Can Disney recapture the magic of its classic musicals?
As much as I love 3D animations from Pixar and other studios, they don't quite captivate me as well as Disney's more traditional 2D offerings.
As a youngster, naturally loving all things Disney, The Little Mermaid in 1989 first introduced me to the marvel of Disney's animated musical adventures. Following that came a selection of some of the finest 2D movies ever made, Beauty and the Beast in 1991, Aladdin in '92 and The Lion King in '94. It truly was treat after treat from Walt Disney Pictures.
Then in 1995, things turned three-dimensional with the release of Pixar's Toy Story, a movie that opened the flood gates for 3D animations. Pixar, now a wholly-owned subsidiary of Disney, continue to churn out 3D masterpieces and have another lined up for this year in the form of Wall-E, one of our 10 must see movies of the year.
With 2D having taken a back seat for over 10 years now, Disney is looking to reignite the genre that made it so successful. In 2009, it'll see the release of The Princess and the Frog, a 2D musical set in New Orleans.
Written and directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, the movie will feature a score from Randy Newman. It'll tell the tale of an African-American Princess, Princess Tiana, who lives in New Orleans' French Quarter during the Jazz Age and promises a soulful singing crocodile, voodoo spells, and all the Disney enchantment we once came to expect.
As a huge fan of Disney's classic animations, I'll be hoping that The Princess and the Frog, pictured above, lives up to my expectations and sparks a return to form for animated 2D musicals.
