Tiana considers whether to kiss Prince Naveen in The Princess and the Frog. (Disney Pictures, 2009)

Over the years, I’ve heard many naysayers declare that fairy tales – such as those made popular in Disney films – are poor role models for young girls. They say that impressionable girls expect to have their problems solved for them by Prince Charming, and such girls are often disappointed. But in the new Disney film, it turns out that it’s the prince who needs to be rescued.

In The Princess and the Frog, audiences meet Tiana, a woman who believes in hard work and making her own dreams come true. Not only is she the first African-American princess, she’s the first fairy tale princess who lives in a real city in a real time.

Set in 1920s New Orleans, the story follows Tiana (voiced by Tony Award winner Anika Noni Rose), a young woman who has learned the value of hard work from her father. When her dreams of opening her own restaurant turn sour, she wishes on the evening star for a little help and gets a frog in return.

The frog is a visiting prince named Naveen (Bruno Campos) who has been tricked by the local voodoo “shadow man,” Dr. Facilier (Keith David). His transformation has given Dr. Facilier the opportunity to replace the prince with a fake in an attempt to gain Naveen’s fortune.

A misguided kiss to restore Naveen transforms Tiana into a frog as well. Soon, the two frogs are lost in the Louisiana bayou, searching for a way to become human once again. Along the way they make new friends, including a trumpet-playing alligator named Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley) and a Cajun firefly named Ray (Jim Cummings).

Some of the encounters along the way (like the frog hunters) seem thrown in for laughs rather than story. Others moments seem rushed, as if the story was edited down too much. I would love to have spent more time with the evil Dr. Facilier or the enchanting Mama Odie (Jenifer Lewis). Each of these characters deserved more time on screen.

The Princess and the Frog looks and feels like a classic Disney animated feature. Why? Because it’s hand-drawn. That’s right, no computers. Hand-drawn animation helps makes this film a work of art.

Though I am often moved by the films of Disney’s Pixar team, there is a quality to hand-drawn animation that sets it apart. It may not be three-dimensional or as realistic as other animated features claim to be. But art isn’t always about realism. Sometimes it’s about adopting a certain style.

Case in point is Tiana’s dream sequence, “Almost There.” As she sings to her mother, Eudora (Oprah Winfrey), about her vision for the restaurant her father always wanted, the artwork in the film changes to reflect the art deco style of the picture she carries with her. While the art in this particular sequence didn’t appeal to me, I appreciated what the artists were doing. They used a different style of art to communicate story setting and give a nod to the art of the time.

The music, too, is another return to a traditional Disney animated feature. Having tolerated a drought of music-driven stories from Disney, I was relieved to discover that The Princess and the Frog would be a musical. To the filmmakers’ credit, they entrusted the jazz-influenced songs and score to none other than Academy Award winner Randy Newman.

Even after a single viewing, I found myself humming numbers like “Almost There,” “Friends on the Other Side,” and “Dig a Little Deeper.” These songs are on par with some of the best Disney has offered. I imagine that after repeated listening, the soundtrack will become one of my favorites.

So, how does it stack up as a Disney princess film? As a guy, it’s difficult for me to compare The Princess and the Frog to the others princesses. With the exception of Beauty and the Beast – which is at the top of my list for all Disney animation – the princess movies rarely resonate with me on an emotional level. They are beautiful, yes. And each is a work of art in its own romantic way. But I prefer the comedy of the Jungle Book or the adventure of Aladdin.

Even so, I do recognize the love and respect that went into this film. It has a good message about working hard to make your dreams come true. But, as my wife pointed out, The Princess and the Frog doesn’t deliver that heart-swelling ending when it becomes clear that true love does conquer all.

Even though the message of the film may be more practical than passionate, I believe The Princess and the Frog is wonderfully romantic film. And Tiana has earned her place alongside the other classic Disney princesses.

The Princess and the Frog is a well-written and moving tale about making dreams come true. But it falls just short of being an “instant classic.”

Presented by Walt Disney Pictures, The Princess and the Frog is the 49th animated feature film from Disney, a tradition established nearly 75 years ago with the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. The film is rated G by the MPAA.