Disney Returns to Traditional Animation

The new film 'The Princess and the Frog' is the first traditionally drawn animation over the last six years.

Disney has been using computer animation like in 'Chicken Little", which made $135 million in the box office and a more recent film 'Bolt', $114 million.

Pixar cofounders John Lasseter and Ed Catmull have overseen Disney Animation since 2006, when Disney bought their company for $7.4 billion. They were the ones to decide to return to the hand-drawn techniques and to rehire filmmakers who use it.

"I've never understood why the studios were saying people don't want to see hand-drawn animation," Mr. Lasseter said at a fan convention earlier this year. "What people don't want to watch is a bad movie."

Lasseter's problem wasn't Disney's animation techniques, but fundamental elements like characters and plot.

They've got high hopes with this new classic fairy tale like story that's hand drawn about a princess and a frog. Disney has made some great movies, but latley some just don't have the "spark" like they use to. 'Tresure Planet' was an ok film that I wouldn't mind to rewatch every now and then, but in the box office it failed to get the high ratings. Also, the same happened to 'Brother Bear'; I never saw this movie.

I dont' know what this new movie by Disney is really about, but I've got some hope that maybe it may be that "spark" like the older disney cartoons had; have! One day, traditional animation may be a thing of the past, but until then...