There is something odd about the animation of the film, I can’t pinpoint it exactly. But it looks a little like a dvd-sequel. I don’t want to be harsh, cause some dvd sequels actually have pretty good animation, they are crappy because of the stories. But doesn’t all the characters look too rounded and cute? I know it’s Disney but even the bad guy seems kind of more rounded than Jafar or Scar. Everyone has bright big eyes, perfect teeth and rounded/cute faces.

The humor looks a little hit and miss too, but it’s too soon to comment on that.

The part I really like is that little scene with the crocodile. That looks awesome and charming. It actually looks like something they’d include in a classic Disney movie, and I’m not talking about 90s Disney, but 40s Disney here.

The more I know about this…the less excited I become.
Why oh why do I have such a bad feeling about this?

Okay…one more thing… I don’t think JL would last one episode on Celebrity Apprentice. Not that that has anything to do with the post.

Seriously…. so what you have a Crocodile who plays the sax and a Cajun firefly wth a big butt…so what. The dialog I’ve heard here seems really lame. The jokes are on par with something far beneath what I’ve always expected from Disney. I’m still excited to see what the 2-D JL “Disney” will be like. Though thus far it’s only slightly beginning to look like a lame attempt at a Dreamworks pseudo-adult/juvenile piece.

Not feeling it…

While I’m sure the guys in Burbank are working their guts out to make this look stunning… as Roberto said, the script and the humour is worrying. Some of the acting, especially on the frog, also seems almost OVERdone.
Animation acting has come quite a long way in terms of using subtlety and less-is-more and some of these bits don’t look like they NEED to be so squashy-stretchy.
Yeah, we get it, the frog is pushing himself as a lady’s frog, but is the massive drooly tongue-swish absolutely necessary?
Oh, and lol butt jokes *yaaaaawn*.

But the art direction looks lovely and these early quibbles could well be allayed once we see some more footage or longer trailers.

I’m going to go ahead and tell everyone here that this film is incredible and will not disappoint. There is nothing to fear. And that alligator is fantastic!

How exciting! I can NOT wait! (And say yer rosaries that the world premiere will be HERE again, in N.O.!!!)

It’s not art when characters are limited by stock expressions. “Up” looks 20x more genuine. Boggles the mind.

The animation looks pretty good (with the fact that it is Disney’s first 2D feature done at Burbank since “Home on the Range”). I think almost all of us are rooting for “Princess and the Frog” to do well, I’m hoping so, cause we need more 2D rolling in. The animated feature slates in the past three years had little to no 2D.

Some of the characters seem to be stereotypes from this bit..and I much preferred the animation from the beginning of Enchanted to this.

It would be more interesting to do an animated feature about New Orleans recovering from Hurricane Katrina and what is going on there now.

So long as the frog doesn’t become a secret agent to fight Brain Blessed in London with the help of a Loch Ness Monster, this should be worth a watch. :)

looks good cant wait …go disney!!

I know there are fans out there, but this smacks of Don Bluth. It just has his vibe all over it. I’m holding my breath, but am excited nevertheless.

Looks like Jeaun-Bob the frog got a new acting gig! :D

It’s hard to talk about the animation quality, because this VIDEO isn’t of very good quality. Especially when taping a tv screen! But I am excited, of course. The firefly still looks annoying though.

Its disapointing to me that Lasstere, who defined himself by establishing a studio that broke down boundaries (and embraced Brad Bird who rejected Disney’s adherence to a stale formula) is now pushing a new movie that *looks* to have the same tired formula that scuttled their 2D animation system previously. From that clip, he states that they have a great bad guy… and there we see that he has his own song. And they have a wonderful sidekick alligator… and he’s got his own song.

This is from the guys that did ‘Aladdin’ and ‘Little Mermaid’ right? So there is going to be a song from the lead character yearning to break out of the environment that they’re stuck in. Plus, the sappy love tune with a montage of funny moments strung throughout it. And the welcome to our world song(”Be Our Guests”, “Under The Sea”).

FAIL.

I guess they must not remember “Home On The Range”, or they think that replacing Alan Menken with Randy Newman will be enough to fool the public into thinking they are seeing something new. I remember walking out of Cars because it was excruciating to sit through, so I’m not investing in Lasseter’s judgment anymore.

How anyone can judge this film good OR bad, based on that clip is beyond me!

Let’s wait a bit, shall we folks?

I liked how that Witch Doctor said “I have friends on the other side”…I hope we get to see some of that, in all its voodoo glory!

the design on the firefly is absolutely horrible. did anyone even bother to look at an actual firefly? they would have been better off using jimminy cricket with an xmas tree bulb taped to his butt.

Please let me hear for the gazillionth time, “story is king.” Please tell me this movie is getting “plussed.” Because what I see here is a tentative, ever so slight minus. I’m delighted to see hand-drawn is “back,” so to speak, but let it be something I want to see and want my kids to see.

No songs. PLEASE….no songs!

Is it just me, or does John Lasseter talk about every movie he produces/endorses, from the straight-to-DVD Tinkerbell movie to WALL-E, with the exact same amount of enthusiasm and excitement?

Hmmm. I’m not at all convinced in this one. I am not at all crazy about some of the designs here, and the story feels a little thin. I dunno.

I’ll see it, of course, but I’m thinking it may not be the blast that we were hoping for.

I’ve got my fingers crossed for this one.

I have a question: Why do you guys keep picking on Lasseter? I don’t think he actually goofed up yet.
I said it before and I say it again: I wish we didn’t have this comment feature.

I’m looking at this and I’m thinking it looks like a Don Bluth film. Just something about it. Maybe too many characters?

Sues, I don’t think he seemed all that enthused or excited on Tinkerbell. It smacked of fake, especially compared to his 100% sincere endorsements for Miyazaki’s work. This looks to be somewhere in between. Keep in mind that he tried to shelve Tinkerbell at one point.

As for the movie, I pray it does well at the box office. Maybe then we can get them to do something original, because those clips are really underwhelming me. The villain isn’t compelling, the humor falls fault, and the animation worries me (though why people feel the need to blame Don Bluth for every bad hand drawn film, I’ll never know).

But, then, perhaps my opinion will change as new footage is revealed. Honestly, though, I’d rather cel animation come back and try to do more mature stories than the same old “princess” stuff.

“I liked how that Witch Doctor said “I have friends on the other side”…I hope we get to see some of that, in all its voodoo glory!”

The other side of what? VooDoo is used as much for “good” more as it is for “bad.” Just like any other religion. Especially christianity.

Lacklustre.

Sues - he’s hardly going to say “We’re making a new movie at the moment. I personally think it’s a stinker, but you should all run out and see it”.

I don’t know if this movie will be good or not, but I have to give credit to Disney just for producing it. At a time when Hollywood has declared that “2D is dead”, and with competition in the animated film market bigger than ever before, not to mention the impossible task of addressing all the contradictory demands for “fairly” portraying the African American characters, the fact that Disney went through with this project shows a lot of guts. Maybe all the money they made from those crappy sequels gave them the fiscal safety net they needed to take such a risk.

Sues says:
Is it just me, or does John Lasseter talk about every movie he produces/endorses, from the straight-to-DVD Tinkerbell movie to WALL-E, with the exact same amount of enthusiasm and excitement?

…and I’m sure Walt slumped in his chair at every storyboard meeting…imagine what that would have produced…

That Lassiter is enthused down to the last detail is vintage Walt.

I honestly agree some of the previous posts on the fact that you cannot judge animation (or anything else on that matter) from a poor quality clip recorded off of TV with a video camera.

But -sigh- I hope the firefly’s humor get’s better than that, I must say.

John Lasseter seems really insincere in the interview. Looks like it has all the annoying Disney cliches included: sassy female, vaudevillian villain, wise-ass frog, “zany/stupid” firefly, and i think i heard a song in there. By golly, it’s gonna be a hit.

Very little footage is shown in this clip, yet for some reason a lot of people are crying foul on the whole project. The VideoGum blog had nothing but scathing comments regarding the clips, which I found to be bizarrely and extremely reactionary. Let’s. Just. Breathe for a second. And wait. More and more I fear for our collective patience, our inability to hold off on making insanely broad judgments. 30-second teasers are causing people to scream ‘bullshit’, when in reality they are just not indicative of the whole. This is a simple truth. Anyway, for my money, I did like this small, small piece of footage. The animation is rubbery and full of expression, making great use of the 2D style. And if there are songs, it does not mean the film will be a failure outright. That doesn’t make sense. Now, if the songs are poor, then that’s an actual problem. Musicality does not equal garbage, people.

I never grow tired of how uncreative the negative comments are on Cartoon Brew - and how jealous, dull and miserable those who write them come across.

Everybody here are rooting for this film, James R. Everybody hopes it’s not “more of the same”. Some people jumped the gun and already condemned the movie based on these short clips. The movie’s pedigree says it’ll be another Little Mermaid or Aladdin (except with frogs instead of people - that’s the “twist”).

very, very, very ugly.
they were promised something new about design,story,technology…everything!!!…where?

Is disney was angry on Ron Clements and John Musker for ‘no money returned’ in treasure planet?
better that they made ‘the spirit’ feature.

recently,we had story about Don Bluth.now, we desperatly need another secret of the nimh, or titan a.e.
even land before time, american tale, al dogs go to heaven are beter than this.

James - It’s not jealousy, its more like disappointment. When Disney has a chance to come back after a long hiatus of not doing 2d animation they do so by relying on old things that worked for them in the past instead of maybe trying something new. that is probably in part why Pixar (although too commercial for my tastes) is continually successful with the films they release, because they are actually breaking the mold, taking risks. I wouldn’t consider doing another feature animated film about a princess a risk. None of this undermines the talent that went into making it, but I’m not gonna go out of my way to watch it.

“Everybody here are rooting for this film.”

Could’ve fooled me.

This looks rather interesting!

Wow, such much criticism…I dropped the ball first I guess, but I didn’t want to criticize it that much, I only wanted to say that some aspects of the animation felt a little awkward for me. I am almost sure the story is going to be pretty good, just the humor we see there doesn’t look all that great. But they have an interesting set up for the story and I actually like some of the character design including the Cajun firefly, the alligator and Tiana. I’m not very fond of the Prince or the frog.

Also, what’s the problem with an animated movie having songs? I think it was a problem when EVERY animated movie had songs, but Disney has a tradition of including songs and I’d probably miss them if they wouldn’t include them. What I think it’s a little reiterative about 90s Disney is that most of the movies are about prince/princess and they seem to have the same plans now (they are also doing Rapunzel). I am not a big fan of princess stories. I’d like to see some films like “Dumbo”, “Emperor’s New Groove” and “Lilo and Stitch” once in a while.

I’ll still watch this the first day it opens cause I really, really want to see more 2-D movies.

Lets Hope for the beast is all I can say !!!

I actually think it’s wonderful that Disney is going back to what made Disney Disney: Animated musicals. And not where musical artists sing and the characters don’t participate (ex. Tarzan, Home on the Range). I mean, the actual part where they get up and dance, sing, and be energetic.

I do hope this movie works, seeing they’re bringing back the 2D format to theaters, but also having a Black lead as well. Not many animated theatrical pieces where the Black lead is a success…seriously, you can’t really name any at the top of your head. : / So I hope it will be successful, both story and animation, when it releases in theaters.

Let’s look at the Disney canon for a moment. Songs are and were a part of the classic hand drawn Disney movies. You might not like that but there it is. My goodness, there were songs in Enchanted and darn good ones if you ask me (which no one is).

As far as the squishy, squashy, stretchy element - is it possible that the Disney artists are celebrating the 2D-ness of the whole affair and are reveling in it? Perhaps we’re seeing the most of it in these clips?

You can’t judge a feature by a couple minute clip but you can find something to be optimistic about in it, and I find plenty.

I really want “Princess” to succeed, and some of the elements - especially the Princess herself and the setting in New Orleans - are bold and inspired. But yeah…the humor in that clip makes me nervous. The frog-slurp is a turnoff. Never have liked what I’ve seen of the firefly, but maybe he comes off better in the film, where he’ll have more time to reveal more personality.

Despite my initial *cringe* at some of the stuff in that clip, I cannot WAIT to see this film. Rootin’ for ya, Diz.

Like it or not, this is the type of movie people EXPECT to see the Disney name on. Animated musicals are where the company has always done well, and generally when they stray from that forumula, the public doesn’t like it as much. Tarzan did well, but it was a very popular story and while the characters didn’t sing (much) it still was pushed based on its music, and Lilo & Stitch had no character singing but was heavily sold on the “Elvis angle”. Atlantis, Treasure Planet, etc, all had no interest from the public. Walt was able to make several Singing Princess and Talking Animal movies that were all successful, so why can’t Ron and John?

And I think the DTV look that people are seeing may be related to the shadowing, tone matting, whatever you want to call it. Seems like those became popular after Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and they were able to figure out a way to do it cheaply so that it ALMOST looked as good as it did in WFRR, so they stuck it on all the DTV animation to make it look like it had more production value than it really did. Looks like they’ve decided that thats how they are going to do their 2D from here out.

Yeah, like others have said, it feels very Don Bluth. And that’s no good in my opinion.
Disney used to be better than the rest, this looks like the rest. The 1990’s rest.
It probably will be better than Swan Princess, Quest for Camelot, or Anastasia, but it has a lot of the same ingredients.
-A fake acting girl,
-More than 3 animals acting equally funny (or what 40+ year old white american guys think is funny)
-And a handsome prince (or what 40+ year old white american guys think is handsome. Meaning what they wanted to look like in the 80’s)

Ok, so.. as much as I don’t like the prince, frog and bag guy designs, I won’t say from now that this movie is going to be horrible. After all, Musker and Clements are indeed great directors, and even if it has a lot of songs, if they’re as great as Aladdin’s, there’s nothing wrong for me.

But what did stand out in this clip was the calm passive careless tone in Lasseter’s words. I couldn’t believe his eyes as he said such generic comments like “this story has so much in it: the French Quarter, a really great bad guy”. At the end, the way he says “we’re returning to HAND-DRAWN animation” might give the clue that the technique itself is more important in this case than story or drama. It’s kind of a philanthropic gift for the poor nostalgic fans.

My expectations may be too high, but I guess just another beautifully done 2D fairy tale wouldn’t do. “A hand-drawn film this well done” is NOT brand new folks, it isn’t as fresh as any of Lasseter’s other company’s stories, or as Miyazaki’s or Persepolis.

years and years of pining for a return to hand drawn and everyone pisses all over it.

typical.

not even 5 seconds of it shown & the jury has decided already that it’s a stinker.

also typical.

Love the animation on the frog form of Prince Naveen. Looking forward to seeing the animation on Mama Odie. :) This film seems so promising.

You know.. nothing anyone has said here is particularly off the mark or anything (I agree with both the “yea” and “nay” sayers).

Lord knows the hardcore artist in me isn’t particularly impressed by what I saw, but Lord knows it takes a hella lot more to impress my cynical self nowadays. Yeah, the film looks archaic. The humor leaves a lot to be desired. Yeah, I’m feeling the Bluthian vibe too. You have no idea how much that disheartens me. Granted these are mere clips, but aren’t clips suppoed to be allureing?

It would have been so wonderful and refreshing to see the first 2-D animated feature from Diz to in a long time to be a lot more FRESH—in subject matter, in characters, in story, and in the acting itself (like we haven’t seen that take Tiana does after the frog licks his lips before).

However, the eight-year-old in me would have loved, LOVED to have gone to see this film.

You see, as an African-American woman, I hardly EVER see on film or in media in general a black girl presented as being desireable, or precious, or someone to be kept safe. Usually you see the sassy, or ugly, or overweight, ultra-aggressive neck-rotating kind of black woman. Aggressive, masculine, or somehow undesirable in anything but perhaps an oversexualized way. But pretty and sweet? Comparable in beauty to other women in general, not just other black women? Nah. Well, I’m ALL THAT thank you!! :-)

Wow, a black girl as a protaganist in an big-budget animated ADVENTURE? I gotta see that at least once.

Welllp.

I gotta say, I liked the frog a lot, especially when he got smacked and he said, “Of Maldonia…!” Tiana…mmm. TBH, it’s not as bad as everyone else is saying. Pretty entertaining tidbits but that’s all that there is, “tidbits” so IMHO you can’t really judge a lot of the tiny things they show.

Some of my non-animation acquintances saw it too during their lunchbreak. They were all excited because they thought “Ah finally, this is how animation supposed to be.” I tried to point out various other stuff that they liked–Miyazaki, Pixar and whatnot, but their response were, “Ah, but, this is Disney, see…it’s gotta be more like this.”

“secret of the nimh, or titan a.e.
even land before time, american tale, al dogs go to heaven are beter than this.

No. These are all terrible films. All of them.

PatF may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but to compare them to the list of travesties above is just wrong. bluth couldn’t design or direct his way out of a closet.

>>Not even 5 seconds of it shown & the jury has decided already that it’s a stinker.>>

There’s a difference between judging what you see and talk about expectations and doing fundamental judgements about the whole movie. I think the first is legit and the second is not. Personally I always try to adjust at the things I see and try not to condemn the whole thing. Anyway, it’s not really important, if it’s good one can always change his opinion after seeing the film. If somebody decides not to see it because of the promo, well, that’s their problem. Maybe they are right if they don’t like classic Disney or 90s Disney at all, but if they do, they should give it a chance.

Also Roman got it right about the DTV look, the shadowing is part of it.

I’m looking forward to seeing it. I think it looks great!

These comments are indicative of the poor track record of the “animation fan base” predicting the success/failure of upcoming movies.

Look, I realize WHY you’re all reacting the way you are—fear. Fear that the movie won’t be good. Fear that this will be yet another death knell for 2D. We all seemingly have an emotional stake in wanting 2D to do well, and are terrified that this “test case” will let us all down.

And so you are amplifying the importance of anything you’re seeing in a 20-second clip. Amplifying it to a stratospheric level, and projecting the tiny bite-sized crumbs you’re seeing into vast judgements of the entire film.

But here’s the truth. You CAN’T judge an 80-minute movie—good OR bad—based on 20 seconds. Or a 2-minute trailer. This goes both ways–remember how excited we all were when we saw the first trailer for “Phantom Menace”? Remember how great it made it seem? And remember how awful the actual film was? Conversely, I remember well how overwhelmingly negative the reaction was to the first images we all saw of “Finding Nemo,” with loud predictions of its failure announced by seemingly everyone. All of it misguided.

And we are especially doing this with P and F because a lot of hopes for the “return of traditional” are riding on it.

We are automatically predicting its failure, because we don’t want to be crushed and disappointed. It’s a defense mechanism. But it’s also an irrational way to judge how a film will be. Many of you have been very wrong in your dire predictions before, and you would be wise to learn from past mistakes and wait until you’ve actually SEEN the movie before rendering judgement.

There are no fart jokes from what I can see, and the frog is pretty funny. I could really like this movie.

I like the animation that I’ve seen. Its also too early to tell, and the clip is so short, small, and grainy. I really hope this film does well. If anything it’ll help train new animators, and with any luck they’ll hop over to CG and bring their wonderful 2d sensibilities with them.

Does anyone else find this has the potential to be very offensive/insensitive? I’m the last person to think that everything has to be politically correct, but something seems bizarre about this idea. Interested to see how this plays out.

As someone working on this film, all I can say is I couldn’t be more excited to hear all of your reactions AFTER you see the movie. These few clips do not show enough do this film justice in scope. I really DO believe that this movie sits up there with classics like “Aladdin” and “The Little Mermaid”. Sure it had story problems earlier on, but what movie doesn’t. The very talented story crew at Disney has done an amazing job and I think the story is FANTASTIC! I strongly believe it’s the best to come out of Disney for years.

My biggest hope for this movie is that it does well and kick starts some interest in the suits to take chances on 2D again.

I think the problem is that it feels like 90’s Disney. No better. No worse.

And there’s a reason 90’s Disney fell out of favor– because it was done to death.

What they need is another Snow White. Simple story, simple characters, and emphasizie that we’re seeing moving drawings. Everything that I’ve seen on Princess and the Frog is overly polished… as if they’re still trying to compete with CG.

Well, it’s not CG– and that’s something to be proud of, not something to try to hide under layers and layers of effects, tones, and hi-lights.

The 90’s are over.

Songs alienate the adult audience. When Lilo & Stitch came out and had a great soundtrack WITHOUT songs, I couldn’t believe it. it seemed so fresh to me. And let’s face it. Most guys groan d sink down in their chairs when some lame song starts up for no reason. I personally think it’s a cheap storytelling device as well.

And really, why are so many people in animation into musicals? I don’t get it.

It’s pretty. It’s expressive. It’s fluid. The backgrounds are gorgeous.

…but…

In this clip alone…it’s not more than that. Standard lines, standard plot, standard humor.

Ok.

Nice to look at…ok to sit through. Some will love it, maybe those who do not hope for, or expect, more.

…but it’s not all the form can be, even within the constraints of comerciality. It’s not what we all know could be done.

Good is more than just pretty, or well directed, or fluid or expressive. It’s energy, and cleverness, and emotion. It’s something that makes you look at a painted form and think…wow…or helps you get lost in how the figure tells the story.

I don’t see that.

I can’t judge the whole film by a short clip…I just make comments on the clip. I hope for more with the film.

Because musicals are awesome, Matt.
I don’t mind if there are songs. Songs have gone hand-in-hand with Disney animation since the beginning and if this movie is deliberately going for the ‘classic fairytale’ angle, then let there be songs.
It’s Randy Newman, I trust they will be good.

Amid hates it. Surprise Surprise.
Last time I checked, ‘audiences’ were for the most part NOT animation connoisseurs who want to see ONLY major artistic experimentation with the art form. They’re families with kids.
Disney does its thing and if we’re lucky, it does it VERY well.

Despite my earlier criticisms, I AM still rooting for this movie. I WANT to enjoy this film and I sincerely hope it delivers on the story and the writing. Looking pretty and pimping the 2D angle might be enough to generate enough box office to warrant making more hand-drawn movies, but I hope we see better footage to properly showcase the writing and characterisation soon.

I must admit i am very scared…. I did not get any kind of excitment watching this clip and also beleive the same as most people here: It feels like a copy of a copy. Same receipe but with different ingredients.

And I am a hardcore Disney animation fan. I guess that’s why I want it to be so much better. I know Disney can do better than that! Maybe it’s time to let a younger team take the lead with a fresher vision. Remember… that’s what happenend in the 90’s. The younger artists made the Disney renaissance happend.

You can’t tell people they are not allowed to judge something by only seeing tidbits of it.
Most people can’t help but judge. It’s something that happens naturally.
If they don’t want people to judge, then don’t show these clips.

I’m not gonna watch every movie in its entirety, I’ll watch bits of it and then decide whether I’m gonna see it.
I’ve watched bits of this film, and if this wasn’t the first 2d animated Disney feature in years, I wouldn’t go see it.

I agree with Amid to some extent, but isn´t Lasseter (the Pixar guy) the one that’s behind these productions? I mean, look at what happened with American Dog. That’s a movie I’ll have paid twice to see in 2D. And if there were story problems then they could have fixed them without getting anybody fired and changing things completely. I know things are not always perfect and there are creative differences but to me it looks like different ideas have little chances at Disney, with or without Lasseter. I’ve read recently about a lot of cancelled projects at Disney and all of them were interesting and experimental. Movies like Fraidy Cat, My Peoples. Frog Prince or Wild Life.

So all of those had story problems? I’ve read one of the reasons why Fraidy Cat was rejected was that people now don’t know who is Alfred Hitchcock (the movie was supossed to be an homage to the director of Psycho). How dumb is that?

I guess we are lucky The Princess and The Frog has been done at all, instead of being rejected for being potentially offensive to black people.

I have to second what Joe wrote– as someone else who is working on the film, these types of clips that get released never really give you the right idea of what the movie is about. The film is not trying to be a reinvention of the art form, it’s trying to be a classical looking Disney film that has a lot of charm, humor, and heart. And it is succeeding in all the above. Every screening gets better and better, and as Joe said, I’d love to hear everyones comments AFTER they actually SEE the film. Not based on some lame thing marketing put together that someone filmed off of a television. People love sit back and criticize, makes them feel good– but if any film from Disney ever needed your support it’s this one! Give it a chance– it’s worth it!

I like what I have seen of “The Princess and the Frog” so far and am eagerly looking forward to seeing this film. Go Disney Animation Studios ! I’m in agreement with all the other people who have posted above pointing out that it’s too soon and too little footage to form a strong judgement about the film’s probable success (artistic and/or financial) based on viewing these few fragmented scenes.

At the same time I do agree that is misguided and narrow to pin all the hopes of “the return of traditional hand-drawn animation” on one movie from one studio. If it’s “all about story” and not about the tools or the medium used then why would the success or failure of one film say anything definitive about the continuing validity of hand-drawn animation ? This is such a stupid, irritating idea. If people blamed the failure of a live-action movie on the type of cameras or the film stock used to photograph it , or if a CG animated film’s failure was blamed on the software that was used then any sensible person would scoff at that naive notion, but here we go again with people talking about : “can ‘2D’ make a comeback ?” as if the tools used to make a movie are the reason it will be a success or failure.

From the little preview here, P&tF is hitting right on the mark for a Disney-branded animated musical. The Naveen(sp?) frog-smash reminded me right away of Sebastian, Genie and Pain/Panic getting the same treatment. I trust Musker and Clements, the films they have made for Disney are close to my heart. I’m still very excited for this project.

Disney’s fan base has aged and the business behind the art has evolved with it’s new audiences. While it’s sad to see how some folks respond to how this nostalgic product has changed, keep in mind Walt helped shape the entire industry of children-specific entertainment. Regrettably, this industry de-evolved its content thereafter.

Amid: If Princess and the Frog turns out to be all gloss and no substance, then I would be in complete agreement with you.
But is IS still a little early to condemn this as just another meddling-executive-driven film when only a handful of people have seen the full thing and those that have say it’s a LOT better than this footage shows.

Everyone is going to have their own opinions on what constitutes ‘heart’, but I am willing to absolutely give this movie the benefit of the doubt.

I am now dangerously eager to see this movie. A new hand-drawn film from Disney under Lasseter’s reign. Let’s see what happens.

“Seeing work like this merely reaffirms how out of touch they are with the contemporary animation scene and what audiences want to see in a hand-drawn film”

Disney doesn’t make films to please the “contemporary animation scene”, and Amid what do you know what audiences want to see? Persepolis, Waltz with Bashir, Spirited Away never drew the large audiences like the big Disney films of the 80s and 90s (unfortunately!).
I watched Ponyo and I must admit that the style looks very Miyazaki and technically it doesn’t look any better or worse than his previous films. PatF looks like the best of the 80s Disney films, nothing more nothing less. And I bet you more people will want to watch PatF than Ponyo. Amid, if you know so well what audiences want to see where is your blockbuster project?

“Last time I checked, ‘audiences’ were for the most part NOT animation connoisseurs who want to see ONLY major artistic experimentation with the art form. They’re families with kids.”

So were many of the people who went to see My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away. Miyazaki has proven that family entertainment can be sophisticated and emotionally resonant. Pixar is doing the same (increasingly so). I won’t judge Princess and the Frog now, by the way, but my first impressions are that of an entertaining temporary diversion at best. It may wind up being far better than these clips indicate, and I do hope it does.

And you know something? The reason fewer people want to see Miyazaki’s film is because Disney continually drops the ball on their marketing. PEOPLE HAVE NO IDEA THESE FILMS EXIST. Chicken Little got promotions across the board, and Spirited Away got barely anything. Were Disney to advertise these films as what they are, that being MAJOR blockbusters that also happen to be masterpieces, they would make as much money as any of the overhyped CGI crap we see from Dreamworks.

I want Princess and the Frog to do well, but, dammit, I also want them to move on to mature storytelling afterward. Disney’s failed at it before, but that’s only because they weren’t willing to commit. Don Bluth tried it early in his career (and I happen to like those movies, flaws and all) but he abandoned it. People would have gone to see The Black Cauldron if it had been a good movie.

For the love of God, must all Hollywood talk down to children like they’re all retards who must have their hands held all the way through? Don’t these people realize that I was watching My Neighbor Totoro continuously in my youth and watched Aladdin maybe TWICE (a solid movie, but painfully safe)? We may trick them with our pricy marketing and low standards, but at heart kids want QUALITY STORYTELLING. We have to give them something more, or else Disney, one of the only animation companies with the funds to create the kind of spectacle children relish, will devolve into just another hack company again.

And to Hell with squash & stretch. Kids don’t give a crap.

Forgive my rant.

Well, I saw the film at a screening (through movietickets.com) last night, of which something less than 30% was full color animation; and the rest surprisingly — given the audience — was pencils and boards. It was a lovely treat for an animation buff to be able to attend a movie in this stage of its development.

My one sentence review would be: it’s a worthy entry in the Disney canon, but they’ve got a LOT more work to do, and not just finishing up the animation.

My more considered opinion:

I think this movie has a lot of promise and in the main it was very warmly received by an audience unused to watching pencil tests, who laughed heartily throughout.

I liked a lot of the character design, derivative though some of it seemed — but I don’t know how many new ways there are to design a talking frog, for example. The alligator looks a little too familiar, though how he moves around is rather fun. The lightning bug, who was a huge hit with the audience, as he’s quite amusing, nonetheless looks, from a design standpoint, as if he has flown in from another movie entirely.

The environments and backgrounds are really beautiful, especially when the action moves into the bayou. Really, really lovely stuff, and what we saw of the completed New Orleans is really quite something.

Unlike some who have commented on the snippets above, I did not find the acting to be over the top except when that’s what’s called for. To the contrary I found it to be closer to the classic style of old than most recent Disney fare. Whether that’s a good thing or not depends on how you feel about Disney living in the past, versus pushing the boundaries. Can’t they do both? Make films like the classics, but also make more modern or challenging films? Surely they can, but since this is the first one out of the gate 2D-wise post John and Ed, it seems inescapable that it should be an effort that tries to capture that classic Disney aesthetic.

And Amid, as far as them being out of touch — I don’t think they are out of touch at all with what the lion’s share of the paying audience wants to see (certainly, if the whoops and cheers after last night’s screening are any indication). You can “Triplets of Belleville” about it all you want, and I adore all sorts of animation, but even the most meagre Disney grosses put the lie to this notion that the masses are thirsting for more challenging animated product and are rejecting this somewhat traditional and predictable, if beautiful, fare — no matter how much animation enthusiasts like you or I might wish that it were so.

Anyway, story-wise, there’s enough that’s “different” in there to pique the interest of those who are tired of the traditional Disney fare, but unfortunately it also treads many of the same boards as the movies we have seen a dozen times over. I suppose, alas, that given the burden of expectation — it’s going to SAVE Disney 2D animation!!! — it has to to meet the modern expectation of a “Disney animated feature.” The “I want” song lands right where it is supposed to, and so on. It seemed to me, that some of the more familiar elements don’t really sit well with some of the new, but I think there’s room, and time, to smooth this out some.

BUT, there are some pretty large story problems in the first act that loom large over the rest of the film. I won’t go into detail because I don’t want to be hatching spoilers all over the place. Suffice it to say that neither the prince’s, his servant’s or the villain’s motivations are at all made clear; their early development is rushed; they seem to be acting as they do because the plot demands it of them, rather than moving from any basis of character. This lack of development weighs the movie down horribly when it should be flying. Moreover, certain developments later in the film that should really land with elegance don’t because they are not properly set up in the first act. Tiana’s the only character who feels really fully developed, and inasmuch as she’s the protagonist that’s good news, but these other three characters and why they do what they do to each other is really a big piece of the core of the story and I fear the film will not resonate unless these issues are addressed.

It was kind of shocking, really, to see these questions of character and motivation at this point in a project that’s been gestating as long as this one, with these particular people at the helm! Fortunately, there are numerous potential solutions and ways to strengthen these characters, utilizing mainly what’s already been done, and possibly replacing one scene (one of the few which seemed nearly complete, alas) with another which could conceivably be whipped into shape in the time available.

I hope so. A success for this picture is a good thing for animation everywhere. It was a crowd-pleaser last night in its unfinished form, for sure, and if it were finished and released in its present form I have no doubt it would do well, but lots of pictures that aren’t as good as they could be do well. If they can rejigger the first act and clarify those three characters, the picture could really soar, could really stand up on its own among the other Disney classics, and could open the door to loads of new possibilities for the studio.

John Lasseter wants to be the next Walt Disney so bad, he doesn’t realize he should just try to be the first John Lasseter.

The reason people are criticizing this film already is because Disney is just doing the exact same movie over and over again, and no one’s calling them out on it. There’s nothing new being presented here. It’s just the same crap we’ve already seen… except this time around, the movie has BLACK PEOPLE OMG HoW ORIGINAMABLE!!!1!! You know whats coming next after this. A Japanese princess. Then a Latin princess. etc.

I’m not saying every single movie ever made has to be revolutionary, push the boundaries, make us think differently, etc. But this company has made the exact same film for decades. They just put different make-up on it each time to fool us into thinking it’s something new.

Well, I’m tired of it. I want to be amazed again. I want to recommend an animated film to a friend again. I want to put an animated film on my top 20 films list besides Bakshi films and Fantasia. I want people to stop giving so much credit to Pixar… god Pixar is overrated!

I’ll go see this film, but I could care less if it’s a success or not. I mean, Disney has enough money to buy 3 small countries, there films (and Pixar’s films) are more popular than God, and only 3 out of 10 people have the balls to give them any constructive criticism.

…Ok, I’m done now.

It looks like a Don Bluth film to me…. nicely animated but boring and cliched!

It doesn’t feel like Don Bleuth to me. Eric Goldburg’s directing the art or animation or something like that, so this to me looks like a Chuck Jones’s “Looney Toons” mixed with the 90’s Disney style animation. It feels weird to have combined those two approaches…

It’s interesting to read all of the comments on this post regarding “The Princess and the Frog”.

First, I am (like many of you) a fan of Disney Feature Animation. I was thrilled to see DFA get a proper website that honors the history of the studio and its roots. Like many of you, I was equally thrilled when it was announced that John Lasseter was appointed to head up the studio, because I believe he has respect for the legacy he is inheriting.

Second, I have to say that I think it is possible to assess the character designs and set-up of the story at this point without having seen the film, but I think it goes without saying that it is impossible to give a comprehensive review of a film that isn’t finished.

I understand that people working away on this film don’t want everyone to pounce on a couple of minutes of footage, but first impressions are as good away as any to gauge potential interest for this film.

“People love sit back and criticize, makes them feel good”

That’s fabulously condescending (whether intentional or not), but it’s not as good as this:

“Amid, if you know so well what audiences want to see where is your blockbuster project?”

I don’t recall anyone saying to Joseph Campbell, ‘If you know so much about mythology why haven’t you created your own myth?’ as a means of discounting his perspective. There is room in this world for criticism by people looking at a work from an academic standpoint as well as that of a working professional, and the perspective of someone working on the film itself is hardly objective.

In closing, I want hand drawn animation at Disney to thrive, but my early impressions of this film are that it doesn’t give off the sense of vitality that the films of the 80’s/90’s renaissance. Those films took the classic motifs explored in the past and reinvigorated them for the time. I think that it is out of respect for the legacy of DFA that this film is being held to a high standard, and not being assessed on the same level of Disney’s Princesses sequels and Disney’s Fairies DVD (which, for the record have a very strong appeal with “families with kids”).

There is a grey area between “connoisseurs” and “families with kids”, as well as between academics and professionals.

I think Amid said it best. We are all mostly tired of Disney.

The largest media company in the world. They should just stick to what they do best these days, which is merchandising and kid pop stars, as well as buying out every company, some not even media related, that it can get its hands on.

The negative comments are due, but this movie will be successful monetarily, even if it gets bad reviews. Disney is so huge, the marketing will be overwhelming. They can put out whatever they want and it will still turn a profit.

So why even give them this attention anymore? I say pay more attention to foreign or small studios doing something different. I’m very sick of big business animation being what everyone needs to focus on. How many of you here who take all the time to climb on every major feature post on Cartoonbrew take the the time to watch the short films and small movies done by independents, let alone even comment on them?

Give me a break. I just wish all this Dreamworks/Disney/Pixar crap would stop monopolizing the market. There’s tons of innovative stuff out there done in 2D everyday, but it can’t even get any room to breathe because of bullshit like The Prince and the Frog and all the anti or pro fanboys coming along with it.

I’m delighted Disney is making this film. And, as noted above, it might be fair to see a film before you “review it.”

In any case, we’ve got some darn good people on this movie. My only regret is the fact that we’ve lost so many darn good artists over the past few years. Much of the blame for this goes to “BoneHead” for declaring hand drawn animation dead.

Though there’s more work to be done, suffice it to say that the film is solid.

Its like the haters all got together on this board
Anyway, the majority of the feedback is positive, so i’m excited, this will be a huge hit.

Whoever posted under the guise of “Ghost of Animation Future”, along with the few other rational voices that tend to stand out on ‘animation’ websites such as these, really say all that needs to be said about the culture of animation on the internet.

Personally I hate the fact that the animated films of today or any films for that matter have to dump, no longer just trailers, but episodic portions of themselves onto the net. I’m sure it works perfectly well form a marketing standpoint, but the fact that it generates this kind of negativity and mindlessly alleging banter / overzealous ranting (a large portion of it purely negative) saddens me deeply, not to mention spoils the rest of the film. Where the hell is your sense of optimism and passion for the animation medium in all its incarnations? Sure, have a healthy sense of what you like and don’t like, but for *expletive* sake reserve your judgments till you walk out of the cinema. If not purely for the fact most of you know the challenges of making a good short film, so imagine a full length feature, as there are literally armies of talented people behind their creation. Nobody wants to see or be part of a bad film, no one wants to see a tired franchise dragged out over four features and a television series simply because it prints money. There are valid points of discussion here, but honestly, have some amount of respectful faith in the minds and collective passion involved in any creative endeavour, form the commercial blockbuster to the one man student film. These are your piers and their work should be celebrated, not trodden on.

Don’t make sites like this the bane of the animation community on the internet because of the purely negative comments you leave.

I think deep down, all of us gripers want to be proven wrong.

The Obvious writes:
“People love sit back and criticize, makes them feel good”
That’s fabulously condescending (whether intentional or not), but it’s not as good as this:
“Amid, if you know so well what audiences want to see where is your blockbuster project?”

In never meant to sound condescending and I’m sure Amid is a real animation connaisseur and lover but I feel he is very much out of touch with what “audiences” want (at least in the western half of the world, and that’s what were talking about here). Of course there is an audience for everything, but let’s face the facts and like it or not, the majority of the people still want to see familiar, safe Disney entertainment.

I’m sorry, but if this is what’s selling the film, it looks like the same tired gimmicks in every animated film for the past couple of decades. I don’t think these characters are interesting, and since the film was first announced, the whole thing feels like a gumbo soup of elements (classic fairy, black princess, New Orleans Jazz music) so the film can stand out and call attention to itself. If you guys at Disney wants to make a comeback with 2D, how about taking a chance and writing a story you want to write instead of doing this song and dance hoping to be accepted by your audience?

This film tested off the charts at the two screenings Tuesday night, and this is a very hopeful sign. What matters both for Disney and for the future of hand-drawn animation is that this movie find an audience and succeed. I believe it will, and that this success will be the best thing that has happened for the art of animation in nearly a generation.

Whether Princess and the Frog is the Citizen Kane of animation is beside the point. Its financial success will open doors for animators and the art of hand-drawn animation around the world, and that is something we should all be cheering and welcome with open arms.

I am one of the crew at Disney working on this movie.

I have worked on other animated features, including some genuinely bad films. (I’m looking at you, Looney Tunes Back in Action).

I can tell you this - Princess and the Frog is going to blow you all away. It is hugely entertaining, moving, beautiful and - ready for it? - FUN.

There are valid criticisms to be made of this or any other film, but as a rule such criticism is reserved until after the thing is finished and audiences have seen it as it was intended to be seen. Most of you are jumping the gun a bit, don’t you think?

Matt Sullivan says:

I think deep down, all of us gripers want to be proven wrong.

So true!!!!

I too have seen the film and it is probably the best Disney feature in the last 10 years. Can’t wait for the public to enjoy it.

Hats off to Disney and all of the professionals working on this special film.

“I can tell you this - Princess and the Frog is going to blow you all away.”

Saying “blow you away,” means in all honesty, this film is not going to be up to par.

Cliched “rad” type expressions do nothing to inspire confidence.

WOW The amount of doomsaying on this is absolutely amazing.

The trailer looked pretty good frankly. Granted it didn’t reveal much, so all I can really judge on for now is track records.

There’s Lasseter, Clements and Musker. That would be the “Story is king”/”I’ve had nine hits in a row, soon to be ten” Pixar guru, combined with the directors of Aladdin/Little Mermaid, et al. That’s enough to get me in the door, frankly.

As someone who is only a mere “consumer” of animation, let me assure you that I’ll be handing over my cash very fast to see what this combo has produced.

If the story is good, and the animation on par with that of the 90’s renaissance efforts, then I predict this will do extremely well.

This movie looks better and better with every bit I see. No matter how tired the story might be, and whether I personally hate musicals, god, *look* at it! It’s beautiful! Even if it turns out to be all style and no substance, which I doubt, what style it is! Polished like a gem. I can’t wait to see it, and I hope it does spectacularly well in theaters. The crew clearly gave it their all.

And for everyone saying ‘ZOMG black prenciss! big deal!’… it IS a big deal. We’ve had white princesses since Snow White, from pretty much every studio, with few exceptions. It matters. Black women and girls.. heck, men and boys too, deserve a black feature character who doesn’t have to be a caricature or stereotype, and by all accounts, Tiana is neither of those. It’s about time.

The fact that this is a “Disney” film coming from Disney is not a negative. Disney SHOULD be doing “Disney”. That’s who they are.

If other studios try to do “Disney” the critique may be valid but Disney has a huge audience for what they traditionally do and if they satisfy that audience, more power to them.

Also if Disney does a successful, audience pleasing animated film that makes a ton of money it will open the coffers to other studios, some of which may have the opportunity to do truly new and innovative films.

A successful traditional “Disney” film from Disney is good for everyone in the industry.

Hi I’m also one of the crew members working on this film and I’ve got to say it really does sadden me how much hating you people are doing on our little film. Not to mention its based on some 10 seconds of out-of-sequence animation clips shot off a blown-out TV screen? Oh well I guess that’s the nature of the anonymity the internet brings, and opinions are opinions, but I just want to say this is very much Ron and John’s film. As far as I can tell the “corporate empire” didn’t really contribute to this creatively at all. They are making the film they want to make, and while I would love for Disney to really break new ground and do something we’ve never seen before, I don’t really think that’s Ron and John’s big goal. I think they just wanted to make a really fun film with wonderful characters and heartfelt moments. That’s all and I think they are succeeding wonderfully. So just know that when you are hating on this film you’re not hating on the Disney empire you are pretty much just hating on Ron and John.

Anyways just trying to spread a little positivity!

I’m one of the crew members working on this project.

For those expecting another ‘Little Mermaid’, don’t. This is something else. That project was very Broadway-esque, though steered by Ron and Jon, very influenced by Howard and Alan, and set the tone for the 90’s Disney flicks to follow.

This is a fun movie, less of a drama. The music is different. A whole different animal. You’ll enjoy it if you go in expecting “the Princess and the Frog.”

I’m a Disney fan and Animation student who was lucky enough to see the special screening of The Princess and the Frog last Tuesday. I’ve been thinking about the movie ever since. Really. It was amazing.

I fail to see why doing a “Disney” movie is a bad thing. No matter how any of you may dislike the genre, the animated musical always has and always will be at the heart of Disney brand, along with the Disney style of storytelling. If they stopped making animated musicals with the Disney flair, I’d be very sad, and I’m sure kids-at-heart around the world would be sad too. What’s wrong with Disney going back to what makes Disney? It’s not like they couldn’t experiment all they want with other films, but PatF is their chance to celebrate the Disney that has been lost for this past decade. And I like it. It’s kind of hard to be a Disney fan if you don’t like their brand.

Besides, all the accusations of “telling the same story over and over” make me want to say this - Well, so has the entire human race throughout all of history. Because really.. the structure and elements of storytelling haven’t changed. If you look at all the world’s best stories through a general enough lens, this is evident (”Hero with a Thousand Faces,” anyone?). But without looking through that overgeneralized lens… Ask any child, and they’ll say that there’s a big difference between the stories of “Alice in Wonderland” and “Aladdin.” And likewise is there a difference between “Aladdin” and “The Princess and the Frog.”

To be honest, it seems to me that Miyazaki’s films are just as different from each other as Disney’s are.. But I digress.

My point is, I’m completely optimistic about this film. It was great at the screening even despite the rough spots (I do agree with alot of what Michael’s review said), and it can only get better from now until release date. All you naysayers need to lighten up! It’s Disney! =D

Christie wrote:
“I fail to see why doing a “Disney” movie is a bad thing. No matter how any of you may dislike the genre, the animated musical always has and always will be at the heart of Disney brand, along with the Disney style of storytelling. If they stopped making animated musicals with the Disney flair, I’d be very sad, and I’m sure kids-at-heart around the world would be sad too. What’s wrong with Disney going back to what makes Disney? It’s not like they couldn’t experiment all they want with other films, but PatF is their chance to celebrate the Disney that has been lost for this past decade.”

The reason why it’s frustrating is that Disney won’t commit to doing anything ‘other’ than the Disney Musical. Any experimenting they do comes down to dipping their toe in the water, then backing away (ex. “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, “Atlantis”, “Treasure Planet”). It’s like an artist that spends their whole career doing one thing, and the moment they want to do something else, it becomes too scary and they go back to doing what they were good at in the first place. That’s not always a bad thing, but then there’s also no commitment to growth. How amazing would “Hunchback of Notre Dame” been had they the studio allowed itself to go for broke and tell the original story? You get a taste of that just watching “Hellfire” song. Even though the majority of Walts first few features like Pinnochio, Fantasia and Bambi (all different types of films btw) were flops at the box office, look at the kind of impact those films had on the development and artistic direction of animation! They’re all sophisticated in their own way and the studio at least had the courage to go all the way with their stories and not back out half way out of fear. They may have flopped at the box office, but at least they left a mark. The “expirimental” films from the last decade wouldn’t even go all the way and they still flopped. No ones going to remember “Treasure Planet” in the next 50 years compared to Pinnochio or Bambi. It’s sad and ironic because now a much loved company like Disney is trapped under the name of their own brand. It can’t and won’t let itself be anything else. So when I look at something like “The Princess and the Frog”, where Disney wants to “go back to it’s roots”, all it proves to me is that it’s a company that’s afraid to grow up.

All I can say is I hope for the best there won’t be a “big lipped alligator moment”. :-)

After reading this stampede of comments (so many different views) - NO ONE has seen this film in its finished form and seen it in the light it was intended! I agree with Hogarth, everyone is “jumping the gun a little”. It’s obvious this film will be subject to a massive amount of scrutiny because it is the first 2D attempt since everyone began ranting about 2D being dead. But again, let us all wait and see it first THEN review! Second of all, I read a few comments about people’s opinion of the animation…the film has to be viewed in its entirety and a trailer is by no means enough to judge it comprehensively. Either way, look at Simpsons or the various 2D Japanese films coming out…their animation is no “Prince of Egypt” or “Lion King” in terms of realism but their stories and characters are solid and endearing and enough to capture those who watch them.

LET’S ALL JUST WAIT…let’s be excited and embrace this return to 2D…everyone doubted Lion King before its release and had no idea the success it would become.

Hmm…I wasn’t blown away by the trailer but the prince is ok I guess. Let’s just pray it does well. Oh and I love old Disney films, but I really want the Princess and the Frog to be the last princess film. I want Disney to try something fresh and new with 2-D animation.

Well. I’ve read everything here and now, I’m going to tell you something. The most of you, who are critising this are dump **** . You make me sick. I know that some things have to be fixed in the movie. But hey, it’s a teaser/trailer, nothing more nothing less. You can always see some big differences in a trailer and the finished movie. Sometimes, the trailer is better than the movie (which is always bad) and sometimes the movie is even a lot of better than the trailer. And before you’re going to tell me that I don’t understand even one thing in that whole animation or old magic love things, then I’ll tell you that I’m not telling this without any reason. Of course, the were times where Disney had his best movies ever like “The Little Mermaid” or “Beauty and the Beast” . And I watched them, too, as I was little. But the times are different. Eisner just made his cheapquels, because of greed, as the whole world meanwhile is built after that, and the times for Disney went darker by the days.

And now, after Lassester and Jobs finally made it to kick out the one who was the reason that all went out like this, they want to bring back what was lost by their precursor with making “The Princess and the Frog” . And now, what are the fans of Disney doing?! THEY ARE JUST THROWING THEM FAILURES AND EVERYTHING ELSE AT THEIR HEADS! These both are heroes and NOT THE ONES WHO CREATED ALL THIS MESS! The simple problem is that the most drawers/people who worked at Disney and worked at the old projects like “Lion King” and other ones nearly forgot how to make such good movies again. And now, they want to try it once more. True Fans should give them a chance to show themselves, what they can do after all and not make them upset, JUST BECAUSE IT DOESN’T FIT YOU HOW THEY’RE DOING THEIR WORK!

BUT OF COURSE IF YOU WANT TO SEE MORE CHEAPQUELS AND BAD ANIMATED 3D FILMS LIKE “CARS” OR SOMETHING THEN GO AND LEAVE THE ONES ALONE WHO ARE STILL BELIEVING IN THAT, WHAT THEY COULD CREATE.

Jon, Hoghart and Jen are right what they’re telling to you. You shouldn’t make so bad critiques after all. Instead you should await the movie and if the movie is still as bad as the trailer then you’ve won. But just because Disney is still trying it to make everything modern and still keeping its old magic.

I for myself liked the most of the whole trailer. And YOU should be happy that Lassester and Jobs are making instead of making more Cheapquels like “Bambi 3″ or “Beauty and the Beast 2″.

So, give them a chance for one last time, come on!

Oh, and to those three who are saying that they working at the team who are making this movie:

You shouldn’t be disappointed about that what the fans are thinking. They just forgot what you truely can. But on the other side, I’ve to agree with them. But it’s not your fault, but that of your old leader Eisner. If you had thrown him out earlier, then everything wouldn’t be like this. I hope you can all convince them, that Disney hasn’t lost its magic and can bring back dreams to this dark world. I’m counting on you and you’ve my voice.

Now, I’m finished…

Maybe it’s because Disney marketing sucks

I’m a die-hard fan of Disney and hand-drawn animation but it seems that ever since the peak of the 30s and early 40s that the studio has been to a degree formulatic and generic. I know how people love the Nine Old Men and the Renaissance animators but when will we get a real animation actor like Bill Tytla, Rod Scribner, Chuck Jones, and Bob Clampett? When will we have a driving force like the pre-strike and war Walt that is aimed at success and innovation? When will people stop finding a formulatic fairy tail and make it into an overstravaggent musical? You can do anything in animation when you know how to be an actor, innovator, and creative artist. Disney should be a studio not a corporation!

I must say, I had hopes for this one. However, the minute the word “butt” came out of the firefly’s mouth, it was immediately relegated to the “I’ll catch it when it comes on the Disney Channel” status.