Customer Reviews

Beauty and the Beast

5 star:		(707)
4 star:		(100)
3 star:		(37)
2 star:		(28)
1 star:		(91)

 

 

The biggest flaw in this story ... is that it makes a 45-year-old man cry like a child every time I watch it. My opinions on Disney movies vary -- some are good, some are almost unwatchable -- but "Beauty and the Beast" is the best work the studio has ever done.

Why do I love this movie so much? I think it's the music. In some musicals (animated or live), as soon as a song begins, the story comes to a grinding halt. (Can anyone remember one tune from "Mulan"?) But in this film, the music by Ashman and Menken advances the story marvellously. Animation and voice acting combine in a near-flawless performance, and the use of computer animation in the ballroom dance sequence was ground-breaking in its time.

As for the added features, the added song "Human Again" is a wonderful fun number. I can understand why it was left out of the original version, but its inclusion really doesn't detract from the story (it's another big production number like "Be Our Guest", not really essential to the plot, but helps us get to know the supporting characters).

The "making of" features are fairly interesting; the on-disk games I can take or leave. But the film itself is still the gem, worth the purchase price all by itself; the standard by which all other Disney movies are measured.

Belle is bored with life in her village. Her only escape is her books, and she longs to have an adventure of her own. When her father heads out to a fair, he gets lots, and Belle finds him in an enchanted castle. The objects are thrilled, because if she and their master, the Beast, fall in love, they will all be freed from the enchantment. But will Belle be able to see past the outward appearance? And what about the handsome bore back home who wants to marry Belle?

I feel in love with this movie the first time I saw it, and that love has only grown over the years. The story is the right mix of fun and uncertainty. Gaston was a wonderful addition to the mix because his story was the part I was most uncertain about the first time around. The artwork on the film catches your eye from the first shot of the castle, and doesn't let go. Beside the incredible background shots are wonderful drawings of the characters. I especially love the boyish excitement they manage to give the Beast in several scenes. Finally, there's the music. Every song adds to the story and is memorable in its own right.

This DVD is perfect for any fan of this movie. Disc 1 includes three versions of the film. The first is the "in progress" version shown to the New York film festival 6 weeks before the premier of the movie in 1991. While it's fun to have, I won't be watching it regularly. The second version is the original release. And finally comes the special edition, with the added scene and "Human Again." Ironically, this is probably my least favorite of the songs added to the Broadway version, but it does advance the story. And, there's always the option of watching the original version. Obviously, the version that you are supposed to watch is the special edition, as the audio commentary and sing along bonus features only work with this option. All three come in Dolby 5.1 sound, which sounds great.

The second disc features hours of bonus material. Most of it focuses on the making of this movie. Everything is covered, from original idea through characters and the Broadway version and special edition. Galleries show character designs over the course of the project. Also featured is the original treatments for "Human Again" and "Be Our Guest." Celebrity voices give background on the original story and Disney versions of classic tales. And there's a fun documentary as the stars of "Even Stevens" take a backstage look at all the work that goes into making a feature animated film.

This is the first annimated film to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture. Watching the film, the reason is clear. This is something the entire family can enjoy. Don't miss your opportunity to catch this classic film.

We all know that "Beauty & the Beast" is a "5 star" movie. It's too bad this transfer is not. This is exactly the reason Amazon needs a two-rating system. One for the movie & the other for the actual product. Nobody is getting their movie reviews from Amazon, believe me. What we need to know is if the DVD or Blu-ray is good.

So, let me start by pointing out the good. You get all 3 versions of the movie. The sound is excellent. Very level, deep when it need to be & the music sounds clear & full. Colors in the movie are bright, while the darks are perfect, with no sign of artifacts in them.

Now we get to the bad stuff. Let's face it, when we're buying any kind of video product, the picture is the most important thing. If the picture stinks, the whole think stinks. And although the picture on this Blu-ray doesn't stink, it's not perfect. Far from perfect in fact.

Let's start with the first problem, the lines. In hand-drawn animation, the lines are everything. If they are not constant & clear, the characters lose some of their realism. The lines in Beauty & the Beast are very thin, which is great for details. However, digital media is just not able to handle thin lines correctly. Several times pieces of a line will disappear into the color behind it. Most noticeably on Cogworth's face. His clock face will come through & "bloom" over most of the lines on his face, losing most of the detail. But the main problem with the lines in this transfer are the white "halos" around them. It seems like they used edge enhancements on the characters. But I'm not 100% sure this is what they did, as this halo never appears on any of the backgrounds. All I know is that at certain times, characters will have these halos surrounding their lines. The Beast takes the brunt of this & looks terrible in every shot. Just check out the sharp ends of his fur to see what I mean. Gaston also suffers from this, especially his face. What I did notice is that for the first half of the film, the lines seem to have been drawn with a dark brown color. Later on, the lines are black & this halo problem lessens. So I'm thinking that the problem is the digital media of Blu-Ray, even though it's high-def is not able to handle the dark brown lines against any brown-based back (flesh, brown fur, tan). When I saw this film at an IMAX theater, I did notice some of the same problems with the lines. So maybe the problem isn't even the transfer, but the actual film itself. Maybe the transfer is just so high-detail it's showing the film's flaws. In any case, these line problems can be distracting at times & I found myself noticing them & focusing on them, rather than the movie itself. Which is not a good thing.

Other video problems include graininess within certain colors, especially yellows or gold, like Lumiere. There is also an annoying strobe like problem, when the action seems to be going fast. This was most noticeable when Maurice is escaping the wolves.

To finish up, we all know the movie is great. Unfortunately, this film just doesn't look as good as let's say Pinocchio or Snow White. Which is kind of amazing, considering those movies are 50+ years older than this one.

Disney's animated version of the classic tale, "Beauty and the Beast," is every bit as enchanting as the "tale as old as time" that it tells, making its way into our hearts as well as motion picture history. Being the first film nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, as well as six nominations altogether, Disney proves that it has what it takes to make an animated feature enjoyable for adults and children. I remember watching the film as a small child, and now, as an adult, is hasn't lost its luster, and everything is just as I enjoyed it before.

Through brilliant animation and song, as well as some terrific voice talents, the story of unexpected love comes to new and exciting life. Small-town girl Belle is forced to head into the woods once her father turns up missing, bringing her to a gloomy, secluded castle where she finds him and his captor, a vicious-looking beast. Of course, the beginning of the movie explains the beast's origins: he was once a selfish prince who, after turning out an old beggar woman, was transformed, given an enchanted rose, and told "if he could learn to love another, and earn their love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time."

This begins their rocky-turned-romantic relationship, as they begin to warm to one another. Meanwhile, the town brute, Gaston, has plans of his own, involving some sinister maneuvers involving Belle's father in hopes that she will agree to marry him.

Many have hailed this as the best of Disney's films, and they wouldn't be wrong in saying so, either. It's easy to see why the movie has become such a success: there are elements at work in this film, just as in every other Disney film, only they seem to have taken on a small degree of maturity with this film's creation.

The animation is some of the best and most believable I've seen for an animated film in a long time. Most of the scenes involving solely characters is the same as most of Disney's works, but there are scenes of pure life-like reality that have a special flare to them. The ballroom scene is one such scene: the camera angles sweep across a room filled with high-arched glass windows and a chandelier which looks as real as the words you're reading on this page. Some nice effects go into the creation of the castle as well, especially in the end once everything returns to normal.

The is one of the most moving Disney soundtracks to come along since that of "Cinderella" and "Pinocchio." It is clear that composers were striving to capture the feeling and influence of their previous score for "The Little Mermaid," and they truly succeed in doing so. The songs are delightful and will have kids and adults alike smiling and singing along. The score is the perfect underlining for scenes of romance as well as tension and suspense. In case you were wondering, three of the originally written songs were nominated for Academy Awards; that should say something.

This is one of Disney's most ambitious and successful projects, ranking alongside such cinematic achievements as the successes of "Citizen Kane" and "Gone With The Wind." Winner of the Golden Globe Award for Best Picture, as well as its Oscar nominations, "Beauty and the Beast" is a hallmark of a time when movies were something that everyone, young and old alike, could enjoy on the same levels. This is the best picture of 1991.

How any fan of this fantastic film can accept this HORRIBLE transfer is shocking. The dvd supposedly contains not only the special edition but also the original theatrical edition, but the reality is that the mis-named "original theatrical" edition is a mutilated version that is definitely NOT the film shown in theaters in 1991. The colors were drastically changed, making brown things red, red things pink, and erasing all shadows into virtual non-existence.

Gone is the palette of beautiful rich colors that were used when the film was made. In their place we have a pastel, ... saturday-morning cartoon palette where shadows don't exist. Instead of keeping the brooding, gothic, mysterious castle that once existed, the dvd lightened it up so there are no more mysterious shadows. Now you can see everything quite clearly, including the Beast (when he was supposed to be lurking in shadows as a plot device).

The backgrounds were literally replaced with computer generated backgrounds for the imax presentation, which is fine for the special edition. But they also used the new backgrounds for the supposed "original theatrical" version as well. Oh, and did I mention that they went in with a computer to completely re-draw the characters to make them smoother? They used those altered images for the so-called "original theatrical" version, too. They also cut off the top and the bottom of the film to make the aspect ratio 1.85:1, when the original film was made in 1.66:1 (much closer to your actual "regular" tv shape). Add those changes to the edited dialogue (there is no more stuttering Beast) and the horrid pastel colors that replaced the vibrant colors that used to be, and you have one big mess. ... - what Disney calls the "original theatrical" version is just the special edition without the human again sequence.

...

I'm giving this edition a 1 star rating because Disney messed up the video quality. By including 3 versions of the film onto a single disc, the result is high video compression. The low quality is noticable on larger tv screens. As a friend of mine said before, this should've been a 3 disc set w/ 1 version on each disc. Wait til it's reissued if you want a high quality dvd.

I just finished watching this in 3D and all i can say is that this version blew me away. I normally don't review movies i purchase on amazon but i could not get over this transfer. This is now my gem of all my Blu Ray 3D movies, period. The beautiful forest opening scene that was created by the multiplane camera grabs your attenttion like never before with the 3D effect. And from then on you can see the amount of effort that was put into transfering the original classic in to a full 3D feature. This is in no way a cheesy transfer like some of the movies that have been coming out recently. I was so blown away by this transfer that i showed my parents some of the scenes and they from the start just said "WoW" and were hooked to watch the film to its end. The beautiful animation just stands out in this 3D feature and is truly gorgeous. Truely this is the best way to watch this film, but of course this is just my opinion but i cannot say it enough that you should give it a chance. If you ever wanted to revisist the magic of Beauty and the Beast this is possibly the best way you could of ever have asked for. A++

Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney film and one of my all time favorite films. Disney really did an excellent job with this film. With great animation, a great story with humor and heart, a timeless message, fantastic songs and score and an outstanding array of characters, this film became an instant masterpiece and no Disney film (and many others) has ever topped it. Beauty and the Beast is a film for all ages and although it's only 19 years old, it will be an eternal classic for years to come. This new Diamond Edition makes Beauty and the Beast better than ever.

Beauty and the Beast comes to Blu-Ray looking fantastic. I think no traditional-animated film has looked better. It looks brand-new with no dirt, no edge enhancement, no grain and no artifacts to be found in the print. You will be surpriused with the rich color palette that the film has and the huge amount of detail of the drawings. This Blu-Ray transfer does justice to the animators work in te film. The sound is equally impressive with a 7.1 HD sound that will rock your house. Dialogue is clear, the songs sound beautiful and the score is magnificent. This film presentation is absolutely like the movie itself. Simply astounding.

As with the previous platinum DVD release, you have three versions of the film to choose: the theatrical 1991 version, the extended 2002 version (which is the version I prefer because Human Again is a fantastic number) and the Work in Progress version. Aside from the three presentations, you have a lot of bonus material (and I mean a lot!!).

In disc one you have an audio-commentary, a conversation with legend compososer Alan Menken and a feature that's called Broadway Beginnings which features different stage actors that have been part of the Beauty and the Beast musical on Broadway. Rounding up Disc one is an alternate opening and a deleted scene (which are a little long but great to see).

If you are still thirsty for more (and you should be), in Disc Two you'll find the inmmersive documentary Beyond Beauty. Just like the Hyperion Studios documentary in Snow White, this feaure covers everything that concerns the making of the film. You need a lot of your time to see everything here but is pelnty of fun and very informative. You also have some games and the Classic DVD Bonus Features ported from the Platinum DVD.

A DVD copy is also offered. It also has the three versions of the film plus the audiocommentary and looks great for SD (better than the platinum) but it's a far cry from the quality of the Blu-Ray.

Beauty and the Beast is a fantastic film and a must-own for everyone. This Diamond Edition is a no-brainer purchase or upgrade and you should buy it. An excellent edition for an Exellent film. Completely recommended.

Note: You should know that this Diamond Edition as the Diamond for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, comes in two presentations: one in a Blu-Ray case and the other in a DVD case. However, both editions have the same content: Two BDs and 1 DVD. If you want the 2-Disc DVD-only edition you'll have to wait until Nov. 23. The DVD-only edition won't have the same amount of bonus features as the BD.

PD: Some ads promoting Disney new releases look very exciting including:

Tangled (in theaters Nov. 24)
Toy Story 3(On DVD and Blu-Ray Nov. 2)
Fantasia and Fantasia 2000: 2-movie Collection Special Edition (On DVD and Blu-Ray Nov. 30)
A Christmas Carol (on DVD and Blu-Ray Nov. 16)
Bambi: Diamond Edition (on Blu-Ray combo and DVD Spring 2011)
The Lion KIng: Diamond Edition (on Blu-Ray combo and DVD Fall 2011)
Dumbo: 70th Anniversary (on Blu-Ray and DVD Feb. 2011)
Alice in Wonderland: 60th Anniversary (on Blu-Ray and DVD 2011)

As Beauty and the Beast is my all-time favorite movie, it hurts me to have to take away a star from this review. However, I have a few problems that keep me from giving it a full 5 stars.

By now, we all know the story of this beautiful film. We know the songs by heart, and it doesn't need to be mentioned that this is still the only animated movie to recieve an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. However, this DVD offers THREE versions - the "original theatrical version" which is the "Special Edition" but without the Human Again song that's in the "Special Edition" and a new version of the Work-In-Progress edition, previously available only on laserdisc and VHS in the deluxe box set Disney released in 1992. If you get a chance, please watch the Work-In-Progress edition.

This DVD also includes a plethora of bonus features for kids and adults alike. Games for the kids, and serious behind-the-scenes materials, trailers, TV spots, galleries, etc. for the adults.

However, I have some gripes about the transfer - namely edge enhancement. Cramming three versions of the movie onto one disc was a bad idea. In my opinion, the Work-In-Progress edition should have been on disc two. Also, I'm not too happy with how the film has been lightened up. The film was intended to have dark, muted colors. However, despite these flaws, the movie still retains all the beauty and charm I fell in love with nearly 15 years ago. And I love the newly added song, Human Again. Now, the original theatrical version feels empty to me.

I'm also not too happy with how the bonus features sometimes appear in more than one spot, such as the Celine Dion music video appearing in two spots and having two versions of the making-of docu...one substantially longer, having more material, etc. It makes it look as if Disney padded this disc so it'd look like there were more bonuses than there are.

However, I can't NOT recommend this DVD, but that's only because I'm absolutely biased. Unfortunately, it is now out of print, and copies tend to be expensive on eBay and Amazon Marketplace. However, it's definitely worth it, especially if you can get it used for a good price, and if a disc doesn't work, call 1-800-72-DISNEY, and for a fee of about $7, you can have the discs replaced through Disney's Disc Replacement Program.

In conclusion, please don't hesitate to get this if you're willing to pay a good amount of money for it or if you're willing to risk buying it used. It's a gorgeous movie, and the bonus features are good. Despite my few gripes, it's worth the price.

Having a toddler, we didn't have the chance to see this film in a theater so we were very pleased to receive a complementary copy from Disney, and have watched the film many times in the past week. The movie a real Disney classic in the sense that it appeals to children and adults. The introduction tells the story of a selfish prince who, being uncharitable and unkind to an old woman, is turned into a beast while his castle and servants are enchanted. They can only be returned to their natural state if the prince falls in love, and is loved in return, before the last petal drops off an enchanted rose. The animation and Menken-Ashman songs are some of Disney's best. The film deserved its Oscar nomination, and you can see why it became a successful Broadway musical.

You could spend days looking through all the dvd material. If you've seen the special editions of Snow White or Monsters, Inc. you'll know what to expect. There are two discs: the first contains three versions of the film -- the original theatrical release, the IMAX theater edition with the new song 'Human Again', and a fascinating "work-in-progress" version that alternates between pencilled, cartooned and fully animated representations. Disc Two contains many dvd extras. There are games, trivia quizzes, featurettes about the making of the film as well as the musical on Broadway, two music videos, and excellent features showing the behind-the-scenes doings of cast, voice work and art. Our favorite extras were Mrs. Potts' Personality Profile Game, where you answer several questions and are told which character you most resemble, and "The Story Behind the Story" where celebrities recount the origins of many Disney tales, including The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Jungle Book, Mulan, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and Beauty & the Beast. I really enjoy seeing the layouts and designs, and how the animations are drawn and developed. The trivia games are lots of fun, and IMHO they work better than the games requiring navigation with the remote.

Packaging and foldout look very nice and, with so many options, are extremely helpful for finding the features you're interested in. We are very happy with this excellent family film and the many extra features included.