Loyal readers will remember Mlawski’s post from a few months back about the brouhaha surrounding Disney’s upcoming Princess and the Frog. Well, there’s a teaser trailer now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJl0JJt69ro
So far I’m not seeing anything offensive to African Americans, although I guess the firefly character might end up being pretty DEEPLY offensive to Cajun people. Anyway, it’ll be fun to see how it pans out. Stay tuned for further developments.
I find the animation style more interesting than any of the political correctness issues. This is, after all, the first traditionally animated Disney movie since they claimed to have gotten out of the game following 2004’s Home on the Range. It seems to me like they’ve made a conscious effort to play up the kind of thing that 2D animation does better than CGI. I’m thinking particularly of the close-up shot of the frog where its lips distort into an enormous pucker. That would look weird as heck in CGI, am I right? (The Incredibles’ Elastigirl was very much a special effect). But in 2D animation, it blends right in.
i have been moaning the lack of 2D animation for ages now. exciting! wudve been nice to see a deviation from the fairytale plotline…but im not complaining. 2D making a comeback – yippie! theres way too much crap 3D animation..eg: the wild [sad, unfunny, madagascar ripoff, grr!]
Pavithra: Not that “Madagascar” was anything to get excited about…
See, given the way the film was criticized before, the pessimistic bitch in me thinks that no matter what, there is going to be “controversy” when it opens. I get the feeling that there isn’t anything Disney can do, now that the can is open- someone or some group will find a worm and harp on it. I just hope the general public doesn’t take the bait.
And yeah, the first place I’d look is that firefly. Holy crap.
Every time I hear Randy Newman now, all I can think of is “Red-headed lady, reaching for an apple, gonna take a bite…”
And it still cracks me up.
And firefly is making a strong bid to displace Leatherhead as “most offensive animated depiction of a Cajun.”
http://members.fortunecity.com/zobovor/leatherhead_kitbash_cartoon.jpg
If you haven’t seen it, “Persepolis” is a beautiful example of modern, hand-drawn, 2D animation.
When I think of Randy Newman, I think of the line from his song “Strange Things” in “Toy Story,” that goes as such:
“When from out of the sky like a bomb comes some little punk in a rocket.”
That line, it gets to me, you know? Deep, deep down. I feel his pain. His angst.
Randy Newman isn’t doing the music for this princess movie, is he? I’d kill myself.
Randy Newman is indeed doing music for The Princess and the Frog. That was actually part of the controversy, because the film is supposed to be “jazzy” and based on African American culture, and Randy Newman is neither of those things.
Also: “Left foot, right foot. Left foot, right foot.”
So everyone, who would you have hired instead of Randy Newman? Caveat: you have to pick someone that could at least notionally fit into the Disney sensibility. No fair saying “T-Pain feat. Ludacris” or “SLAYER! Wooo! [**throws devil horns**]”
I’m looking at the pencil on the desk and thinking about jamming it into my eye a-la-Joker.
How utterly depressing.
What about Hans Zimmer? He did the music for “The Lion King,” after all. He’s one of the best movie composers still working right now. (I’m listening to “The Dark Knight” as I type this, btw…)
i must hunt down persepolis…
i remembered a really good 2D movie yesterday: the brave little toaster! simply genius!
for something completely different! > danny elfman maybe. was most impressed after ‘wanted’ :D
Danny Elfman is another GREAT film composer. He actually composed the music from the first two “Batman” movies from the nineties (the soundtrack to “Batman Returns” is especially phenomenal). And he and Tim Burton conceptualized and wrote “The Nightmare Before Chistmas”- he even sang the role of Jack (another great soundtrack). His band Oingo Boingo was pretty out there and awesome in its own way. BUT, given how his music all has a certain, distinct style that is kind of creepy (in a good way, though), I don’t know if he’d be appropriate for this princess movie, given how it looks like it’s supposed to be light and cute. He does dark and cute.
Maybe they should just bring back Alan Menkin.
New trailer, jic you didn’t know:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6DmEgtibOg