The Princess and the Frog adds more fuel to the fire that Disney is set to embark on another Golden Age of Animation. After last year’s Bolt proved that - for every horrendous straight-to-DVD sequel that Disney has churned out - they still have something unique to offer, they have jumped in with both feet, this time regressing the medium back to the classically-animated, 2D style that Disney is still best known for, and what a trip it is.

The film takes place during early 20^th-century New Orleans, with the beautiful Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) working herself to the bone so she can afford to open her own restaurant and make a better life. After finding a talking frog at her side one night (who is actually Prince Naveen, an extravagant young man who has been turned into a frog by the evil Dr. Facilier [Keith David]), she is convinced to kiss him, causing her to ironically turn into a frog herself. Together, they must find a way, with the help of trumpet-playing alligator Louis and amorous firefly Ray, to break the curse and take down the evil voodoo priest.

Everything great about classic Disney has been packed in here. The confidently funky song-and-dance numbers, juxtaposing catchy jazz licks with gorgeous sweeping shots of New Orleans, aptly infuse the film with a legitimately black identity, and while the film at times runs the risk of dabbling in stereotypes – such as Tiana’s chef at work speaking in hyperactive Ebonics – this is mitigated by Tiana’s firm characterisation as a sympathetic and totally relatable character regardless of your race.

While its aesthetic is delightfully old-fashioned, this is a thematically postmodern film, poking fun at the homogenised, ethnically insular nature of the Disney films of old, this time boasting an almost entirely-black cast of characters. Furthermore, while the film retains a lot of the classical Disney tropes, they are often spun for irony’s sake, playing with your expectations. The film’s narrative is in fact referential to the classic concept of a Princess kissing a frog and turning him into a Prince, using this widely-known plot element to frame a narrative that is decidedly more grounded and down-to-Earth.

Indeed, Tiana is told from an early age by her father that fantastical magic wishes can only take you so far, and a recurring motif throughout the film appears to be that nothing worth getting can be attained without hard work (rather than Prince Charming sweeping the Princess off of her feet). Not only is Tiana’s spoiled childhood friend, Charlotte, made out to be a buffoon compared to the focused and conscientious Tiana, but the means through which Prince Naveen is turned into a frog is through his own delusion that he can get something for nothing from the Devil’s minion Dr. Facilier. In this world, magic is only seen to benefit those who are first willing to help themselves, and it’s certainly a great message for kids.

The film’s maturity and wit extends to less-heady concerns, also; there are plenty of postmodern touches, like Tiana being able to communicate with her dog as soon as she becomes a frog, the archetypical Prince Charming being broke and “cut off” by his parents, and Tiana even misunderstanding the message of one of the character’s sing-songs. It’s very funny if you’re at all aware of the tropes of the medium, and it ensures that Disney is not resting on their laurels with this return to 2D. In fact, the film has only one noticeable scene of filler, where the gang is intercepted by a rabble of inept hunters.

The characterisation is also strong throughout; Keith David’s Dr. Facilier benefits from David’s soothing voice, tailor-made for villainy, and he even nails the singing parts too, while Jennifer Cody’s Charlotte gets quite annoying after a while, but that’s sort of the point. Michael-Leon Wooley is a riot as Louis, as is Jim Cummings as Ray, courting some of the film’s more amusing and affecting moments.

If you’ve had your fill of the exuberant offerings from Pixar (even though Up is sure to snag the Best Animated Oscar), and have a hankering for painterly, musically-infused visuals, then The Princess and the Frog is just the ticket. With classically catchy tunes, a daring spin on Disney’s pro-forma, and the requisite scene of drug-like surrealism, this is truly a Disney film for our times. Even if it returns to the conventions of the genre by its end, it’s still a delightfully revisionist romp.