A spectacular throwback to past glories, The Princess and the Frog more than lives up to the high standards of this year’s animation releases.

As has been constantly reminded from the Disney camp, Princess... marks their return to hand drawn, 2D animation .That in itself is not such a big feat, when considering that Hayao Miyazaki has kept the 2D animation flag up high with years of fine work, in the process proving that 2D is not a lesser form of cartoon.

Yet take 2D animation and mix it with musical numbers, and that right there is a modern rarity, which used to be Disney’s bread and butter, but fell on the wayside after several bombs and the emergence of Pixar.

Now, in a bid of inspired nostalgia, Disney has decided to wipe the cobwebs away from the drawing board, and have another go at the animated-musical sub genre, tapping writer/directors Ron Clements and John Musker (of Aladdin and The Little Mermaid fame), with the results nothing short of dazzling.

Based in the bountiful city of New Orleans, Princess.... tells the tale of Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), a waitress working two jobs in order to save enough money to fulfil her aspiration of opening a restaurant. When her dream is given the kaibosh, Tania wishes upon a star...and is visited by a talking frog (Bruno Campos), once a dashing prince who was transformed into an amphibian by the villainous voodoo practitioner, Dr. Facilier (Keith David).

Following the rule of thumb, Tania gives the slimy prince a kiss, but instead of transforming him back into human form, Tiana becomes a frog herself.

From the inspired riff on the frog/prince story to its stellar animation (especially when our amphibian heroes delve into the swamps of the bayou), there is quality in every crevice of this film, starting with a superb cast who give voice to these memorable characters.

Rose, a Broadway winning actress and lesser known member of 2006’s Dreamgirls, provides intelligence, warmth, and soaring vocals to the first African American princess in Disney’s history, carrying Randy Newman’s jazz inspired (and surely Oscar nominated) compositions.

The always entertaining Keith David surprises with his ability to carry a tune, and a scene stealing Jennifer Cody provides many comedic moments as spoilt southern rich girl, Charlotte.

Writing wise, it is refreshing to watch an animated film that does not rely on pop culture satire to score laughs.

The films tone is also appealing: in a time where animation has shifted its appeal to adults rather than children, Princess... wins one back for the kids.

It radiates innocence while also possessing a maturity that will not freak out parents and their children, save for some supernatural elements.

But most importantly, in Tiana there is a role model for all children, especially young girls, to look up to: a hard working entrepreneur willing to learn from her mistakes and become a better person because of it.