The Princess and the Frog

I like to go through a little bit of post-Oscars decompression wherein I watch movies that are closer to the fun side of the spectrum. Thankfully, there a few new popcorn flicks out on DVD and ripe for rental, and though there's one nominee in the mix, it's still an easy one to watch.

Did You Hear About the Morgans?

Hugh Grant and Sarah Jessica Parker star in romantic comedy Did You Hear About the Morgans? as a married but separated couple who witness a murder and have to go into the witness protection program. The NYC residents and staunch city slicker stereotypes are shipped off to Montana, to their extreme discomfort, where they of course reconnect. It's an entirely predictable plot, but it makes a decent rental if you're a rom-com lover.

The DVD extras include a blooper reel, deleted scenes, and commentary track with the director and Parker and Grant.

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The Princess and the Frog

Disney's latest animated film, The Princess and the Frog may not have won the Oscar, but the tale, of a princess who falls for a frog (really a dashing prince) is a sweet one. It may be intended for a younger audience, but Disney's movies rarely disappoint — especially since the '20s-set flick is a jazzy musical, with not one but two tunes that were up for best original song this year.

Extras on the DVD include deleted scenes, a music video by Ne-Yo, a "Princess Portraits" game, and featurettes such as one about the movie's return to hand-drawn animation.

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Check out one more new release when you read more

Kick it up a notch! Though Emeril may be the most famous chef to come out of New Orleans's French Quarter, budding cooks who visited a movie theater this holiday season may be more familiar with another name. Princess Tiana, the heroine of Disney's hit The Princess and the Frog, had aspirations for a restaurant of her own in the Big Easy and used delectable recipes that made the viewers salivate.

Moms and dads hoping to introduce their lil ones to some new cuisine may want to check out The Princess and the Frog: Tiana's Cookbook: Recipes For Kids ($8). Loaded with traditional Cajun recipes, such as muffaletta, beignets, jambalaya, and red beans and rice, the book's large food photos and character drawings are sure to inspire lil chefs to branch out and try something new. The text's five-frog rating system is also helpful in judging which recipes need the most adult-supervision (such as the beignets that need to be fried in hot oil).

Avatar ran away with this weekend's box office, bringing in $73 million in theaters. It's a large number, but not quite as big as anticipated — a letdown that many are blaming on the East Coast blizzard, which caused a significant drop in sales figures from Friday to Saturday. Still, the film brought in $232.2 million worldwide, which means that James Cameron is well on his way to making back that $500 million price tag for the film.

Following far behind at No. 2 was last week's champ, The Princess and the Frog, with $12.2 million. Third place finisher The Blind Side continued to hold strong in its fifth week in theaters with $10 million, while Did You Hear About the Morgans? debuted with a disappointing $7 million. Rounding out the top five was The Twilight Saga: New Moon with $4.3 million.

Disney's princesses can still bring it: In its opening weekend, The Princess and the Frog topped the box office with $25 million. The animated film knocked out last week's champ, the underdog drama The Blind Side, which came in second and drew in $15.4 million.

Matt Damon's Invictus debuted in the third spot with $9 million, while New Moon dropped to the fourth spot with $8 million. Rounding out the top five is seasonal flick A Christmas Carol, with $6.8 million.

Princess lovers unite! There's a new girl on campus and her name rhymes with tiara... she's princess Tiana! Disney's latest release, The Princess and the Frog, takes it back to the old school ways with hand-drawn animation. The film includes all aspects of a classic fairy tale and the musical background to accompany it. A groundbreaking movie, it is the first Disney production to present an African-American princess. Voiced by Anika Noni Rose from Dreamgirls, princess Tiana has visions of opening a restaurant in her home town of New Orleans. As one might suspect from the title, a frog enters the picture. Set in the bayous of Louisiana, the purple, green and gold background blends perfectly with the Mardi Gras feeling and the jazz flavored tunes. A soulful alligator named Louie and a firefly named Ray bring laughter to the screen while adding to the southern mix. An instant classic, parents should set aside a date over the holidays to take their wee ones to see The Princess and the Frog. It opens today, Dec. 11!

To give us a wee perspective, we sat down with one of our favorite lil movie reviewers, Miya, to get her take on the film, read more

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences issued a press release today, announcing that 20 films have been submitted for Best Animated Film consideration at this year's Oscars. This means there could be five movies competing at the awards show in March. (In the history of the category, there have typically been only three.) So who is up for the honor?

Some are obvious choices. Up, for example, comes as no surprise thanks to its huge accolades. I also think Coraline stands a chance, as well as Fantastic Mr. Fox (look for my review on Friday!). But Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel seems like a long shot — even though it hasn't hit theaters yet, so I'm just making an early prediction. (Sorry, Alvin.)

With 10 movies in the Best Picture category, I wouldn't be surprised if some of these films end up with more than one nomination. Check out the full list of animated film contenders, and tell me which you think is most deserving of an Oscar when you read more

It was cool to get a glimpse of The Princess and the Frog back in May, but half of that video was simply about how great Disney is in general. Now there's a full-length trailer for the animated movie and it looks like Disney really is returning to the kinds of hand-drawn musical movies I so cherished when I was a kid. We have yet another Disney princess, Princess Tiana, but the similarities between this story and any of the others before it stop there. Set in New Orleans' French Quarter during the Jazz Age, the story is a spin on the old princess and the frog fairy tale.

The clean, vibrant animation and showstopping tunes make me feel a little nostalgic for my own childhood. So cute! The Princess and the Frog opens Dec. 11, and to check out the new trailer, read more