The Frog Prince (2017)

The Frog Prince is a 2017 American 2D hand drawn-animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Based on the German fairy tale of the same name in the collection of folk tales published by the Brothers Grimm.

Featuring an ensemble of voice casting such as Ella Anderson, Tom Holland, Alison Sudol and many more.

The film tells the story about the young Princess Natalie and Prince Carl whom he got transformed from human to frog.

*Animated Adaptation*: The second time Disney made a full length animated fairytale with the concept of a human prince turned into a frog and having a princess in it, and being a hand-dawn animated film, no less. First time they did a film with that type of story, was with *The Princess and the Frog* back in 2009, eight years before this film. Unlike that film, the main heroine does not turn into a frog herself and stays a human princess.

*Animal Talk*: Once Carl is turned into a frog, he is able to understand and communicate with other animals, first noted in an encounter with some regular frogs and toads on the pond, whom they see Carl (in his frog form) as the new frog in the place. That “Animal Talk”-ability would also be there for Natalie, the more she spend time with Frog Prince Carl, and the other animals.

*Animated Musical*: Alongside the other hand-drawn animated films from the 2010’s, it’s another one of Disney films with songs.

*Anthropomorphic Zig-Zag*: As a frog, Carl constantly switch between frog-like and human-like movement / poses throughout the movie.

*Children Voicing Children*: Every kid character in the movie are voiced by kid actors & actresses. The main character, Natalie is voiced by then child actress Ella Anderson, who at the time before the film’s release, was 11 years old when she did voice work. Exactly the same age as her character in the movie.

*Curse Escape Clause*: Only a kiss from a *princess* will release Carl from the frog curse. In the movie, Carl goes through a difficult task to achieve his goal. None of Natalie’s sisters could be the ones to break his spell. Then later it’s revealed that Carl’s frog curse could be broken by the one princess who truly cared for him and even have shown most kindness to the Prince. Which is none other than the youngest child and princess in the family, Natalie herself.

*Mistaken for Romance*: When Natalie & Carl spend their quality time together in the forest, the animal critters, especially the talking regular frogs and toads, sees their moment as something romantic. Much to Natalie’s awkward reaction but in a cute and funny way.

Tropes regarding Natalie:

*Adaptational Heroism*: Princess Natalie is given a lot more heroic and noble moments than she did in the original tale. It’s the sign of being an “Adaptational Nice Girl” in the Disney version (see below).

*Adaptational Intelligence*: While the princess in the fairytale, wasn’t dumb by any means…she wasn’t that smart either. In here, Natalie is very smart for a princess and a girl her age. She even knows a lot about animals, (even amphibians) and their anatomies.

*Adaptational Nice Girl*: The princess from the original fairytale (and in some adaptations) was a rather spoiled and not really want anything to do with the Frog, (whom she is unaware that he’s actually a human prince transformed into a frog) and then threw the frog against the wall, almost killing him. In this Disney Adaptation, Natalie is a far more humble individual and a much more kinder princess, not just to her family and people, but also to many animals, including amphibians like frogs, toads and so on. She even saves the frog prince’s life (unaware that it is Prince Carl turned from human into a frog by a female magician/sorceress) from being hit by one of her slightly older sisters, whom initially sees the frog as disgusting and slimy. She even gets to spend time talking with her frogs and toads outside in the ponds, whom she sees them as her amphibian friends.

*Adaptational Sympathy*: Natalie is very kind to her family, and the animals in general. She even lets Carl (in his frog form) inside the castle and in her room for him to sleep.

*Dance of Romance*: Carl teaches Natalie how to dance after she teaches him how to think and use abilities like a frog.

*Dream Ballet*: Natalie dreams a pleasant and soothing dream about dancing with what is presumably Carl’s human form (exactly how he looks in reality, before being turned into a frog). The moment itself is very romantic and emotional. And then she wakes up.

*Friend to All Living Things*: Aside from the main villain, Princess Natalie does actually show real good kindness to her subjects (royal and peasants), her family and the animals she meets. She even saves Prince Carl’s (in his frog form) life when she had no obligation to do so.

*I Can't Dance*: Initially at first, but she learns pretty quickly, especially considering she gets dance lessons from Carl (even when he’s a frog learning the princess to dance). In her defense, she's *never* danced before.

*Long Hair Is Feminine*: Natalie’s long hair makes her beautiful and in a straight sense, girly in a royal and good way.

*Nice Girl*: One of the human characters to help Prince Carl with his goal to become human again, when he was a frog. There's also how she saved his life.

*Princess Protagonist*: Natalie is the princess heroine and the main character of the movie.

*Warrior Princess*: While Natalie is a princess who’s the youngest in her family and very friendly, she easily knows how to battle and defend herself with a sword and any weapon.

Tropes regarding Carl:

*Didn't Think This Through*: A rare positive variation. Prince Carl decides to live his life as a frog, and then accept Princess Natalie’s love and friendship. What he didn’t realize, however, that Natalie being the youngest child in her family and becoming his true love, makes her the right princess for him, and her kiss turns him back into a human.