The Princess and the Frog Discussion - Part II

[Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo]

3. Beyond My Wildest Dreams (Performed by Ariel)

I hope it is a new version sung by Jodi Benson and not just the one from The Broadway Cast Album.

[Kyle]

The animation doesn't look very...Disney, in a few too many scenes.

Sometimes it looks like Don Bluth or Richard Rich or some other good studio did it...but not Disney. Kinda like how Enchanted's animated scenes didn't look Disney in places.

I never understand this need for movies to look "Disney". Movies from them are bound to look different when done by different artists and animators, and often times animators from other studios were originally from Disney in the first place.

Besides, Disney needs more deversity. They have too many rules in place that they don't like to break for any reason. each movie should have its own set of rules, not carry them from movie to movie. putting animators inside this box isn't a very wise thing to do, and limits their creativity. they do that enough as it is, they shouldnt be taking that even further just because some people think it wont feel like "Disney".

[bruno_wbt]

3. Beyond My Wildest Dreams (Performed by Ariel)

I hope it is a new version sung by Jodi Benson and not just the one from The Broadway Cast Album.

That would be great!!!

[estefan]

What Kyle said. Look at The Jungle Book and compare its animation to The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Two completely different looking films. Ditto Lilo & Stitch and Beauty & the Beast. Or Snow White and Dumbo. Though, I do like how certain animators are like actors in that they have a recognisable style. When I saw Louis in the Princess and the Frog trailer, I instantly knew that was an Eric Goldberg creation without looking it up.

[xxhplinkxx]

I hope it is a new version sung by Jodi Benson and not just the one from The Broadway Cast Album.

That would be great!!!

It would be, but I doubt it.

[CampbellzSoup]

101 Dalmations didn't animate / look like any Disney movie before it. It was the first copy machine made Disney film.

This movie looks like it has heart, charm, and keeps the STYLE of the other Disney films...maybe not how it animates but the charm/style. Please stop nitpicking and lets enjoy the film!

[Cordy_Biddle]

That would be great!!!

It would be, but I doubt it.

Given Disney's tendency to be cheap with things like this, I'd be expecting the Broadway cast album version.

[Elladorine]

I still can't believe all the nit-picking I'm seeing . . . either it's too 90's Disney or not 90's enough Disney, or it's not enough like old-school Disney, too much like WB animation, too cartoony . . .

Do we forget that it's a cartoon? Do we want the same old thing, do we want Disney to be limited and keep repeating itself? Or how can we say it's not different enough before we've even had a chance to see it?

Really . . . they're damned if they do and damned if they don't . . .

[Cordy_Biddle]

I still can't believe all the nit-picking I'm seeing . . . either it's too 90's Disney or not 90's enough Disney, or it's not enough like old-school Disney, too much like WB animation, too cartoony . . .

Do we forget that it's a cartoon? Do we want the same old thing, do we want Disney to be limited and keep repeating itself? Or how can we say it's not different enough before we've even had a chance to see it?

Really . . . they're damned if they do and damned if they don't . . .

Totally agree! From what little I've seen, the animation is pretty darn fantastic and definitely up to par with the best of the studio. Let's wait until it's released before bashing it to death, hey?

[pap64]

I still can't believe all the nit-picking I'm seeing . . . either it's too 90's Disney or not 90's enough Disney, or it's not enough like old-school Disney, too much like WB animation, too cartoony . . .

Do we forget that it's a cartoon? Do we want the same old thing, do we want Disney to be limited and keep repeating itself? Or how can we say it's not different enough before we've even had a chance to see it?

Really . . . they're damned if they do and damned if they don't . . .

That's what I said earlier...

I believe that this is caused by both excitement and uncertainty. It's what I said my best friend just as his first game was about to be released; when something you really want is about to become a reality you are overcome with both fear and utter excitement. Its during this time in which you try to look ahead and its either a very bright future or a bleak one.

The Princess and the Frog is a VERY important movie for Disney, the fans, and animation in general. It is trying to bring a classic animation tradition; the hand drawn animated musical. People want this movie to succeed. The Princess and the Frog is a movie that employs conventional and unconventional methods. It is a fairy tale film, its a musical, and has the classic character archetypes. But instead of an European setting, its a modern American setting, features African American characters as its leads, has a Jazz soundtrack, and features a slightly different animated style.

So its this combination of the conventional and unconventional that is driving fans NUTS! They either think its a masterpiece or its a failure...BEFORE THE MOVIE IS OUT!

People people people...

I understand that all of us are excited for this film, and that the excitement can create doubt. But the truth is that neither camp is truly right. Does the film look promising? Of course. Can it fail? Definitely. But do we know this right now? Absolutely not.

The only things we are doing are ASSUMING the film will be good or bad, using the previews, the screens, behind the scenes footage, etc. to draw a conclusion. But nothing beats actually watching the final product and deciding from there.

Yes yes I know this has been said time and time again. But its still the best thing in this argument since right now many of us are assuming that the film will be good/bad based on the info we have (except for you D23 attendees, you guys saw a great deal of the film already so you have a major advantage in this ).

[Marce82]

I am not going to do individual responses to anjy of the many many messages. But I think some people are confusing "animation style" with "art direction".

Actually, the animation in 101 DalmatiAns (everybody please not how it's supposed to be spelled) is very much like prior animation. The ART DIRECTION is completely different.

And I have no issues when it omes to Dinsye making departures from what is expected when it comes to art direction, story or character design. But the animation itself....I expect grace, subtlety and top-notch performances. Disney is known for it's high quality animation: having a princess behave like a looney toon is NOT DISNEY.

[SpringHeelJack]

Let's wait until it's released before bashing it to death, hey?

THAT IS NOT THE UD WAY.

Actually, the animation in 101 DalmatiAns (everybody please not how it's supposed to be spelled) is very much like prior animation... Disney is known for it's high quality animation: having a princess behave like a looney toon is NOT DISNEY.

As long as we're all correcting spelling, it's Looney Tunes, not "looney toon". As for the Looney Tunes animation, my favorite example of which is when Naveen first sees Tiana and his eyes bug out, then he turns into a wolf and howls, then his heart begins pounding out of his chest, then he repeatedly hits himself over the head with his shoe.

...oh wait.

[Marce82]

Dear SpringHeelJack,

Before being smug, you may want to check your facts. The animation you are referencing is not Looney Tunes, its Tex Avery (for MGM studios).

And he may not react like that, but when gets squished by the book...and says "from Maldonia" IS pretty "Looney Tunes" in style. And when little Tiana sees the frog when she is a kid, and screams, it VERY much is "Looney Tunes". Maybe not 100%, but definitely more than it should be (should=according to disney's tradition of subtlety and believable animation).

The "Looney Tunes" thing vs "looney tune"...is not even worth debating over.

[Elladorine]

I suppose Ward Kimball never belonged at Disney then.

And to be fair, Tex Avery started out at Warner brothers (he's even one of the fathers of Bugs Bunny) before he moved over to the MGM studio.

[CampbellzSoup]

Dear SpringHeelJack,

Before being smug, you may want to check your facts. The animation you are referencing is not Looney Tunes, its Tex Avery (for MGM studios).

And he may not react like that, but when gets squished by the book...and says "from Maldonia" IS pretty "Looney Tunes" in style. And when little Tiana sees the frog when she is a kid, and screams, it VERY much is "Looney Tunes". Maybe not 100%, but definitely more than it should be (should=according to disney's tradition of subtlety and believable animation).

The "Looney Tunes" thing vs "looney tune"...is not even worth debating over.

So what would be an appropriate Disney responce to getting Smashed by a book? Didn't the same thing happen to Mushu when he got stomped out by the horse?

[Elladorine]

So what would be an appropriate Disney responce to getting Smashed by a book? Didn't the same thing happen to Mushu when he got stomped out by the horse?

I can think of other instances as well, like Basil getting flattened by Toby . . . this all falls under the whole "plausible impossible" term that Walt himself coined.

[SpringHeelJack]

The "Looney Tunes" thing vs "looney tune"...is not even worth debating over.

Well, it's not really even a debate is it? One is right, the other isn't. I just think if you're going to correct "Dalmatian" in the first place, you ought to do research, too.

[Poody]

New Princess songs on The Princess and the Frog: Tiana and her Princess Friends



1. Almost There (Performed by Tiana)
2. Happy Working Song (Performed by Giselle)
3. Beyond My Wildest Dreams (Performed by Ariel)
4. Down in New Orleans (Performed by Tiana)
5. I See a Princess (Performed by Belle)
6. Dare to Dream (Performed by Snow White)
7. I'm Happy (Performed by Cinderella)
8. Lesson Number One (Performed by Mulan)
9. Where Do I Go from Here (Performed by Pocahontas)
10. A Rose Is a Rose (Performed by Aurora)

I'm getting this for sure! Isn't "Where Do I Go from Here" from Pocahontas II??? They never released that song!

[xxhplinkxx]

Actually, the animation in 101 DalmatiAns (everybody please not how it's supposed to be spelled) is very much like prior animation. The ART DIRECTION is completely different.

Also, note*

[Elladorine]

And I have no issues when it omes to Dinsye making departures from what is expected when it comes to art direction, story or character design.

If you're gonna fuss about the common misspelling/typo for the word "dalmatians," maybe you should be more careful about how you type out the name <strike>Dinsye</strike> Disney . . . this is a Disney forum after all.