Monday, October 5, 2009

First Five From Frog...

Kiss, kiss, smootch, smootch...


Walt Disney Pictures has released the first five minutes of "The Princess and the Frog" for all to see...

Take a look at the first of what lies ahead next for animated features from WDAS. And if you really like it, I'd suggest getting your tickets now. You might not want to wait to get them on opening weekend in December.

They could be pretty hard to find...

13 comments:

Bob and Rob Professional American Writers said...

THIS is a true Walt Disney animated film! There's no doubt about it. You're right, Honor...the lines should be around the block.

Tom said...

WHY would anyone want to see the first minutes of a movie on a computer screen? I really don't understand that. After 5 years of no hand drawn Disney animation, those first minutes are the most magical to me, I want to see those on the big screen on the 25th of November :)

Anonymous said...

That was very heart warming. i could watch this whole movie in workprint form, just like they did for Beauty and the Beast. This is going to be goooood.

simmy25 said...

I completely agree with Tom
after waiting years for this movie, why spoil the opening scene on a pc?
anyway, December 11th can't get here soon enough...the wait is killing me!

Unknown said...

It feels like it could use a little more spice - almost a bit too schmaltzy, but they're going very, very traditional with that opening and that's a low-risk approach. As to revealing the opener, I think the Disney brass is comfy showing the first five because it accomplishes quite a few things:
1) Shows the distinction in various character designs. Nobody looks recycled or familiar, with the exception of Big Daddy, who owes more than a little to Wendy Darling's father.
2) Showcases without apology the very real class distinction in the two families - as it really was. This is a subtle and gentle way for Disney to say "See? We're not sugar coating history, even in a fantasy film." It will earn them a lot of credit against naysayers who were tossing out racist accusations at something they'd not yet seen.
3) It paints Tiana as the very RARE Disney heroine (or hero) in that she has BOTH parents alive at the beginning of the movie. That's going to appeal to a lot of parents who have to keep explaining to their kids why Aladdin is an orphan, Lilo is an orphan, Cinderella is an orphan, etc.
4) The setting feels magical and timeless right from the start, so despite the story being set in America, immediately we're feeling transported into a far off place.
5) Lots of visual in-jokes for the smart observer and especially the Disney fan. Good to reassure the core audience that they've not lost their touch of whimsy there.
6) Right away you get Tiana's "thing" and where her dreams will lead her, and that her parents are her heroes. That's a very, very positive message to send out, and is going to leak out in the buzz for all the pro-family film groups. This could get them to embrace the film early on, despite their concerns about the voodoo content.
7) Including the pencil test footage reminds people of the craftsmanship that goes in. They almost certainly didn't have to do that - it was a calculated move. But it gets people thinking "wow...every frame of this film is drawn by hand." There's an integrity there that gleams for the viewer, gives it more sheen and value.

While it would be nice for audiences to be surprised, revealing the first five is better than revealing the first ten minutes, and it gets them a LOT of street credit for craftsmanship, content, theme and "values" in storytelling. It feels a little "soft" to me, but this is not an ALADDIN story, where you can start off with a familiar wink and a shocking poke in the nose. This is a return to hand-drawn fairy tales, and it has to slip onto everyone's tummies like a warm, comfy old blanket.

Doc said...

I may be wrong here, but I suspect that this preview was ripped from the new Snow White BluRay released today. I don't have my copy yet, but there is a 7:45 sneak peek in HD as a bonus feature.

The Magical Music Man said...

When its says first 5 minutes, I guess they aren't necessarily the exact first 5 minutes??
I.e. this is probably the first scene. May there be a song opening ala Arabian Nights or Circle of Life which does does a montage of iconic scenary.

Anonymous said...

It was pulled, no longer at the youtube link.

Anonymous said...

took them a while to pull it

Anonymous said...

It's on the Snow White blu ray.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the new link, Honor!

Henry said...

Already have my tickets! This makes me all the more excited!

disney said...

thank you so much for the link, couldn't find it anywhere.