Critics' Corner

Today Wynn and I went on a date to the movies - her first time going to the theater. She's seen a play on stage - Cinderella at the Children's Theatre Company, but this was her first experience with the silver screen.

Here's how it went -

The Movie: Disney's The Princess and the Frog.

Wynn's Question on the Way There: "What does a movie theater look like?"

Her Impression of the Theater: totally-distracted by all the people, video games, and giant posters of Johnny Depp in the lobby; didn't even notice the concession stand was there

Her Out of Nowhere Moment of Reassurance in the Lobby: "Remember how I didn't pee at Cinderella? I'm not going to pee here too."

Where She Sat: my lap, the entire time

My Opinion of the Movie: beautifully-animated with upbeat and singable selection of songs and a positive message that's entirely in sync with President Obama's back-to-school address

Wynn's Opinion: "I don't like this show. It's about frogs, and I don't like frogs." (I took this as being exceedingly ironic, coming from a girl who is obsessed with geckos. When I pointed out the similarities between the two, she just rolled her eyes and gave me that You just don't get it, Mom look.)

I do understand her opinion, though. She was expecting a princess movie along the lines of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, and, for most of this movie, the future princess is, in fact, a frog. Wynn likes her princess movies chock full of princess screen time, so this just wasn't her thing.

She does say that she enjoyed going to the movie, that she liked the singing and dancing parts, and that the Shadowman (the bad guy) was real scary - like Maleficent.

Let's call that two and a half stars, shall we?