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Beauty and the Beast (Disney Special Platinum Edition) Customer Reviews (55 - 57 of 78 Reviews)

A breathtaking, sweeping Disney masterpiece
with its breathtaking visuals and sweeping story, "Beauty and the Beast" deserves to be at the top of the best animated films of all time, alongside "The Secret of NIMH" and "The Little Mermaid."

The story and initial impact not affected by the musical sequence that Disney added in for the special 2002 release, "Beauty and the Beast" is the classic story of a beautiful, kind girl who finds a heart of gold in a hardened man whose cruelty earns him cursed to be a beast, until he can find true love before his twenty-first birthday, or he will be cursed to remain a beast for all time.

The story is impeccably written and the voice actors (Paige O'Hara, Robby Benson, Angela Lansbury, etc) imbue their characters with life, spunk and character. With its gorgeous animation, incredible voice acting, solid morals and flawless story; it's not surprising that it garnered a 1991 Academy Award nomination for Best Picture and won Academy Awards for some of the songs written.

My advice, see it before or when it comes out on the Platinium Edition VHS and DVD {...} to fully appreciate the love and work into creating this. If you like it, buy both the VHS and DVD. The DVD is especially to die for, because it features documentaries into "Beauty and the Beast", the original and new version of the film, both of which have been restored to their original brilliance; and other good stuff.

Buy it, rent it, I don't care, but see it. It is worth the money to relive this masterpiece over and over. Worth every penny.

After A While One Doesn't Notice It Is Animated
It is quite rare for any animated film to be treated with the same respect as any other honored non-animated one. In BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale take the time-worn fairy tale of the outwardly loathsome beast who impossibly enough allows his inner nobility to shine forth sufficiently to cause the beauty to fall in love with him. Robby Benson is the voice of the Beast and Paige O'Hara is Beauty. Even for those readers familiar with the spoken tale or the revamped music video with Meatloaf as the Beast cannot help but allow themselves to be entranced with the seamless melding of sight to sound. The plot is simplicity itself with the Beast as the archetypal symbol of the rebirth of nobility long hidden by the evil spell of a unnamed wizard. There is nothing childish is the unfolding of the tale of Belle the Beauty who chooses to sacrifice herself in marriage to save the life of her doddering inventor father. Enter the Beast who is initially presented as the roaring brute that his tormenting wizard clearly intended him to be. Yet, as Belle ministers to his psychic wounds of self-loathing and his physical wounds incurred in defending her against a pack of wolves, the viewer can see a competing spell at work, one that is older than time itself--the power of love that the film's many songs allude to and function as as subtext that imbues it with timeless energy. There is, of course, some needed plot complications of unwanted attention heaped on Belle by the handsome but warped Gaston, who plots to snare Belle in marriage as firmly as he would stalk a reindeer for its antlers. As Gaston leads the villagers in an assault on the Beast's manor, one is reminded in reverse of the cliched villagers pounding at the walls of Doctor Frankenstein's castle, but in this case the attack in presented in comic tones that keep the real world of harm at bay.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST has no down moments, with each fresh plot advancement heralded by stunningly effective animation and song. This film was a deserved nominee for Best Picture in 1991, and with repeated viewings, one may rest assured that the alternately gloomy and resplendent halls of the Beast will eternally resonate with the same cachet that gives Tara, Oz, or Rick's Cafe a ticket that allows the bearer to see just how awesome the human spirit can be.

One Of The Best...
I've been waiting for Beauty and the Beast on DVD ever since I bought a player back in 1997. I am happy to say I am not disappointed. Disney has wisely included three versions of the movie. The original theatrical release, the special edition including the new musical number "Human Again", and the work-in-progress which was shown in New York in October 1991. The movie looks and sounds great on DVD. The extras are nothing to write home about. Most of it is promotional stuff for other Disney products. However, the tribute to the late Howard Ashman is touching and appropriate considering he was the brains behind this masterpiece. Disney animated features since Beauty and the Beast have ranged from fair "Tarzan" and "Aladdin" to downright lousy "Pocahantas" and "Atlantis". Howard Ashman is definetely a missed person in the Disney idea department as they have never measured up to this film since. As a Law and Order fan, it's also a hoot to see Lt Lenny Bricoe (Jerry Orbach) singing into a microphone. Since this is in limited release I will probably buy another copy to have around in case something happens to my original. So why all the praise and only four stars? I don't like the idea that this and all other Disney DVD's start with those rancid trailers. Sure I can hit the menu button but it's still a pain.

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