Okay I'm a week late but here it is, finally!
If I can be honest this is a movie I'm not really that excited about watching again. Any time I watched it in the past I wasn't that interested but now that I've been watching more Disney again lately maybe I'll enjoy it!
Tonight's rewatch: The Princess and the Frog
Last time watched: 2013
How much did I like this movie as a kid?
When I first watched this movie I was 16 years old and kinda going through a "I hate Disney" faze. It wasn't that I hated all the Disney movies since during that time I was still watching the classics like Hunchback of Notre Dame and Dinosaur (yes, I like to think it's a classic even with the plot being a bit of a Land Before Time ripoff), it was mostly the newer movies I didn't like. After Home on the Range, Chicken Little, and The Wild, I was beginning to lose interest in whatever Disney put out that was animated, unless it was Pixar. Meet the Robinsons was probably the only movie that was "recently" released that I loved and Bolt was only a little enjoyable at the time. Because of this (and commercials spoiling the ending when the dvd came out) I almost didn't watch Princess and the Frog at all until my sister, who just had a baby and would only watch cartoons when around her, invited me to watch the movie with her. The movie had just come out on dvd and I wasn't too interested but I figured, "what the heck?" As I had predicted, however, the movie didn't keep my interest. I think the only parts of the movie I really liked were Almost There and Friends on the Other Side. I watched it again a few years later and I don't remember if I even liked it then either which is not a good sign. I'm going to try giving this movie another chance since it has been 6 years maybe my opinion will change.
How much of this movie have I forgotten:
I've said a few times that James was one of my favorite Disney dads and this movie reminds me why. We see him only for a few minutes but his scenes with his family really stick by me and I love all his lines. And I loved that even after coming home so tired and sore he never took it out on his family, he kept a smile on his face and made sure his wife and daughter knew how much he loved them.
I'm also remembering why I love Charlotte so much. She's a spoiled princess, yeah, but that doesn't stop her from being such a great friend to Tiana. Disney could have had Charlotte turn out to be a Queen B-Word and look down on Tiana but she plays with Tiana when they're kids, she hires Tiana to help cater Big Daddy's party, lent Tiana a nice dress when her's was ruined, and when Tiana and Naveen showed how much they loved each other Charlotte put aside her dream to try helping Tiana be with the man/frog she loved. Charlotte may have wanted to be a princess, but I like to see her as the Fairy Godmother of the movie. And I love her sass.
This isn't something I've really forgotten but some things I'm noticing in Facilier's lair every time I watch this movie, like his wallpaper showing skull and crossbones when his shadow is on it, when his face becomes a skeleton it's the skull and crossbones on his hat, and him hinting he's turning Naveen into a frog ("hop from place to place", one of the tarot cards showing Naveen on a lilypad made of money, him seeing green in Naveen's future)
And I totally forgot how much of a jerk Naveen was at first. I know the Beast and Flynn/Eugene were jerks at first too but they at least didn't treat women the same way Naveen did or looked down on someone for being a waitress. He even blamed Tiana for "tricking him" into believing that she was a princess and blamed her for the kiss not working. He's more likeable later at least. I still don't like him as much as Flynn/Eugene though, but that's mostly for biased reasons.
The frog hunters were definitely forgettable too. The only time I ever remember them is when I'm actually watching the movie because we only see them for a few minutes and they're never seen or talked about again.
I love Mama Odie so much too! Just as much as I love the Good Fairies from Sleeping Beauty.
Ray and Louis were funny sidekicks but I still don't really like them as much as Mushu and Cri-kee or Timon and Pumbaa. Ray's relationship with Evangeline has to be one of my favorite Disney relationships. I actually like Ray and Evangeline more than Tiana and Naveen together. Even at 16 I was so sad that Ray died and I still felt sad when he died. At least he and Evangeline were finally really together in the end.
Princess:
Tiana is one of the fictional characters I look up to on how working hard will help your dreams come true and she's one of the characters who got me so interested in cooking. I've seen a lot of people say Tiana was too harsh on other people and I don't really see it. The only times I saw her be harsh was when someone was disrespecting her or when Naveen was being lazy. As someone who had to work two very exhausting jobs like Tiana did, I can understand her frustration when Naveen just called her a waitress and a stick in the mud. The only real complaint I had about her is she got angry at Naveen for doing what he said he would do (he technically didn't tell her his feelings yet and he hadn't made it clear to him yet that she had any feelings for him) and she didn't even realize that "Naveen" was human and yet she was still a frog. What she said to Ray was definitely going too far too. Tiana was 12 on my list but I'm going to bump her up to 10
Movie:
I have to say I had fun! I wish the froghunters scene was left out or had an actual point and I wish Tiana didn't get mad at Naveen for doing what he said he would do (or at least Lawrence doing it) and vice versa but I wasn't bored while watching this movie and like I said, I had fun! Princess and the Frog was 9 on my list but for now I'm going to leave it there.
Rating: 7/10
How much has my opinion changed?
My opinion for this movie since the first time I watched it has changed a lot in a good way. Ten years really makes a difference I guess :P
Would I watch it again?
Yes
Since I'm behind on a few movies I will be doing Maleficent today as well and Pocahontas II and Cinderella will be done tomorrow :)
If I can be honest this is a movie I'm not really that excited about watching again. Any time I watched it in the past I wasn't that interested but now that I've been watching more Disney again lately maybe I'll enjoy it!
Tonight's rewatch: The Princess and the Frog
Last time watched: 2013
How much did I like this movie as a kid?
When I first watched this movie I was 16 years old and kinda going through a "I hate Disney" faze. It wasn't that I hated all the Disney movies since during that time I was still watching the classics like Hunchback of Notre Dame and Dinosaur (yes, I like to think it's a classic even with the plot being a bit of a Land Before Time ripoff), it was mostly the newer movies I didn't like. After Home on the Range, Chicken Little, and The Wild, I was beginning to lose interest in whatever Disney put out that was animated, unless it was Pixar. Meet the Robinsons was probably the only movie that was "recently" released that I loved and Bolt was only a little enjoyable at the time. Because of this (and commercials spoiling the ending when the dvd came out) I almost didn't watch Princess and the Frog at all until my sister, who just had a baby and would only watch cartoons when around her, invited me to watch the movie with her. The movie had just come out on dvd and I wasn't too interested but I figured, "what the heck?" As I had predicted, however, the movie didn't keep my interest. I think the only parts of the movie I really liked were Almost There and Friends on the Other Side. I watched it again a few years later and I don't remember if I even liked it then either which is not a good sign. I'm going to try giving this movie another chance since it has been 6 years maybe my opinion will change.
How much of this movie have I forgotten:
I've said a few times that James was one of my favorite Disney dads and this movie reminds me why. We see him only for a few minutes but his scenes with his family really stick by me and I love all his lines. And I loved that even after coming home so tired and sore he never took it out on his family, he kept a smile on his face and made sure his wife and daughter knew how much he loved them.
I'm also remembering why I love Charlotte so much. She's a spoiled princess, yeah, but that doesn't stop her from being such a great friend to Tiana. Disney could have had Charlotte turn out to be a Queen B-Word and look down on Tiana but she plays with Tiana when they're kids, she hires Tiana to help cater Big Daddy's party, lent Tiana a nice dress when her's was ruined, and when Tiana and Naveen showed how much they loved each other Charlotte put aside her dream to try helping Tiana be with the man/frog she loved. Charlotte may have wanted to be a princess, but I like to see her as the Fairy Godmother of the movie. And I love her sass.
This isn't something I've really forgotten but some things I'm noticing in Facilier's lair every time I watch this movie, like his wallpaper showing skull and crossbones when his shadow is on it, when his face becomes a skeleton it's the skull and crossbones on his hat, and him hinting he's turning Naveen into a frog ("hop from place to place", one of the tarot cards showing Naveen on a lilypad made of money, him seeing green in Naveen's future)
And I totally forgot how much of a jerk Naveen was at first. I know the Beast and Flynn/Eugene were jerks at first too but they at least didn't treat women the same way Naveen did or looked down on someone for being a waitress. He even blamed Tiana for "tricking him" into believing that she was a princess and blamed her for the kiss not working. He's more likeable later at least. I still don't like him as much as Flynn/Eugene though, but that's mostly for biased reasons.
The frog hunters were definitely forgettable too. The only time I ever remember them is when I'm actually watching the movie because we only see them for a few minutes and they're never seen or talked about again.
I love Mama Odie so much too! Just as much as I love the Good Fairies from Sleeping Beauty.
Ray and Louis were funny sidekicks but I still don't really like them as much as Mushu and Cri-kee or Timon and Pumbaa. Ray's relationship with Evangeline has to be one of my favorite Disney relationships. I actually like Ray and Evangeline more than Tiana and Naveen together. Even at 16 I was so sad that Ray died and I still felt sad when he died. At least he and Evangeline were finally really together in the end.
Princess:
Tiana is one of the fictional characters I look up to on how working hard will help your dreams come true and she's one of the characters who got me so interested in cooking. I've seen a lot of people say Tiana was too harsh on other people and I don't really see it. The only times I saw her be harsh was when someone was disrespecting her or when Naveen was being lazy. As someone who had to work two very exhausting jobs like Tiana did, I can understand her frustration when Naveen just called her a waitress and a stick in the mud. The only real complaint I had about her is she got angry at Naveen for doing what he said he would do (he technically didn't tell her his feelings yet and he hadn't made it clear to him yet that she had any feelings for him) and she didn't even realize that "Naveen" was human and yet she was still a frog. What she said to Ray was definitely going too far too. Tiana was 12 on my list but I'm going to bump her up to 10
Movie:
I have to say I had fun! I wish the froghunters scene was left out or had an actual point and I wish Tiana didn't get mad at Naveen for doing what he said he would do (or at least Lawrence doing it) and vice versa but I wasn't bored while watching this movie and like I said, I had fun! Princess and the Frog was 9 on my list but for now I'm going to leave it there.
Rating: 7/10
How much has my opinion changed?
My opinion for this movie since the first time I watched it has changed a lot in a good way. Ten years really makes a difference I guess :P
Would I watch it again?
Yes
Since I'm behind on a few movies I will be doing Maleficent today as well and Pocahontas II and Cinderella will be done tomorrow :)
