Product Details

• Format: VHS
• Studio: Walt Disney Home Video
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (635 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 1558903259
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,282 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

137 of 167 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best films ever made!, May 8, 2001

By	D. Litton (Wilmington, NC) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: La Bella y La Bestia (Beauty and the Beast) [VHS] (VHS Tape)

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.

46 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My Favorite Disney Classic, September 4, 2003

By	Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Beauty and the Beast (Special Platinum Edition) (DVD)

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 only film so far 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.

43 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What's wrong with this movie?, October 11, 2002

By	"jackalanhyde" (Mundelein, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Beauty and the Beast (Special Platinum Edition) (DVD)

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.