bayou with the help of Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley), a trumpet-tooting alligator and Ray (Jim Cummings), a romantic ragin’ Cajun lightning bug to find Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis), a good witch who they hope to have some answers for them. If they remain in frog form too long, they could stay that way forever. The story is light road tale of perseverance, but has enough plot elements that keep pulling along your interest throughout.

It’s impossible to avoid the attempt Disney is making to fill a lacking hole in their library of films that would appease the African-American audiences. Tiana becomes the first African-American princess that Disney has ever revolved a story around and they did it successfully with a talented cast headed by Anika Noni Rose whose strong voice and cheerful spirit fit her character’s design of a strong-minded and head strong woman. Keith David plays Dr. Facilier, a conniving conjurer, and toned-down version of the popular folklore occult Shadow Man. His voice has prominence, a chilling ring, and David’s singing chops aren’t bad either.

There’s still a gap in how much this story can touch you as opposed to what comes out of Disney Pixar Studios but that’s the difference in working off a fairy tale and doing something completely original. The Princess and the Frog’s message of ‘not just wishing and a star and waiting, but also doing something about it’ is clear enough to not feel like it’s a one-note story, and so is its other lesson of ‘not working so much you forget to have fun.’ There are themes of class, work ethic, small business, and much more. Fun characters and music by Randy Newman solidify this release as a must-see for young, old, girls and boys; and there should not be any questions one whether or not everyone will enjoy this.

Video: A+
Disney’s triumphant return to drawn animation is supported by this terrific high definition 1080p AVC-encoded transfer in 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Backgrounds have layers of painted detail, characters have loads of vibrant hues and color that are as visually stunning as some of the very best Disney films. Nice touches like opaque reflections in water, the amber glow of an oil lamp and smoke from a shotgun have no banding or signs of artificial enhancement. I want to call to attention three chapters which make for good visual tests of this blu-ray (as well as audio). Chapter 4 is Tiara’s first big musical number and the animation goes from the “Disney” style to 1940′s deco art full of bright oranges and yellows only seen on gerber daisies. Chapter 5 is Dr. Facilier’s introduction and his lair is full of the occult and voodoo magic. Rich purple hues and psychedelic imagery that are reminiscent of a Victor Moscoso painting. Every scene has something much deeper to look at and other good stuff like deep blacks and smooth gradient color will impress. And shadow delineation, accentuated by the shadow monsters have clear definition.

Audio: A+
Accompanying the strong visuals is the equally impressive 5.1 English DTS-HD master audio track. The music reflects each of the delicious flavors of the southern creole cooking pots. From the dixie jazz, to the gospel chorals, and the rhythm and blues will have you snapping your fingers, clapping your hands and shaking your thang down Bourbon Street. Your ear will be able to place where the instruments were from the drums to the sharp brass section. Dialogue is flawless as distinct accents don’t make the words any less difficult to hear but instead make them that much more memorable. Mama Odie and Louis for example, have subtle but very different accents that help distinguish not only who they are, but what region of New Orleans they’d be from. The shadow monsters have an eerie and haunting sound that swirls all around. Ray’s buzzing moves around the room as he moves on the screen and every musical performance is over-the-top with highly active sound movement, native surround effects heard in the swamps and a well-balanced mix of it all. Again, pay attention to Chapters 4, 5, and 11 offer up some of the very best this blu-ray has to offer. Other audio selections include: French, Spanish, Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital tracks and a English 2.0 DVS track; subtitles are available in English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese.

Extras: B
I’ve got to knock Disney a few on their extras department which left lots to desire. First of all what’s on the disc is very short. We’re talking about a family film which should have a wealth of material, that will not only consume time, but shed a lot of light on the film. For being one of the first hand-drawn films in a long time, most of the featurettes could have been grouped together for one sitting or allow the option of playing them individually instead of forcing to view it in two-to-five minute segments. Another thing I have to take down on is for a Disney musical film, where are the Sing-a-long extras? A big-big-big misstep there. When I compare these to say, a Disney Pixar film and the hours of material there, I wonder why so little was given to The Princess and the Frog.

Disc One
Audio Commentary by Co-Directors John Musker and Ron Clements and Producer Peter Del Vecho is a scene-specific, on point track that covers a variety of subjects from Randy Newman’s musical contribution, the setting of New Orleans, and creating a brand new story, with new characters with the Disney twist of a classic fairy tale. All three men contribute equally, do not talk over each other and give a fine diversion for budding animators or Disney loyalists.

Work in Progress Track HD Here’s a neat blu-ray exclusive track which allows you to view the film alongside in-progress storyboards, pencil layouts, and rough animations as a Picture-in-Picture feature. I think what would have made this even better though would have been the ability to view this during the commentary. In fact, they should have fused the two tracks as a CineExplore commentary, often seen on other family films.

Deleted Scenes HD (11:43) There are five deleted / alternate scenes in storyboard form with different voices that were cut before animation and voices were recorded. The reasons they didn’t make the cut were mainly due to time constraints.

Music and More HD (4:04) Here’s where I really took issue with the extras. In this section there is only one option, so I’m not sure where the “and More” comes into play, but this is just the music video for “Never Knew I Needed” by Ne-Yo, which is only used on the closing credits. Where are the extras on the songs, the musical elements of the film? This is where a sing-a-long extra needed to be placed, a usual staple of classic Disney releases.

Bringing Life to Animation HD (8:08) Two scenes, “Dig a Little Deeper” and “The Proposal” are broken down with live action sequences used as visual references for the animators, a technique that was used throughout the golden age of Disney. They show different angles and choreography, along with commentary by Musker and Clements.

Magic in the Bayou: The Making of a Princess HD (22:11) John Lasster joins the production party to discuss the creative energy behind The Princess and the Frog and the universal buzz among the cast and crew that a new hand-drawn animated feature was pumping through the veins of the Disney offices, as well as the all of the major themes and elements of the film.

The Return to Hand Drawn Animation HD (2:43) The excitement of the return to a 2D film lit a fire under the animators because it’s what brought so many people to work at Disney in the first place. The animators of the film talk about wanting to continue the art of Disney filmmaking.

The Disney Legacy HD (2:31) A look at the great animators of Disney and their impact on the current animators who were able to work with people who worked alongside Walt Disney.

Disney’s Newest Princess HD (2:51) The attention swings to actress Anika Noni Rose and the 1920′s inspired character, who is a strong and independent woman who little girls can aspire to.

The Princess and the Animator HD (2:26) The supervising animator for Princess Tiana, Mark Henn talks about creating another strong princess character for Disney having worked on Ariel, Belle, Mulan and Jasmine.

Conjuring the Villain HD (1:50) Animators and Keith David talk about the story’s villain, Dr. Facilier.

A Return to the Animated Musical HD (3:13) a short featurette about the musical score for The Princess and the Frog involving Randy Newman’s composition of jazz, gospel and the blues.

Art Galleries Peruse a number of the developmental, conceptual, and design art for the film including Character Design, Visual Development, Layouts and Backgrounds and Storyboards.

What do you See: Princess Portraits is a guessing game where images are created by fireflies and you have to guess which Disney princess it is. Hosted by Mama Odie, after ten tries

Disc Two: DVD
The DVD includes the full film, deleted scenes, audio commentary, the Princess Portraits game, and the music video by Ne-Yo. If you have a family and you have outfitted your fan or travel packs with the ability to watch DVDs on the go, you will love this added option. However, to those thinking that the DVD version will suffice, the digital sound and vision of the blu-ray is unmatched.

Disc Three: Digital Copy Disc
Take The Princess and the Frog with you on the go to watch it on your laptop, desktop computer, or portable media player.

Overall Shock Value: A–
As a fan of all types of animation, Disney’s hit it our of the park with another musical twist on a classic fairy tale and presenting an enjoyable film that should connect with plenty of families on family night. There some real delightful performances especially by Keith David and Anika Noni Rose both in their acting and singing. The visuals are splendidly classic but also has that jolt of high definition pop. The Princess and the Frog offers a diverse option for families who want to expand from the classic Disney canon with a great message and a infectious blend of music ranging from jazz, gospel and blues. A definite Buy it! especially with every format imaginable is available in one package.

Yesterday we told you some of the names that will be voicing Mass Effect 2. Now you can listen to it for yourself.

In a holiday season bulging with A-list titles, the real question gamers should ask is whether Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 distinguishes itself enough to justify spending your hard-earned $60.00. It’s a tough economy, and after the original Modern Warfare’s exceptional tour of duty, does Activision’s blockbuster sequel offer enough compelling new bells and whistles, or is it simply a better dressing for a tired old veteran?

The Props: Campaign Mode
It would be irresponsible to say that Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 simply has “single player” and “multiplayer” modes. Describing them in those terms makes it seem as if we’re discussing the perfunctory bullet-points of every first person shooter. Quite frankly, in the hands of Infinity Ward, that is absolutely not the case.

Modern Warfare 2 feels like three separate and complete packages on a single disc. If you enjoy playing alone, the Campaign mode tells what is arguably the most engaging story of the year.

Infinity Ward has pretty much perfected the art of scripted cinematic shooting, and outside of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, there really isn’t another contender by a New York mile.

What hasn’t changed is the formula. Infinity Ward has players somersaulting between perspectives, as you follow both marines and special forces in what can only be described as interactive World War III. There is violence, but the narrative handles the subject matter with a surprising amount of maturity. As with Modern Warfare, the sequel puts gamers into the frenetic – and too often futile firefights – of America’s war-weary soldiers. Balancing such philosophical quandaries as the right of absolute power, and the definition of patriotism, the writing here is superb without playing to any specific agenda. How Infinity Ward juggles Tom Clancy drama with Jerry Bruckheimer action, is a template that should make every developer envious.

Amidst the bravado of wartime adrenaline, and the terrifying implications of a very possible real world future, it’s easy to see why Modern Warfare’s scenarios might raise the ire of political conservatives. Thank goodness that the game is rated and created with adults in mind. Infinity Ward approaches with an earnest and blunt respect for the subject matter. Objectively appreciating the story of Modern Warfare 2 goes a long way towards giving some of that respect back. This isn’t simply passive entertainment. It’s engaging, and often emotional discourse.

Props: Special Ops Mode
What’s incredible is that we’ve only mentioned a fraction of what gamers get for their dollar. The second of three game packages is the secretive Special Ops mode. Playable online or off, gamers tussle in a series of mini games based on elements from the single-player campaign. Again, the Special Ops mode is treated with such care, that you’d forgive Infinity Ward if PR decided to sell it as addendum premium DLC.

Infinity Ward’s been paying attention to its competitors. If you loved the fantastic Terrorist Hunt Mode of Rainbow Six, Gears of War’s Horde mode, or even the arcade-unlock from the original Modern Warfare, you’ll be right at home here.

Consider Special Ops a kind of Call of Duty: streamlined. Offering play variants like racing snow mobiles through harrowing mountain passes, or gunning through gang-infested slums to disarm bombs, Special Ops is great by your lonesome, but a blast when you invite a friend via Xbox Live or PSN. It’s an entirely co-op experience, with an emphasis on cooperation.

Completing each ‘trial’ offers rewards in stars. Spec Ops has 63 stars total, and different difficulty levels rewards, naturally, more stars.

Of course, each game mode is as addictive as digital candy. Not only is each mode incredibly fun, but progression in Special Ops runs on point-based motivation. The more you play, the more Spec Ops missions become available. While none of the missions are very long – usually ranging between four to eight minutes – you’ll enjoy a fistful of great gaming during the time that you do get.

Think of Spec Ops as a hybrid between co-op campaign and something altogether new. You won’t suffer the fatigue of playing through the lengthier co-op missions twice, but you’ll still get the feeling of going through important scenarios in concentrated bursts with a friend at your side.

Whether you’re stalking enemies in joint sniper-only missions, commanding mile-high drone ships for tactical assaults, or dashing through obstacle courses for improved time, the sheer diversity of the Special Ops missions makes it a fantastic game on its own. That’s no small feat, considering that the meat of the game is the third, and most anticipated feature of Modern Warfare 2.

Props: Multiplayer
To be completely honest, it is impossible to see everything Multiplayer has to offer in the time that we’ve had with the game. To say that multiplayer has gotten a complete overhaul is an understatement.

If you’ve played Modern Warfare, this sequel builds on the predecessor in nearly every possible way. Larger, more well-designed maps, a laundry list of additions to the PERK system, and even nuts-n-bolts technical re-thinking like the new host migration back end (where If a host drops connection, the game searches for the next suitable connection and continues the game with only a few seconds delay), make the multiplayer mode the elephant in a very small room.

The improvements are too numerous to quantify, and could possibly be considered review-worthy on their own. Infinity Ward has made the cost of entry – in this case, earning points in multiplayer – easier than ever before. Now, It’s possible for a single kill to rack up the points, thus giving players of any skill level points for doing something right.

Say you shoot an enemy in the head? There’s points for that. Now let’s say that enemy was on a kill streak – which you just ended. Bravo! You’ll get points for that, too. Now consider that you killed him at long distance? Guess what? Infinity Ward is generous with the points there, also.

In fact, there’s no greater example of Modern Warfare’s campaign for accessibility, than the addition of the game’s new DEATHSTREAK feature. Get rewarded perks for killing the most bad guys in a row, but now there are boosts for dying too often, too. The COPYCAT perk, for example, allows you to steal the load-out of the player who killed you, while the Painkiller perk gives you 10 seconds of increased health.

Even older existing perks got substantial tweaks. Last stand allows you to not only move around as you’re bleeding out, but even the opportunity to get back up and play some more.

Game changers like being able to equip SEMTECH sticky grenades, or the insane support gunner kill streak which grants the best gamers the opportunity to call in helicopters, care packages, and even nuclear bombs, makes the new perk incentives positively delicious ways to demolish your foes.

From the added throwing knives to the simple additions, like the BLING perk that allows two additional attachments to your primary weapon, its too early to tell if Infinity Ward has broken their beloved multiplayer component, but they’ll certainly give you a robust menu of opportunities and time to figure that out.

Returning are the multitude of game play modes to go along with the new gadgets and features in the expansive to do list. Deathmatch and Team Deathmatch top the list with up to 18 (up from 16) players on the battlefield, and new modes like the much hyped 3rd person team game pull the camera out allowing a Gears of War like viewpoint with Modern Warfare flourish.

As always, compelling gamers forward is Infinity Ward’s devilish incentive system. The more you play, the more you get to play. There’s nothing in the multiplayer game that you don’t earn through blood, sweat, and tears. Most of the multiplayer modes, weapons, and perks, are only opened after you’ve reached certain ranks in the game. It’s too early to tell if reaching the game’s beloved prestige status, acquired only after reaching the maximum cap in ranks, opens up continued hidden treasures, but we wouldn’t be surprised. Infinity Ward has been incredibly thorough with their ‘unlocking new game play philosophies, and it’s that understanding of the gamer stick-and-carrot compulsion that permeates every design choice throughout each of the three overarching game play modes.

What Infinity Ward has accomplished is devilish genius. You’ll doubtless find your favorite multiplayer mode to cling to, and gamers that pace themselves might find new surprises for weeks to come. That is, of course, if you can even look up from Modern Warfare’s polished and dangerously addictive, habit-forming multiplayer routines.

So Basically, I’m Saying…
Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, is a game of very smart decisions. There are easter eggs a-plenty, and although giving more of the same would’ve left gamers happy, the altering, fixing, and outright adding of an absurd amount of new features robust in every new mode of the experience will leave fans cheering. There are scores of new guns. We didn’t even mention additions like the riot shield, which is a lifesaver in the campaign and multiplayer when you need to catch your breath.

We left out the fact that Harry Gregson-Williams’ Hans Zimmer’s subdued but powerful score is emotional in just the right scenes, complimenting exceptional voice acting from stars Keith David, which does the job of propelling you through this very cinematic ride. Modern Warfare 2 is an example of developers going above and beyond gamer expectations, then redefining the whole damned bar.

The game is not perfect. While we wish, for example, that Special Ops mode could find random people online to fill the second player instead of just people from your friends list, it honestly feels like nitpicking.

From top to bottom, Modern Warfare 2 is not only one of the best bangs for your buck this holiday season, it’s one of the most polished game experiences on any console. The cliffhanger at the end of the story is beautifully cruel. A two-year wait for the inevitable sequel should qualify as torture. You’ll enjoy playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for at least the foreseeable future, and if the rabid demand for the first Call of Duty’s online play is any indication, so will everyone else on Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network.

Stay frosty, marines.

Also: Jeffrey Wright talks about his role in Quantum of Solace.