Average Rating: 
Rating:  - a Disney classic with tons of bells and whistles
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.
Rating: - What's wrong with this movie?
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.
Rating:  - TALE AS OLD AS TIME NEWLY INCARNATED FOR DVD
In 1991 Disney's "Beauty & The Beast" became the only film in the history of the Academy Awards to be nominated in the Best Picture catagory. And although it didn't win (Silence of the Lambs did), the ripple effect that this landmark had on the Disney legacy was felt for nearly a decade afterward. The story is based on the classic fairytale but given the "Disney touch" with talking furniture and magical moments that really owe more to a Broadway show than the Brothers Grimm.
Alan Menken and Howard Ashman were the creative team that penned the Oscar winning score. But when the film originally premiered one of their best songs "Human Again" was left on the cutting room floor, an artistic liberty that has been rectified with this DVD release.
You get not one, not two, but three distinct versions of this film on DVD. All are presented in anamorphic widescreen. The special edition includes the restoration of the Ashman/Menken song previously mentioned as well as an all new, newly enhanced IMAX hi-def print that really makes the film sparkle beyond anything seen in theaters. The original theatrical cut is also included as well as "Beauty & The Beast: Work In Progress" a wonderful version of the film, shown at a New York critic's preview that includes pencil tests of the film's art work, released before a final version of the finished film was completed. Disc two of this enchanted Platinum Edition is chocked full of extra features that are too many to be believed. Some seem rather silly - the dance mix of Beauty & The Beast music video falls into this catagory.
About the transfer: The opening scene with its stained glass windows is heavy on edge enhancement and pixelization. However, once these few moments are over, so are both of these distractions. Overall, the visual quality of either the theatrical cut or special edition is outstanding. The 5.1 mix is beautifully presented. On disc two, the menus and some of the documentary footage also suffer from aliasing and shimmering details but nothing that one can't overlook for the sake of getting through the rough spots. BOTTOM LINE: This tale may be old as time, but it shines like a new penny in this wonderful remastered offering from Disney Inc. Bravo!
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