Beauty and the Beast

What’s the Story?

When a prince turns away an old woman selling apples because of her ugly appearance, she casts a spell that turns him into a beast and his staff into objects. Only finding someone to love him can undo the enchantment, but misfortune turns Beast bitter and mean. When by chance a young woman from the village finds the castle, the staff hopes she'll break the spell even as Beast holds her prisoner. At first repulsed by Beast, she later sees the beautiful person still inside him. But will her love save Beast from a village determined to kill him?

Is It Any Good?

Beauty and the Beast may not be Disney's most famous movie, but it stands as the studio's crowning achievement, winning an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe for Best Picture. Stellar music, delightful animation, and above all compelling characters make it both a great animated feature for kids and a great movie for anyone. Although based on source material, this one escapes the fate of sounding merely recycled from previous Disney movies.

In essence all great stories are about transformation, and this one beats out even Cinderella as the ultimate makeover story. Beast's inner transformation precedes his outer one. The Special Edition DVD adds a scene and a new song sequence to the original movie (presumably to sell DVDs), but the additions are weaker than the rest. Find the original if you can. The other extras in this edition are good, though, with a "making of" feature that will interest adults.