The writing/directing team of John Musker and Ron Clements, who directed Disney's animated treasures THE LITTLE MERMAID and ALADDIN, reunited with some of the studio's best animators of the past two decades to create THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG.

In 2006, the new head of Disney Animation, John Lasseter, urged a return of traditional hand-drawn animated films, and the ensuing three-year labor of love was this thoroughly American fairy tale set in 1920s New Orleans. Filled with the jazzy sounds, gumbo-flavored ambiance and bayou magic of Louisiana, Musker and Clements once again weave their storytelling spell in this toe-tapping, audience pleasing tale.

Yet this is no ordinary translation of the Frog Prince story!  Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) grows up with a family dream to own her own restaurant but her life is literally transformed when a visiting prince falls under the hex of a voodoo conjurer (Keith David) and changes into a frog.  When Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos) asks Tiana to kiss him and break the spell, she too becomes a frog and together the pair must seek out their own magical way to realize their true form and their true dreams.

The 2D animation successfully captures the color and romance of the historic city and the wild mysteries found deep in the Louisiana bayou. There Tiana also meets some of the film's most hilarious characters including Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley), a trumpet-tooting alligator longing to belong in the Big Easy jazz scene, and a starstruck Cajun firefly Ray, delightfully voiced by Jim Cummings. A score filled with touching, light-hearted songs by Randy Newman complete the Disney spell, cooking up a family-fun recipe of musical treats to join the best of the studio's songbook.

THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG's superb animation looks fantastic in the Blu-ray edition, preserving the film's original 1.78:1 widescreen format which fills your HDTV screen with rich colors and hand-drawn details that can only be appreciated in 1080p high-definition.  The atmospheric sound design and delightful tunes are just as impressive in the English 5.1 DTS HD Master Audio soundtrack.  French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital tracks are also offered, along with English SDH, English 2.o DVS, French and Spanish subtitles.

Disney's latest 2D animated film takes full advantage of modern high-def technologies in this crisp, vivid transfer, and thankfully the studio produced the full compliment of Blu-ray Bonus Features in 1080p high-definition.  This truly allows these extra materials to shine in all their glory and enhance your viewing pleasure of the film:

• Feature-Length Commentary by co-directors Musker and Clements and producer Peter Del Vecho add layers of enjoyment and history to the film
• The Making of a Princess Musker and Clements give you their personal tour behind the scenes creating this film from initial concept to production
• The Return to Hand-Drawn Animation celebrates the gathering of Disney's best animators from the last 30 years who restored Disney's art form
• Disney's Newest Princess inducts Tiana, Disney's first African American princess, into royal court including Snow White, Cinderella, Ariel and Belle
• Conjuring The Villain shows how animators teamed with voice actor Keith David to manifest the shadowy spellcaster, Dr. Facilier
• The Princess and the Animator spotlights artist Mark Henn who has drawn some of Disney's most loved princesses including Ariel, Belle and Jasmine
• Bringing Life to Animation shows how live-action reference footage of actors inspired animators to draw their characters with such dynamic style
• A Return to the Animated Musical illustrates how the filmmakers yearned to capture the musical magic once again in their American fairy tale
• The Disney Legacy celebrates the studio's wealth of pioneering animators, Walt's Nine Old Men, and how they directly influenced these animators
• Deleted Scenes give you a rare glimpse into four sequences cut from the film before animation, now restored in storyboard animatics with voices
• Music & More offers the music video by recording artist Ne-Yo performing his original end credits song "Never Knew I Needed"
• Art Galleries show off character development for the film's memorable personalities, and the artistry of Layouts & Backgrounds plus Storyboard art
• What Do You See: Princess Portraits engages younger viewers in a stargazing gallery of favorite Disney princesses from classic animated films

This Blu-ray Combo Pack edition also offers THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG in standard definition on DVD, including Deleted Scenes, Audio Commentary, the Princess Portraits game and Ne-Yo's music video.  As Disney has made standard, this three-disc set includes a Digital Copy of the film ready to play on your computer and portable devices for added value.

While FilmEdge enjoys today's cutting edge, eye-popping 3D computer animated wonders produced by Disney/Pixar — with TOY STORY 3 on tap this summer — we're delighted that Lasseter, Clements, Musker and their army of hand-drawing artists are keeping the classic 2D style animation alive as it so richly deserves. Walt Disney's innovative legacy, dating back to 1938 and the first popular animated feature film SNOW WHITE, must and should be celebrated, extended and most importantly taught to the next generation of animators.  THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG is a prime example of this increasingly rare art form, plus it's a massively, magically entertaining film for the entire family.  This 3-disc Blu-ray Combo Pack presents this American fairy tale of the south and song in multiple formats for maximum enjoyment and value, and it will make a favorite addition to home movie collections.  Wishing upon a star will never go out of style.