What if… Jafar teams up with Dr. Facilier the new Disney villian from the Princess and the Frog that I intend to see in the next two weeks atleast once.

The Princess and Frog Ross Blocher (Assistant Technical Director) and T. Daniel Hofstedt (character animator) did hilarious parody on Prince Naveen set on Alan Menken’s Prince Ali from the one and only Aladdin. Probably not mend for ears outside the production team though.

Fact is that T. Daniel Hofstedt worked on Aladdin as animator for Gazeem and Prince Achmed. He continued his Disney career by animating on most feature films up till Home on the Range.

Tory described on here LiveJournal blog how lucky she was to be few who got to the exclusive showing of Princess and the Frog on the Disney lot in LA on Thanksgiving. From the reviews I’ve read it looks like Disney finally refound some of their magic back, Princess and the Frog is prasied to stand firm besides the 90′s films. The tomatometer on Rottentomatos rates it 88% with an average rating of 7.1/10.

Anyway after the movie there was an even more exclusive tour throught an exibit full of items uses to make Disney movies from Glen Close’s red dress in 101 Dalmations to Gissele blue dress from Enchanted that and lots of artwork from the animated films. Including, and here comes it, 3 concept art pieces. She als had a meet n’ greet with Jasmine talking about Aladdin giving Rajah a bath all by himself. Sounds like a fun conversation!

I found a couple of photos from Disney on Ice Celebrations, the latest Disney On Ice show featuring the Princesses including Tiana. Lucky for us they kept a spot open for Jasmine, the last ‘real’ princess. I myself am planning to see Al and Jassy on ice in February 2010 when I see them in action in Princess Wishes.

Some of the key guys behind Disney’s return to 2D feature film Princess and the Frog talk about the traditional way of making cartoons, with pencil and paper. Among the interviewees are Ron Clements and John Musker Princess’s directors and animation living legend Andreas Deja (supervising animator of Jafar)

It’s been a while since I wrote about The Princess and the Frog because there wasn’t much relevant to say that changed yesterday when new clips appeared on YouTube. Taken from an interview with the big chief John Lasseter.

The intro showed a little snippet of A Whole New World being also directed by John Musker and Ron Clements. From Princess and the Frog it showed little Tiana, the villain Facilier (notice how his shadows pushes the chair), the alligator and firefly sidekicks and Tiana with Prince Naveen in frog form. The footage shown reminds me of the slapstick and cartoony animation of Aladdin and Hercules.

In the Ultimate Disney forum, where the footage was posted, there’s a discussion that “the animation of Tiana is too squash and stretch-y” And not a Disney Princess worthy since neither of the older girls showed such comic. Others compare her with Jasmine’s cartoony animation even providing a collage of both girls.
Personally I always found Jasmine’s expressions not cartoony at all. Perhaps not realistic like Belle to name another Mark Henn girl but in the line that Aladdin had Genie, Jafar and Iago for the cartoony animation I felt it was good to keep the hero and heroine realistic.
Well just read what sotiris2006 wrote that’s what I’m trying to say here. -:)
The Princess and Frog is in a theater near you December 2009 and near me February 2010.

The upcomming Ron Clements and John Musker traditional animation film “The Princess and the Frog” got a teaser site complete with teaser trailer. See and be amazed, her animation is more Mulan, Nani style a bit cartoonish but it’s classic hand drawn animation so who am I to complain. After she is animated by the one and only Mark Henn, the first princess he does the supervising animation for since Jasmine, I think.

The Princess and the Frog opens in one and a half years on December 25 2009.