The Princess and the Frog (2009)

They sure don't make em' like they used to... for real this time. You could have said that 11 years ago when this film came out and you'd still be correct. CGI's takeover was nearly complete. Today, the art of the hand-drawn animated movie, especially from Disney, is as dead as it will ever be. Not only is that a shame, its a crime. While time consuming, hand-drawn animation produces some of the most beautiful character and production designs you'll ever see. Going back to the Little Mermaid, or even as far back as Snow White, the level of emotion and soul in storytelling is far more prominent and powerful in this medium. If there was one company known for having mastered it, it was Disney. These movies look so soft and gentle, almost as if God himself created them for us. Movies that place us in times and spaces beyond our imagination and that tell us stories we only could imagine in our minds before bedtime. The Princess and the Frog is one of those movies. A throwback to a classic era, as well as a tribute to a great American city and the great people that live there. Additionally, it has close to the best score of any Disney princess film, inspired by the NOLA Jazz musicians from the age of it's inception. FIVE STARS.