Beauty and the Beast (3D Blu-Ray) – Movie Review
It’s all fun and fairytales until someone gets turned into a horrible looking beast, together with all of his servants. Especially when he has to find true love to break to curse. Never mind, it’s still a fairytale. Some stories need no introduction and Beauty and the Beast is such a tale. Originally released on videotape then DVD and even an earlier Blu-Ray release, did not stop this tale of epic proportions resurfacing once again.
Once upon a time there was a young prince who had an ego as big as his castle. Whilst living in luxury and riches to spare, an old beggar stopped by at his door. The old woman offered a single, beautiful rose to spend the night at the roomy castle. The prince quickly turned her down in a mocking tone. Even after a warning, that one should not judge people from their appearance, the prince could not care less. Sadly for him, the old woman turns out to be a beautiful witch that curses the young prince and turns him into a hideous beast. Sadly the servants were not spared either and they were transformed into living pieces of furniture. He is then doomed to find love before his 21st birthday or he is to forever remain this way.
Belle, a young girl that lives in an undefined French village, dreams of a world beyond the gates of the backwater town she calls home. Hoping to explore the world, going on adventures, all these things seem fairly out of reach, until the day that everything is thrown out of balance. Her father Maurice, an unaccomplished inventor, finally creates something that does what it is supposed to do. With his prized possession he heads of the a fair in a nearby town, but he gets lost along the way. After getting sidetracked he ends up at a seemingly abandoned castle seeking for refuge. The castle seems to be inhabited, but not by something you’d see every day. It seems the furniture is alive and inviting him in to stay and warm up by the fire. Sadly, the lord of the castle is not such a hospitable host. He throws Maurice in the dungeon to rot away.
Maurice’s horse Philippe arrives back at the family home and is clearly distressed. Belle fears the worst for her father and wants Philippe to guide her to where her father has gone missing. Just like her father she arrives at the cursed castle and find him inside the dungeon. The master of the castle soon presents himself, forcing her to leave but she offers to take her father place. The Beast agrees to her offer and then the true tale of adventure, magic and love begins. That being said, beware, not everyone is as kind as the young Belle!
Beauty and the Beast was a great trip down memory lane, not only for the leading characters but also to see our good friends Lumiere and Cogsworth again. (Admit it, they steal the show!) You’ll be able to watch the original version, the extended version as well as the 3d edition. Whilst the extended version will not show you that much more, it’s fun to add a bit more length to this magical tale.
As it is the case with most older Disney releases, the music is simply captivating as it is catchy. You’ll be humming, if not singing from the top of your longs, the moment these already familiar tunes start to play.
Seeing it’s a Blu-Ray edition, an upscaled version of the original movie was to be expected. It’s clear everything was refurbished and prepared for 3D and for the most part of the movie Disney did a great job. Nonetheless, sometimes it was clear that some colors switched from scene to scene or that even the color blue was visible when black colored items (such as hair) moved too rapidly. This of course does not weigh against the fact that the Blu-Ray release of Beauty and the Beast is simply beautiful and if not, stunning. You’ll be able to enjoy all of the characters in a new flashy tone, which simply adds more life to this already lively movie.
Whilst most of the time we don’t discuss extras in our movie reviews, it’s fun to mention the fact that this Blu-Ray 3D edition has a few fun extras to offer. You’ll be able to take a closer look at the success this story has brought to Broadway as well as some deleted scenes and what not. Even though these extra’s are quite simple, they are surely appreciated when you’re in that typical Disney mood.
After all these years the cast still does the trick. Whilst most of the actors might not be seen on the screen anymore, you’ll enjoy hearing voices, such as the one from Angela Lansbury once again (Mrs. Potts – Most of you might know her from the role of Jessica Fletcher).
Conclusion
Twenty-three years after its initial release the movie still remains a delight to watch through, with its captivating storyline, stunning visuals and catchy tunes. You’ll find yourself back in time, at the moment you’ve watched this magical experience for the first time. The only thing that is left to say is: Want to watch this movie? Be my guest.
Beauty and the Beast (3D Blu-Ray) - Movie Review,
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