As the 100th anniversary of Walt Disney Pictures continues to roll on, and more classic animated movies make their way back onto the big screen, it’s finally time for one of the true greats. Yep, the spellbinding and magnificent Beauty and the Beast is returning to UK cinemas this month, allowing audiences to reconnect with Belle, Gaston, Lumière, and Mrs. Potts, amongst others.
The film – originally released in 1991 – is an animated romantic fantasy from directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise. Beauty and the Beast is inspired by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont’s 1756 fairytale of the same name, as well as Jean Cocteau’s 1946 film, La Belle et la Bête, and features a voice cast that includes Paige O’Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, and Angela Lansbury.
Set in France, Beauty and the Beast follows the story of a young woman called Belle and her encounter with a selfish and bad-tempered beast, who is really a cursed prince. The prince was cursed by an enchantress after he failed to show her kindness, and was transformed into a brutish beast to teach him a lesson.
The Beast will only transform back into a human if he can find true love, and he only has a finite time to do it. But in his present form, and with his gruff attitude, this is not going to be an easy task.
However, when Belle comes along there is fresh hope. She is kind, caring, and smart, and with her no-nonsense approach to life she could be the person to tame the Beast’s wild side.
But will Belle fall for the Beast, and will the Beast let down his guard long enough to see the beauty before his eyes? Only time will tell, but if the Beast’s loyal servants have anything to do with it, they will bring this pair together in order to lift the curse and help the two find true love.
Now, I’m going to come out and say this right away: Beauty and the Beast is THE GREATEST ANIMATED DISNEY MOVIE OF ALL TIME. It’s not my favourite – that little accolade goes to The Little Mermaid – but I do believe it to be the best of the bunch.
The reason Beauty and the Beast takes the crown is because it boasts outstanding animation, delightful characters, an emotionally charged story, a wonderful voice cast, and a superb soundtrack that doesn’t have one duff song amongst the entire selection. Beauty and the Beast does everything right, never puts a foot wrong, and offers up a magical movie experience which hits all the right notes and more.
The film builds on everything that came before it, refines the Disney formula, and delivers the ultimate fairytale. There’s action, peril, drama, hope, and above all else, there’s love.
Beauty and the Beast also zips along at such an incredible pace, there’s barely any time to catch your breath. It’s a whirlwind of fantasy and adventure, held together by an engaging and heartfelt story, and crammed into a mere 90-minute runtime that does so much in such a short space of time.
The animation on offer in Beauty and the Beast is sublime and certainly one of the highlights of the movie. Not only does the animation showcase sumptuous colours and excellent character designs, but it is also loaded with imagination and personality.
The stand-out animated sequence in the film is the ballroom scene, in which Belle and the Beast share a dance, but there are many sequences which help bring this tale to life. From the opening scene which details the Beast’s transformation, through to an epic rooftop battle between the Beast and the villainous Gaston, there’s so much to shout about.
And no shouting and praise would be complete without a mention for the songs in Beauty and the Beast. With lyrics from the late Howard Ashman and music from composer Alan Menken, Beauty and the Beast delivers banger after banger, after banger.
Songs include the rousing scene-setter that is ‘Belle’; the delightful and playful ‘There’s Something There’; and the brilliant and boisterous ‘Gaston’. Then there’s the title track, ‘Beauty and the Beast’ which pops up during the aforementioned ballroom scene, as well as the ultimate show stopper ‘Be Our Guest’, which feels as if it was written with Broadway in mind.
All of these songs are perfectly placed within the film and each help to drive the narrative forward. They convey a range of thoughts, feelings, and emotions, and with their wondrous melodies and smile-inducing lyrics, they are a sheer joy.
I could speak endlessly about how fantastic Beauty and the Beast is, but I’d much rather you take the time to revisit it yourself – because it’s that good. And of course, if you’ve somehow managed to miss it, or if you’ve got kids who have never experienced the film at all, I’d like you to dive right in and enjoy what’s on offer.
Beauty and the Beast gets a full ‘five stars’ from me, but if I could give it more I would. It deserves all the acclaim and attention that regularly comes its way, and it has more than earned all the awards it has received over the years (including two Academy Awards for the music).
Anyway, should you wish to catch Beauty and the Beast on the big screen (and you should), the movie will be playing in select UK cinemas from Friday 22nd September. The screenings are limited, so don’t sit on this information for too long or you will miss out.
And of course, if you can’t make a screening of Beauty and the Beast, but you want to revisit the movie regardless, the film is widely available on DVD, Blu-ray, and digital download. Beauty and the Beast is also streaming on Disney+, so you’ve really got no excuse not to get it on your tele-box!
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Thank you for taking the time to read this review on It’s A Stampede!. For more reviews, check out the recommended reads below.
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