Disney creates a new princess to be proud of.

Forget about THE TWILIGHT SAGA: NEW MOON release this Saturday, you’re not going to see that mope fest on my list. Two weeks ago was a great week for family titles and so is this one. And there is a few titles I missed that I’d love you hear your thoughts on.
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Buy It Now!

Read my original THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG review.

As they did with their other recent animated release PONYO, Disney understands that animation is the cornerstone of their company and gives due respect to its release on Blu-ray. Disney Feature Animation’s return to hand-drawn animation is an explosion of color in 1080p. From the dark night scenes in the bayou to the brightly colored Mardi Gras scenes, the painterly frames don’t loose any of their luster. I didn’t even see color banding in the deep reds. The presentation makes one very aware that there is real artwork dancing across the screen. The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio matches the picture quality. Randy Newman’s music presentation is amazing, coming across the full range of speakers. The full soundscape is this way. The swamps come alive in the room with insects and creatures. Sounds whirl around the speakers from front to back, especially in scenes when voodoo magic comes alive. The rich picture and sound makes for an immersive home viewing experience.

For fans of the film, the presentation is supplemented wonderfully by the special features. Directors/co-writers John Musker and Ron Clements, and producer Peter Del Vecho participate in a nice audio commentary, giving behind-the-scenes details about the film’s development, as well as capturing the collaborative nature of animation by pointing out individual contributions of the artists that worked on the film. The disc also offers a Picture-in-Picture track where the film plays with a combination of pencil tests, storyboards, key animations and temp animation.
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