Ever since the Little Mermaid, Ive noticed the trend of the princess having their own agenda. In Beauty and the Beast, Belle loved to read. Here, Tiana wants to start a business. Fantastic. Awesome. But that is a life changing dream, one that involves sacrifice, not a simple character trait. Its a part of her that has driven her throughout her entire life. Upward mobility, a huge undertaking in much of the black community, despite how content you are in your upbringing. Near the end she seems to just abandon this life long aspiration in order to fall in the Prince's arms (I will get to him later), well, not arms, but frog limbs. That is so out of character, and a big cheat.

The Prince who, in my opinion, was the largest character in the film, and the worst part of this movie. A smooth talking, gigolo musician with no money, and no skills, who wanted to originally marry Tiana's best friend because she was rich? Perfect. The psychological impact of him being the Prince for the first black Disney princess was astounding. Truly, that was the best she could get? Not even a self made man of color (I do take issue with his character design in that he seemed like a standard cookie cutter Disney prince except with a tan) but a down and out scheming piece of royalty trying to marry into a lifestyle he can no longer afford? Come on!

Hes was not a good person! Besides his selfishness and cockiness, there is a song where he sings roughly, "When Im human again Ill have a red head on the left, a brunette on the right and a few blondes in the back."

When he is proposing to Tiana when they are both in frog form, he lets slip, "Ive had thousands of girlfriends!" I was laughing walking home thinking how incredibly ridiculous this guy was, and sad because it would have been so simple for the writers to revise his character.

In my opinion the best prince that Disney has done in their contemporary 2D run has been Eric from the Little Mermaid. Not only was he this olive skinned raven haired hunk, but he had this optimism about him. He wanted something amazing to happen in his life. He wasnt sure what, but he knew it would change him for the better. He didnt get much screen time, but what he said and what he did made him a very dynamic character.

Why could Naveen not have had some of these traits that we could have seen early on? Keeping with the plot devices that are already in the film, why didnt they make him a young prince out in the world trying to find himself? Hes out of money (not opposed to getting a job) his family cut him off and wants him to come home, but he's out there looking for something great in his life, and that happens to be Tiana.

This second wave of Disney animation has flushed out these princes, made them actual people and not simply a means to an end like in Snow White and Cinderella. I mean those guys barely had names! I know it will always be about the heroine in these stories, but these Princes have to be a bit more deserving.