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Beauty and the Beast (Disney Special Platinum Edition) Customer Reviews (37 - 39 of 78 Reviews)

A true Disney masterpiece!
Nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Beauty And The Beast is one of Disney's greatest animated achievements. Its massive success reinvigorated the Disney animation juggernaut which had lay dormant for decades, launching the release of smashing blockbusters such as Aladdin, The Lion King, and Finding Nemo. Taking home two Oscars for Best Music (Original Score and Original Song), the film launched a trend in Disney animation by blending musical numbers (with cartoon choreography), an aspect that would become a staple of film after film for the remainder of the decade. In short, Beauty And The Beast is a landmark production just as remarkable today as when it was first released...

Following the Disney tradition of transposing well-known fairy tales from the pages of a book to the sparkle of the big screen, Beauty And The Beast follows the life of Belle (Paige O'Hara), a beautiful bookworm maiden who captivates her town's most eligible bachelor, Gaston (Richard White). Dissatisfied with life in her small French villa, Belle grows especially tired of the conceited and self-absorbed Gaston (who is unable to fathom the idea that Belle does not welcome his affections).

Meanwhile, The Beast lives in solitude in a long-ago abandoned castle, having had a spell cast upon him because of his inability to love. The spell turned the handsome prince into an ugly beast, and it turned all of his servants into dinnerware, candlesticks, and other inanimate objects. When Belle's father, Maurice (Rex Everhart) makes a wrong turn, he inadvertently unites the lives of Belle and The Beast. After spending much time with Belle, the bitter and hardened Beast begins to soften. He and Belle fall in love, but Gaston and his fellow village marauders arrive at the castle walls and demand the return of Belle, threatening to kill The Beast...

The highlight of Beauty And The Beast is the musical number "Be Our Guest," which featured an entire dining hall filled with dancing teacups, plates, and eating utensils. The sequence forged the way for similar scenes in Aladdin (with "A Whole New World") and The Lion King (with "Hakuna Matata"). Directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise not only create a perfect transition from song to story, but they also manage to introduce innumerable humorous lines into musical sequences, especially with the early song bandied about by the rival for Belle's hand, Gaston.

One of the top films of all-time (from any genre, not just animation), Beauty And The Beast remains one of Disney's most heralded creations. It tells the classic love story of the beast with a good heart and does so with vivid characters, a world-class musical score, and animated visual images that would make Walt proud. Critically acclaimed and extremely successful at the box office, Beauty And The Beast is a true blockbuster in the traditional sense of the word. An awe-inspiring film that launched a new generation of animated Disney masterpieces, Beauty And The Beast is the quintessential must-see film...

The DVD Report

A modern-day classic
Widely regarded as a modern-day classic, Beauty and the Beast boasts action, danger, romance comedy, and fantastic musical numbers. It's also the only "cartoon" to be nominated for the best-picture Oscar.

The film takes place in an animated France (and when aren't the
French animated?) and opens with the introduction of "Belle", the beauty who loves reading so much that she fails to notice most everything around her, including the advances of boorish stud, Gaston.

One day, Belle's father, a crackpot inventor, ventures out into a strange forest and encounters a cursed castle. When he is taken prisoner by the castle's beastly inhabitant, Belle must come to his rescue.

First and foremost, Beauty and the Beast proves that not all cartoons are for kids. In many ways, the characters in Beauty and the Beast are more real than other films with flesh and blood actors. In fact, most actors would kill for roles like these.

My personal favorite of the film's many great characters is Gaston, the best Disney villain of all time, a conceited buffoon and deadly enemy. Gaston's theme song is one of the funniest scenes from any film -- probably ever. "No one's slick as Gaston/No one's quick as Gaston/No one's neck is incredibly thick as Gaston," sing the boozers at the local watering hole to Gaston, who proudly displays his antler collection and chest hair.

Where other films pander to select audiences, Beauty and the Beast truly has something for everyone.

Buy this DVD set, you WON¿T regret it!
Belle (voice by Paige O'Hara) is a strong willed girl, who just can't settle into the simple life of farming and childrearing, so beloved by those around her, particularly the handsome but arrogant Gaston (Richard White), who wants Belle to be his subjected and submissive wife. But when Belle falls into the hands of a Beast that lives in an enchanted castle (Robby Benson), she finds more adventure than she could have imagined. The Beast is gruff and short-tempered, and yet, there is something more...

I was lucky enough to get my hands on the Beauty and the Beast Platinum Edition, and boy am I happy! This DVD set contains no less than three version of the movie: the original theatrical release edition; the Work-In-Progress edition (shown at the 1991 New York Film Festival); and (my favorite) the Special Edition, which includes an all-new musical sequence called "Human Again." They worked this last piece in so well that when watching it I almost believed that it was part of the original movie! The movie itself is very well done, with an exciting story, wonderful music, and great animation. This is one of Disney's greatest movies!

And, that's not all of the extras! This DVD set has a Making Of (hosted by Celine Dion!), two music videos, two (!) games, various behind-the-scenes extras, and so much more! This is a great DVD set!

OK, this review has a lot of exclamation marks, but that is because I am so excited about this DVD set. This is a magnificent movie, turned into an outstanding DVD. I cannot recommend this item enough. BUY IT!

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