Beauty and the Beast 3D: Super cute fun

Beauty and the Beast the 1991 released Disney classic has been rejuvenated with 3D and more polished animation for the new release. But even then, this movie is sheer as much worth a watch for nostalgia sense as is for the beautiful love story it narrates.

Belle (voice of Paige O’Hara) is the most beautiful girl in a provincial town in France. Unfortunately for those who might want her as a wife, including the dim, narcissistic Gaston (Richard White), she’s also one of the village’s oddest denizens. She keeps to herself, helping her inventor father, Maurice (Rex Everhart), with his contraptions, and, in her spare time, devouring books. She has read just about everything available in the town, and eagerly awaits the arrival of anything new. Every time she ventures outdoors, she draws stares and snickers, but, despite her strangeness, Gaston is determined to marry her.

Then, one fateful day, her father disappears in the forest. Belle goes searching for him and stumbles upon a dark and scary castle. Venturing inside, she discovers a gallery of magical creatures. There’s Lumiere (Jerry Orbach), a candlestick with impeccable manners and an voice that recalls Maurice Chevalier; Cogsworth (David Ogden Stiers), a clock with a high impression of himself and his role in the castle; Mrs. Potts (Angela Lansbury), a grandmotherly tea pot; and many others.

Then there’s the Beast (Robby Benson), the terrifying creature who rules over this domain and holds Maurice captive. Once a handsome prince, he has been cursed to remain a beast until he finds someone who truly loves him in spite of his appearance. Now, he is filled with equal parts hope and dread at Belle’s arrival — hope that she might be “the one” to break the spell, and dread that she might be repulsed by his ugliness. Nevertheless, he agrees to release her father if she accedes to being his permanent guest. She makes the bargain, Maurice is set free, and she is trapped. In time, however, Belle discovers that life in the castle is not as dreadful as it initially seems.

Beauty and The Beast

First things first, the film offers some new material. It includes a little extra dialogue (principally Belle reading to the Beast from “Romeo and Juliet”) and one new song, “Human Again”. The real allure of the movie, however, is the amazingly-detailed animation and a half- dozen spectacular song-and-dance numbers. The ballroom sequence, which mixes computer- generated backgrounds with hand-drawn characters, is the best scene in the movie, but it is nearly equaled by a handful of others. And, while the camera in most animated films remains largely static, here it’s frequently on the move, soaring and zooming as it circles characters and imitates tracking shots. Visually, Beauty and the Beast is so carefully-constructed that repeated viewings reveal new details, like the wayward strands of hair that fall across Belle’s forehead.

Combining many diverse elements, Beauty and the Beast attains a nearly-perfect mix of romance, music, invention, and animation. While many animated features claim to appeal equally to adults and children. It’s a family feature that someone over the age of 18 can venture into without an accompanying child.

Rating: 3/5
Starring: Voices of Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson, Rex Everhart and Richard White
Director duo: Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise

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