Beautiful return of the Beast

Beauty and The Beast (3D) (1991, 2012 re-release)
Certified: U
Duration: 84 minutes
Directed by: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise
Voices of: Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, Angela Lansbury, Bradley Michael Pierce
KRS release

On its release Beauty and The Beast continued where its predecessor The Little Mermaid left off and brought the Disney musical animated feature back from the box-office grave.

I remember walking out of the cinema after having seen this movie completely mesmerised by the whole musical experience.

In fact the film’s strength lies primarily in its catchy and infectious tunes and its delightful menagerie of well-known characters.

Beauty and The Beast is the age-old story of two lovers from opposite sides of the spectrum.

Belle (Paige O’Hara) likes reading, is beautiful, has an inventor for a father and is fiercely independent. She is the odd girl in town because she is the only one who does not have eyes for Gaston (Richard White), the whole town’s hunk.

Beast (Robert Benson), on the other hand, is a veritable monster, who was once a noble prince who is paying the price of his own inability to love others.

He is now closed in his castle along with his côterie of magical friends, including a naughty candlestick, a punctual carriage clock, a very kind teapot and a mischievous teacup!

When Belle ends up in the Beast’s castle she is held prisoner so that her father can go free.

The film tells the story of how the two become friends and more and how the villagers, led by Gaston, do not accept the Beast and come looking for their own brand of justice without seeking to understand at all.

Watching Beauty and The Beast one sees how much of a starting point this film was for the animated features that followed it. The Belle and Beast dance sequence is still mesmerising, and in this version even more so.

Even before 3D this film’s animation was providing us with a vision that went beyond the idea of traditional animation on the big screen.

Aside from that, the voicing is impeccable as Paige O’Hara’s Belle is a splendid role model for young ones, presenting the image of a strong-willed independent girl and not just a pampered, beautiful princess.

The supporting cast is also impecc-able, providing that extra comical touch, while Richard White as Gaston is picture-perfect in his arrogance.

The Alan Menken and Howard Ashman tunes bring Broadway to the big screen in a very flashy way, making this film’s collection of ditties probably one of Disney’s best-ever efforts.

3D adds extra depth, increases the background’s richness and provides more eye candy to the film.

Beauty and The Beast is very definitely worth a revisit on the cinema screens, especially if you have young ones who are still to experience the film or who have seen it only on the small screen.

The film again takes on new life in what is its natural home.

Go and see it again and refresh your memory of why this film was such a great watch the first time around.