“She’ll never see me as anything but a monster,” so says Robby Benson as the voice of the Beast in Disney’s beloved classic film Beauty and the Beast. The only animated movie to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture returns digitally restored to the big screen for a limited engagement with one brand new addition – 3D.
The story is the same. Belle, (Paige O’Hara) the most beautiful but odd girl in the little French village, gives up her freedom to save her father from being the prisoner of the mean, terrifying Beast in his dark and scary castle. The loyal enchanted servants, including a teapot (Angela Lansbury), a candelabra named Lumiere (the late, great Jerry Orbach), and a mantel clock called Cogsworth (David Ogden Stiers), all believe that she is the one who could break the spell put upon them and their master so many years ago. So, they set out to play matchmaker between the scared, strong–willed but sweet Belle and the quick-tempered, brooding but goodhearted Beast. If they can get Belle to look past the Beast’s exterior and see his true self – a loving, caring Prince – the two might just fall in love and return the Beast and his servants to their original form.
>Charming, romantic, and elegant, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is just as magical, endearing and fun in 2012 as it was when it was first released in 1991. All the wonderful songs, including the lovely title number “Beauty and the Beast,” plus one of the best musical production numbers to ever be put up on screen in years, “Be Our Guest,” are back. The animation looks better than ever with the digital restoration, and the voice performances from the cast are flawless.
The real question is, does the audience need to spend an extra three or sometimes five dollars to experience it in 3D? Unless the kids are dying to see the movie in 3D, the answer is no. In fact, a few times, the 3D detracts from the action in a scene rather than enhancing it (near the end of the film during the attempted siege of the castle Beauty and the Beast goes slightly out of focus trying to deliver the 3D effect, and the rain blocks the view of some of the action and characters).
Still, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is a timeless and beautiful animated film that should never be missed when the chance to see it in the theater comes around. Make sure to go to the multiplex to visit Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, Cogsworth, Belle, and Beast, and let yourself be their guest.
GRADE: A
Beauty and the Beast in 3D hits theaters on January 13, 2012 and is rated G.
