Princess and the Frog

photo from: http://www.princesstianacostumes.net

I grew up reading fairytales and watching Disney movies. But I never once dreamed of being a Princess and of finding a Prince to save me with a kiss and marry me in the end.

I just liked the stories about everlasting love and happily ever after and all that singing and dancing one expects from Disney.

I was expecting the same old formula of a princess in a dire situation waiting for a prince to come, but Princess and the Frog proved to be otherwise. Indeed, it was a pleasant surprise when finally, Disney made a very different take of the original’s Princess and the Frog storyline and mind you, I was happy Tiana was not a princess.

I am never to promote women looking doe-eyed and being a damsel in distress. Instead, I’m all out for women empowerment! 

Cleopatra was actually some of the women I look up too and finally I can add Tiana to the list, though she certainly is fictional but the strength of her character and the self-determination to realize her dreams and not relying on wishing stars makes her more of a real woman than most other women.

Aside from the story emphasizing about a woman’s dream and her strong relationship with her father, the story reflected a very modern view of today’s world. That being poor is not a hindrance to having dreams and that men and women can both having very high positions.

It was a funny fact too that Prince Naveen, being a Prince had no money and had to marry a rich heiress to continue his “princely lifestyle” aside from his lack of responsibility which is common among the pampered youth of this generation.

Overall, Princess and the Frog is not your typical Disney film though the dialogue is quite boring but the characters are well developed and the moral lesson it promotes makes up for the lousy story sequence and pace.

So I’m ending this review to what Tiana’s father said to her in the start of the movie - follow your dreams but never lose sight of what’s important.