The movie was the first to be hand drawn since 2004 and it was new Creative Director of Disney, John Lasseter who decided to bring the hand -drawn animation back to the studio where it all began with the genius that was, Walt Disney. The Princess and the Frog is a retelling of the fairy tale created by Grimm brothers back in the 19th Century. It feature a voice cast which includes Anika Noni Rose as Princess Tiana, Bruno Campos as Prince Naveen and Keith David as the films bad-guy, Dr. Facilier. John Musker and Ron Clements are the men directing the movie and they do such a fantastic job at finding the New Orleans atmosphere from which the movie is set. Using music and capturing the essence of the city that is famous for jazz, they manage to pull off yet another Disney classic that has all the elements that we’re used to Disney of old. Clever animation, an awesome soundtrack and sing-a-long songs, wonderful characters and a bad guy that will scare you just enough to make you dislike him!

If you’ve not seen The Princess and the Frog, I urge you to buy or rent it. If you have kids, this is the perfect movie to put on and sit down together and watch on a Saturday afternoon. If you’d like to read our full review of the movie, click here to view Jon’s review from the theatrical release.

The Princess and the Frog is available to buy now.

Since I’d seen the movie already, I was keen to see what Disney has added to their list of special features and the list is long:

• Audio Commentary: Commentary by John Musker and Ron Clements (Co-Writers and Directors) and Peter Del Vecho (Producer)

• Deleted Scenes

Introduction to Deleted Scenes by John Musker and Ron Clements.

• Advice From Mama
• Alternate Louis Introduction
• Stop And Smell The Roses
• Naveen Confides In Ray

• Games & Activities

What Do You See: Princess Portraits: Mama Odie welcomes us to the bayou, where Ray’s firefly family has just outlined a picture of Tiana.  Mama Odie proposes a game to test the viewers’ knowledge of princesses.  Ray’s firefly family will arrange themselves to create a picture of one of the princesses.  If the viewer correctly identifies which princess is seen in the formation they make, they are rewarded with a brief – hip, and slightly irreverent – re-telling of that princess’ story, which plays as a montage on the surface of the water.

• Music & More: “Never Knew I Needed” Music Video by Ne-Yo/ Dylan & Cole Sprouse: Blu-ray™ Is Suite!

• Backstage Disney

• Magic in the Bayou: The Making of The Princess & The Frog: A freewheeling, documentary-style ramble through the making of Disney’s newest animated film. This piece will capture both the spirit and the story of how THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG emerged from a vague concept in the minds of Musker and Clements, to become a splashy, lavish animated film set in the enchanting, mythical world of New Orleans and the surrounding bayous.

And what better way to celebrate the release of this film than with a giveaway of a Death At a Funeral poster signed by the main man himself, Chris Rock?

So, here’s your chance – just answer the very easy question below and you could be the recipient of the prize.

Please use the form below to submit your answer to the following question:

Who directed the 2007 original Death At a Funeral?

The small print:

• This competition is open to the UK only.
• Only one entry per household will be counted.
• The competition will close Friday 11th June at 23.59 GMT.
• The winner will be picked at random from entries received.

The usual T&Cs can be found here. Good Luck!

If the film title sounds familiar then that’s because it’s a remake of the British Frank Oz movie of the same name, in fact it has the same writer in Dean Craig and the same actor in Peter Dinklage playing the Frank who’s the catalyst for the downturn in events at the funeral. This is all fine but the problem for me is that it’s almost a scene for scene remake of the original British film and shows no originality apart from what appears at times to be some improvised dialogue from the now African-American family with a bit more swearing.

The film opens with the arrival of a coffin to a big family home, The coffin initially contains the wrong body, a Chinese man or “Jackie Chan” (ha ha…) to the annoyance of Aaron (Chris Rock) and things continue to go down hill from there when the arrival of Aaron’s brother Ryan (Martin Lawrence), a successful writer, adds pressure to his eulogy he’s prepared as well as claiming he can’t afford to pay for half the costs of the funeral. Aaron’s sister Elaine (Zoe Saldana) arrives with her accidentally drugged up boyfriend Oscar (James Marsden) after he took some supposed valium that is actually acid which sends him into a crazy delirious hallucinogenic state which is perfect for funerals and on top of that family friends Norman (Tracy Morgan) and Derek (Luke Wilson) arrive with foul mouthed wheel chaired uncle Russell and so begins the madness.

It’s the arrival at the funeral of an unknown little person called Frank (Peter Dinklage) when things start to get out of hand, claiming to Aaron that he is the secret lover of his father with pictures to prove it, he asks for money that is owed to him in return for secrecy and when Aaron gets his brother Ryan involved things go from bad to worse as they try to prevent the truth getting out.

The film will no doubt be a minor hit mainly due to box office draw of the ensemble cast and that it’s using the same relatively successful material of the 2007 original. The only real improvement is over the original was, surprisingly, James Marsden’s performance as the hallucinogen stricken Oscar who puts in a brilliant display of funny mannerisms, sayings and facial expressions throughout and was easily the funniest on show amongst the exceptional collection of comedians, actors and Martin Lawrence.

Tracy Morgan was again, like in the appalling Cop Out, playing his 30 Rock Character/himself (I forget which one is real now) which isn’t always a bad thing but it is predictable, Danny Glover was as foul mouthed and abusive as required and Martin Lawrence was wooden and unfunny as ever. The other cast all played their roles sufficiently enough to keep the film moving along with the excellent Keith David providing a nice turn as the suffering Reverend Davis witnessing the family chaos unfold, Luke Wilson was fine and had good rapport with Tracy Morgan but it all seemed over familiar and unoriginal as it was so close to the source material.

The only reason the film has been made is to bring the average story to the American audience and using a chance to bring some of the best black actors/actresses together in one film and it works in that respect with the jokes bound to bring laughs and the subject matter although being quite dark offering some familiar family issues and laughing at them. Is it worth 92 minutes of your time? Maybe, James Marsden’s enjoyable display and if you fancy a few decent jokes and some scat humour performed by some superb actors of our generation then go for it. Was it worth remaking? Not at all, the original was ok the remake matched it.

Death at a Funeral is released on 2nd June.

The movie focuses around Mary (Sandra Bullock) who works for a local newspaper called the Sacramento Herald and is responsible for the cross word section. She takes her job very seriously and her one love in the world is words which makes her job perfect. Still living with her parents and approaching the age where she wants to get married, she’s fixed up on a date with Steve (Bradley Cooper), a cameraman for TV news channel. Mary is somewhat eccentric and manages to scare Steve off within the first ten minutes of meeting him but to rid her from his life, tells her it’s a shame she can’t come with him. Taking this literally, Mary decides to pursue (or even stalk) Steve to find out if his love is true.

Unfortunately this ‘comedy’ fails at the first hurdle and suffers from being thoroughly unfunny and cliched. The likes of Bullock should be aiming for higher calibre movies than this now that she has firmly stamped her authority on Hollywood. I don’t know if she wanted to return to her Miss Congeniality roots but this movie was a mistake. Cooper has done well to be cast in successful movies and, like Bullock, should have steered clear of this one.

There’s the odd moment which will make you chuckle to yourself but i dont think i actually laughed once and when you put the words comedy on your production notes, unfortunately that’s the aim people.

All About Steve is released on DVD 17th May and can be purchased here.

It was John Lasseter who refilled the inkwells and restocked the paint pots of Disney’s traditional hand drawn animation studios after their doors closed following the completion of 2004′s Home on the Range, and it was a bold move from a man who introduced the screening personally via a pre-recorded message. You’ll know the man and his works, and you should also know that he has an overwhelming passion for what he does: celebrating wonderful stories, beautifully told.

The Princess and the Frog is a film that combines the very best of Disney’s talented storytellers, and you can practically feel the love that was poured into each frame of this film. I’m not sure whether it was the physical act of animating by hand, and certainly I’m not going to place this above the CG classics of Pixar, but there is a timeless quality to this film in the fairy tale narrative and the magical invention that the writers and animators place throughout that makes this film truly special.

I’ve become tired of lazy animated features that rely on celebrity voice-overs and anachronistic pop culture twists to engage the audience. No-one can spin a yarn like Disney, and this film is redolent of old-style Disney, who are capable of creating a funny, boisterous and thrilling romance that calls back to early classics such as Lady and the Tramp as well as the more recent Aladdin.

The story is borrowed and adapted from E.D. Baker’s The Frog Princess and the scene is set in the glowing gloaming of New Orleans, and the town is alive with music and song. The central relationships are quickly built as we are introduced to Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) and Charlotte as children and their friendship straddles the poverty line with Charlotte’s wealthy ‘Big’ Daddy (John Goodman, perfect as usual) and Tiana’s humble family with big dreams. Charlotte wants to marry a Prince, Tiana wants to open a restaurant. It’s simple and as the years fly by in the opening credits we see that even as young adults Tiana and Charlotte haven’t changed all that much.

Enter Prince Naveen, a fiery, loquacious lothario who steps off the boat eager for an adventure and falls foul of a voodoo curse courtesy of Dr. Facilier and is transformed into a frog. Circumstance conspires and Tiana kisses the frog and, contrary to popular legend is herself transformed into a frog. So begins their quest to return to human form and, along the way, perhaps fall in love. This is a Disney film after all, and I won’t go into the details of what happens, suffice to say that even though you know where the film is going the fluidity and zest of the script results in a perfectly paced fantasy adventure; following the Disney formula has never been so much fun.

I loved the songs, the spirit of New Orleans captured perfectly and every sparkling tune manages to rise above the morally didactic standard. In particular the bayou sequences are charming and the characters they introduce (a jazz loving gator named Louis and a lovesick firefly named Ray) are instantly lovable companions to the amphibious couple of Tiana and her Prince. Overcoming obstacles and escaping dangers the merry gang bond and discover their heart’s desires with great dialogue and proper old school slapstick. This is like a greatest hits of Disney and it manages to be refreshing and familiar without being derivative – no mean feat, and a testament to Lasseter’s faith in his hand picked writers and directors John Musker and Ron Clements.

The perils are real and the shadowy voodoo monsters are genuinely scary, perhaps a little too much for younger children, but in my experience this is a good thing and kids love to be as scared as thrilled during the course of the film. Every actor does a great job, by sheer coincidence I watched Dreamgirls the night before I saw this film and Anika Noni Rose shines just as brightly here, able to convey a pitch perfect performance as Disney’s latest addition to their Princess stable. Bruno Campos as the Prince and Keith David as the sinister Shadow Man are excellent and embody the black and white of their respective characters with just the right hint of shades of grey.

The animation I’ve touched upon but I wanted to reiterate the magnificent work done by Disney’s animators. Watching Snow White gives a good indication of the care and expertise of Disney’s earliest feature animators and the standard of work has survived the decades in-between. The animation has a grace rarely seen on the big screen and in the era, when we are deluged by animated features, it is a rare thing to be sat amazed at the quality of work on screen.

Disney have created a film that is as impressive in its execution and inventiveness as it is in its charm. There are moments in this film, such as the chorus of fireflies and the final chase through the graveyard that will sweep you up, and while the film’s plot won’t surprise anyone it is the wonderful combination of craftsmanship and showmanship on the part of Disney that has created a stunning work, to be enjoyed time and again.

Disney’s The Princess and the Frog is out in the US on the 11th of December, UK readers will have to wait until the 5th of February to catch this gem.

The movie features voices of Anika Noni Rose, Terrence Howard, John Goodman, Keith David, Jim Cummings, Oprah Winfrey and Jenifer Lewis and is directed by Ron Clements and John Musker. If you’ve not seen the trailer, you can check it out here. It’s set for release 12th February which feels like a long time to wait but no doubt it’ll come around fast.

Source: Filmofilia

The movie stars Dakota Fanning as Coraline, Teri Hatcher, John Hodgman, Ian McShane, Keith David and is directed by Henry Selick who previously brought us A Nightmare Before Christmas. Once you see Coraline, that will make perfect sense.  I think that I had the misconception that this was a kids movie but now that I’ve seen it, it’s so much more than that and will definitely appeal both to adults and children. That said, it’s quite a freaky film with a few bits that made me, a now 29 year old man jump! It is however rated PG so I’m probably just a wimp!

Coraline tells the story of a young girl who has recently moved into an old house with her workaholic parents, dead set on finishing their book. Coraline is an only child and quickly becomes bored of sitting in this big old house with nothing to do. Tasked with counting windows by her father, desperate to get rid of her, she quickly starts causing mischief by exploring both the house and the grounds surrounding it. On her travels, she meets a scraggy old cat (voiced later by Keith David) and a quirky boy called Wybie (voiced by Robert Bailey Jr.), which is short for ‘Why Born’….. See how this is starting to get a bit odd?!

Anyway, Coraline falls asleep one night to be awoken by some mice running into the door which was previously bricked up. When she opens the door, a tunnel appears with mystic colour drawing her in. After crawling through the ‘Being John Malkovich’ style tunnel, she finds herself in an alternate world where everything that she dislikes in the ‘real world’ is reversed. Her parents have all the time in the world for her and life revolves around her rather than around a book. The only thing is that all the people in this alternate world have buttons for eyes. This scares Coraline at first but their love for her masks the buttons and she loves every second of it. When night falls in this alternate world, her ‘other mother’ will put her to bed and when she awakes, she finds herself back in the ‘real world’. To find out what happens next, you’ll have to buy the download through iTunes or the DVD / Blu Ray (either in 2D or 3D) as telling you more would spoil the movie.

Coraline is one of those films where I was blown away by the complexity of it from the second it began to the moment it ended. When I say complexity, I’m mainly talking about the animation. The physics behind how it all works together is astounding. There are parts in the movie where the animation itself becomes a character, where you see the wire-frame makeup of the story in the alternate world which stitches together to create what Coraline sees. The way in which this was envisaged by both the director and graphic artists is simply astounding and so cleverly put together.

Coraline was a movie that I could watch over and over again. The style of animation was different to anything I’ve seen before – with maybe the exception of A Nightmare Before Christmas. The story wasn’t 100% original as it’s that sort of a ‘Lion, Witch, Wardrobe’ style of ‘what’s behind the magic door’ but the creativity and lengths Selick has gone to, to make this his own is excellent .

The characters they’ve made were also brilliant with a few which you’re a bit worried might be a bit too adult for young children but actually, i think they’d just find it funny. Dakota Fanning does a good job as Coraline, ably supported by Hatcher and the rest of the cast,  but this movie is really all about the animation and my hat (if i was wearing one!) goes off to the animators and production team. It’s animation but not like you’ve seen before,

Coraline gets a massive 9/10 from me!

Coraline is available to buy the download through iTunes or the DVD / Blu Ray (either in 2D or 3D) NOW!

Images © 2009 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

It’s released in the UK 12th February 2010 so you can ignore the date on it! It’s directed by Ron Clements and John Musker and features the voices of Anika Noni Rose, Keith David, Jenifer Lewis, Ritchie Montgomery, Bruno Campos, Terrence Howard, Oprah Winfrey and John Goodman. Click the poster to enlarge.

The Princess and the Frog features voices from Anika Noni Rose, Terrence Howard, John Goodman, Keith David, Jim Cummings, Oprah Winfrey, Jenifer Lewis, is directed by Ron Clements, John Musker and is released 12th February.

Synopsis: Walt Disney Animation Studios presents the musical THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG, an animated comedy set in the great city of New Orleans. From the creators of “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin” comes a modern twist on a classic tale, featuring a beautiful girl named Tiana (ANIKA NONI ROSE), a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again, and a fateful kiss that leads them both on a hilarious adventure through the mystical bayous of Louisiana. THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG marks the return to hand-drawn animation from the revered team of John Musker and Ron Clements, with music by Oscar®-winning composer Randy Newman (“Monsters, Inc.,” “Cars,” “Toy Story”).