I loved the characterization of Tiana and Ray specifically, though Tiana did get a bit repetitive after a while. Lotti was surprisingly likable even as she teetered near villain status. Voice, visual, fit with the era, etc, all pretty cool.
Everything else wasn't all that fantastic, but enjoyable. Visually, very nice, though quite a bit felt too derivative to me. I guess at this point they can't do much without it feeling like an echo of something else. I did love the feel of the era and the stylized parts were awesome. The shadow stuff was fun, scary without being too scary for kids.
SPOILERS AHEAD, it's an old movie and I'm too lazy for tags.
Some parts were downright muddy, swamp or not. Why does the prince not propose? Because she cares about her restaurant? Didn't he already say he wanted to make her dream come true? I didn't get that scene at all.
I have no idea what Tiana or anyone else would see in the prince. There wasn't nearly enough actual wooing. Half a dance, one sideways look, that's it? The mincing scene made him look pitiable, not lovable. Of course he was gorgeous in human form...
Why didn't Lotti just get her dad to bankroll Tiana's restaurant venture in the first place? She wouldn't even have to tell him what the cash was for. Hell, she could have at least given Tiana a better job. Huge plot hole. The more I think about it, it's almost as if the movie is pandering to all the spoiled rich kids that feed the studio cash by making a brat into a lovable good guy for very little reason. Again, I dug her character design and the voice was fantastic, but this is an especially tough sell, especially in light of my last gripe...
They completely ignored the original
Brothers Grimm story. I would have been satisfied if the storybook within the movie were the actual story, but it wasn't, at all. In The Frog Prince she doesn't even have to kiss the frog, and while no one remembers that (including me, to be honest), there's the actual STORY to it, having to do with a spoiled brat learning to honor her promises.
Anyway, the more I pick at it the more I dislike it, though there really was some good stuff in there, like the voodoo swamp queen and Evangeline and the songs were fine if not very memorable (except for Almost There, I did think that was genuinely great).