-By Kevin Lally

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The Princess and the Frog evokes a golden era of Disney animation—no, not the age of Snow White, Bambi and Pinocchio, but the second golden era of ’90s Disney musical entertainments like Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King and Aladdin. It’s also the first truly ambitious hand-drawn Hollywood cartoon to emerge since Pixar, DreamWorks and Blue Sky’s computer-animated hits made 2D renderings look suddenly quaint and passé. Though it doesn’t quite rise to classic status, The Princess and the Frog does remind us that there was a lot of pleasure to be found in those pre-CGI musicals of not-so-ancient vintage.

In one regard, Disney’s new feature is a groundbreaker; as if timed with the Obama milestone, it’s the studio’s first movie centered on an African-American heroine, following similar firsts with Pocahontas and Mulan. Too bad that charming heroine spends so much of the running time in the guise of an amphibian.

Directed and co-written by the Little Mermaid and Aladdin team of John Musker and Ron Clements, the film begins with a brief prologue set in 1920 New Orleans depicting the happy if humble childhood of Tiana, the daughter of a seamstress mother and a father who longs to be a restaurateur. Years later, Tiana is a grown woman (voiced by Tony winner Anika Noni Rose) who works two waitressing jobs to finance the fulfillment of her now-dead father’s dream.

Tiana’s drive to succeed is contrasted with the arrival of Prince Naveen of Maldonia (Bruno Campos), a handsome playboy whose family has cut him off from his inheritance. The Prince has the misfortune to meet Dr. Facilier (Keith David), an evil voodoo master who transforms the royal visitor into a talking frog. Seeing Tiana in her Mardi Gras tiara, Naveen mistakes her for a princess and asks for the fabled kiss that will restore his humanity; instead, the smooch has the reverse effect on Tiana, leaving two desperate frogs to travel the bayou in search of a voodoo miracle.

That bayou adventure provides the opportunity to introduce a colorful group of supporting characters: Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley), a trumpet-playing alligator who would love to be in a jazz band; Ray (Jim Cummings), a wizened Cajun firefly obsessed with a distant star he calls Evangeline; and Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis), a blind voodoo priestess. Will the combined efforts of Tiana, Naveen, Louis and Ray defeat the evil spirits unleashed by Dr. Facilier? Does Disney make G-rated movies?

The Princess and the Frog takes full advantage of its New Orleans setting, with loving attention to that great city’s architectural wonders, and full servings of gumbo, beignets, jazz and Mardi Gras color. Some of the characterizations trade on broad stereotypes, but all the good folk here are warm and immensely likeable. Rose, who co-starred in the movie Dreamgirls, generates lots of empathy as Tiana, and deep-voiced David, heard earlier this year as the cat in Coraline, is perfect voice casting as the devious Facilier. Jennifer Cody is fun as Tiana’s spoiled, dizzy white childhood friend Charlotte, and Lewis’ Mama Odie brings down the house with the catchiest of Randy Newman’s songs, “Dig a Little Deeper.”

The Disney brand may be justly dominated of late by the consistently brilliant CG output of Pixar, but The Princess and the Frog reminds audiences that there’s life in 2D yet, especially when it’s allied with good storytelling and disarming craft. Old School Disney should find a welcome reception in theatres throughout the holiday season