Der Froschkönig

In the Kingdom of Tartonia, Zora (Aileen Quinn) lives a carefree life except for her older mean-spirited sister Henrietta (Helen Hunt). The King (Clive Revill) receives a letter from Baron Von Whobble that he's coming to declare one of his two nieces Zora and Henrietta is going to be a true princess. After being ridiculed, Zora wishes for someone to talk to. The Frog Prince answers her wish.

Aileen Quinn has a great big voice for a little girl as she already shown in Annie. Her singing is the best thing about this musical. There isn't much else in this movie. The production value is pretty low. The sets are fairly fake. The dialog is pretty stiff. It feels more like a stage play. The direction, the staging, and the editing could definitely use a lot of help. The singing from the rest of the cast is reasonable but nothing great. The story is pretty thin. There is nothing here other than to see a slightly older Aileen Quinn singing her heart out and Helen Hunt playing the mean girl.

I have so much love for this film, even now in my mid-30s. There is such a sweet and innocence to the film and I still laugh at all the same scenes. This could be the nostalgia that is blinding me, but I'm okay with that. Great film for children and young-at-heart. The music is another reason to love this film, it's so easy to get the songs stuck in your head. Aileen is perfect as Zora and Helen Hunt plays an amazing mean sister. It's a great movie to put on and just tune everything else out. Beautiful!

If you happen to do a review of this film, Hi Jaime French! Your videos are amazing! Love you.

This is a film I was introduced to by a friend who gave it to me as a Christmas present back in 1988. I have worn out three copies of the film since then sharing it with friends and family. This is one of the films I watch when I am feeling blue. And in spite of its flaws (weak dialog at times and almost saccharine lyrics) it is charming and warms the heart. For me the highlight of the film is John Paragon (probably best known as Jambi the Genie) in the role of the title character. His physicality brings the Frog Prince to life. His mixture of high energy, melancholy and sense of humor showcases this under-rated performer's talent. Aileen Quinn's performance as one of the princesses, is another example of her ability to shine in front of the camera. Every time she cries, I cry. And Helen Hunt as the mean sister is classic. You really want to hate her, but at the same time are feeling sorry that she doesn't understand what it means to "be a princess". Over all a very enjoyable film for children and adults alike.

This movie is one of quite a few that were made into what are referred to as the Canon Movie Tales. They are all low budget and filmed primarily in Isreal, so I understand. If you want an idea of what to expect, it appears that someone took some of the little children's musicals that community theaters do and got some actors that people would want to see and then, with a very small budget, produced the best film they could. They are cute, sweet, and great for kids to watch. They are the precious little things that have a moral in the end. If you are an Aileen Quinn fan, this is the only movie other than Annie that she did, and it is adorable. She sings much better in this movie and her coloring (ie hair and makeup) are much more natural. This movie is very hard to find, but it is worth the effort of searching for if this is the kind of movie that you like. Also stars a very young (not to mention completely evil) Helen Hunt.

One problem faced by movie makers when adapting fairy tales to the screen is often the lack of material necessary to make a feature length film. "The Frog Prince" is an excellent example. The original Grimm story really doesn't contain enough plot to sustain a feature, so, here it has been rewritten as a modern morality play. A King is unsure which of his nieces is really a "true" princess. Finally the time arrives to choose one; the sweet, but immature Zora (Aileen Quinn) or the older, selfish Henrietta (Helen Hunt). Yes, Zora loses her golden ball, which is retrieved by a friendly frog (John Paragon) but the rest of the story deals with the efforts of Henrietta to win the title of princess for herself. Luckily the cast, including Clive Revill as the king, is very engaging, and the songs pleasant. But, except for the title, this is an attempt to make much out of very little. And only half the time it succeeds.