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Rating: 5 out of 5
You will find this funny, but I have ended up as Belle for every Disney quiz I have done. This started long ago when I first started working at a new job. As an ice breaker, there were Disney characters that described different people. I ironically was Belle. I am a man, but I do have Belle qualities, as I like to read. No matter, I have accepted that I am Belle, and when I go to Disneyland, I will meet Belle and say bonjour to her.
I bring this up because I’m about to give my review on the classic 1991 version of Beauty and the Beast. We all know it is going to be 5 out of 5 turtle shells. During the Disney Renaissance Era, Disney made a HUGE comeback and started dropping some classic animated films. One of those films was Beauty and the Beast. Here is a short history lesson for you. Walt Disney himself tried to adapt Beauty and the Beast into an animated film in the 1930s and 1950s, but it didn’t work out for some reason. Decades later, in the 1990s, after The Little Mermaid, the company decided, what the hell, let’s make Beauty and the Beast. The film was a monster hit for Disney, making $331 million at the box office worldwide on a $25 million budget. You know what we call that? Money straight to the bank! This film was so great that it won the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, the first animated film ever to win that category, BUT it became the first animated film ever to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Once again, you know what we call that? Respect! It also became Disney’s first animated film adapted into a Broadway musical. You know what we call that? Milking the cow for everything it is worth. In all seriousness, Beauty and the Beast was one of the films during the Disney Renaissance that helped Disney become what it is today. It is considered one of the greatest Disney films of that era and is still one of the greatest animated films of all time.
This amazing film begins with a tale as old as time. It starts with a story of an enchantress disguised as an old beggar woman. She arrives at a castle looking for shelter in exchange for an enchanted rose but is quickly turned away by the cruel, selfish, and an ass prince. Seeing the evil in the prince’s heart, the enchantress transforms into her true form. She decides to transform the prince into a beast and all his servants into household objects. She states that for the curse to be broken, the prince must learn to love someone and obtain the person’s love before the last petal of the rose falls. If not, then he and everyone else will remain in their forms forever.
Years later, in a little village, Belle, a bookworm to an unconventional inventor, Maurice, is inspired by adventure from the stories that she read. Gaston, an arrogant, handsome, meathead hunter, constantly pursues Belle. Belle’s life changes when Maurice traces to a local fair to present his latest invention. Along the way, he gets lost and ends up at the Beast’s castle. He is deemed trespassing and thrown into the Beast’s prison. When Belle finds out that her father is locked up, she rushes off and offers to take his place. The Beast agrees and dismisses Maurice from the castle. Belle is introduced to the castle’s staff, including the charming candle stick Lumière, the mantel clock Cogsworth, the teapot Mrs. Potts, and her son Chip, a teacup. Everyone hopes and prays that Belle is the one who can soothe the Beast’s heart and have her love him back.
Beauty and the Beast became a monster hit from the story, music, and that ballroom dance scene. The story can be taken two ways. The first way is that beauty is only skin deep. Belle is FOINE and a nerd who could have anyone she wants but has an amazing head on her shoulders. She comes to love the Beast, who isn’t that cute at all. They manage to fall in love with each other. For example, dating is all about personality and making each other laugh. On the other hand, as people get older, they see that Belle is suffering from Stockholm syndrome. Belle is a hostage and, through the process, starts to develop psychological bonds with their captors. I’m just throwing this out there, but for kids, it shouldn’t matter because it is a kid’s movie, and let’s roll with the skin-deep part. It was fun to see Belle and the Beast getting along with each other and the Beast showing that he isn’t an evil brute. Where were his parents? I blame the parents, but if it is raining outside, the last thing I’m doing is opening up my home to a stranger. I’m not ending up on a serial killer documentary.
Let’s take a second to talk about the ballroom scene. The animation was outstanding in this scene, making you want to get up and do a ballroom dance. The way Belle’s yellow golden dress flowed across the screen and the chandelier was perfect. I think the animators used a little CGI, and I need to read up on how this scene was made. It was beyond amazing with the music that added to the effect of the scene. A bravo scene that ranks high and became the standard for future animation.
With Disney movies, you know you have to talk about the music. This film had some bangers. The first song is “Belle.” Coming in hot with the multiple bonjours, it set the tone for who Belle was and how her little village saw her. We learn that she is a major bookworm and that the town thinks she is a little strange, along with her father, who makes strange inventions. The second song that must be discussed is “Gatson.” No one shoots like Gatson, eats like Gatson. This song is catchy, and it shows how much of an egotistical dick Gatson is. You see that Gatson is full of himself, and everyone around him boosts his ego.
The two major songs in this film are “Be Our Guest” and “Beauty and the Beast.” “Be Our Guest” is a monster hit sung by Angela Lansbury, Jerry Orbach, and others. It is a fun song where you have to try the grey stuff. It is a song that lights up the film’s mood, and it happens after Belle begins her imprisonment. If you want a grand song, look no further than this song. The other song, and probably the most memorable one, is “Beauty and the Beast,” sung by the late and great Angela Lansbury. Sung during the ballroom dance scene, Lansbury’s voice is soothing, sweet, and a joy to listen to as the pair dance around the scene. The song describes the relationship between its two main characters and how, even though they are different, they can look past the differences.
As far as the characters go, you will find one that you will love. You could love the title character, Belle, with her sweet and nerdy ways but longing for adventure. You could love the Beast, who is blah at the beginning, but as you watch him and see him put in effort, you see that he is a good person. Mrs. Potts and Chip are great characters as Mrs. Potts is the loving motherly type while Chip is her curious son. Then there is Lumière and Cogsworth, who are funny in their own ways and probably the best characters in the entire movie.
Beauty and the Beast is an ICONIC Disney film. It is considered one of the greatest Disney films and one of the greatest animated films of all time. It set the standard for animated films by being the first to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. The music in this film is top-notch, and the cast and characters are fun to watch, along with a great story.
BONUS CLIP!!!!
