A True Romance for the Ages

Rating: 10/10 (9 July 2007)

The first time I saw "Beauty and the Beast" I was floating around the video store searching for nothing in particular. Then i saw it. I wasn't sure what I was getting my self into, but it was Disney, so I decided to risk it.
I'm glad I did. From the very beginning with the stain glass prologue I knew this was magical. I can relate with Belle's dilemma in the beginning, living in a small town where your potential can't be reached, being the black sheep of town for thinking differently than the rest. It was a powerful scene when Belle sacrificed her freedom so that her father could return home and become healthy. It paid off. she fell in love, made new friends, and lived in her own fairy tale.
Now some people may say that adding all these other characters was unnecessary. I say, "What's wrong with you?" Let's face it. If the Beast and Belle didn't have other characters to help them get to know each other, Belle would still be in the tower and the Beast would still be a massive jerk. Mrs Potts, Chip, Lumiere, and Cogsworth needed to be in the movie or it wouldn't have moved along as it did.
I have to say that Gaston is a villain who changes more than any other in Disney history. In most Disney films, the villain is a dark, sullen creature from the very beginning. Gaston, however starts the movie as a stuck up jerk, much like a Quaterback in high school. He then progresses into the type of evil that ruins the innocent and manipulates the simpleminded to get what he wants. I actually cheered when he fell to his death.
From the time after Beast rescues Belle from the wolves, you can tell that a great friendship was blooming. During the Ballroom scene you could see a great love. Some may say that the film proves that a great makeover makes great romance, but if you actually watch the scene, Belle is reluctant to believe the Prince is her love, until she sees the soulful eyes. Belle fell in love with the soul, not the look. It didn't matter if he didn't change, she still loved him. This is one of the great Disney movies with a great message: True love and friendship isn't looks and riches. It's loving someone from the inside out. If Hunchback ended with Esmeralda going with Quasi, it would be a much better film, almost up to par with Beauty and the Beast. If you've never seen it, see it. If you have, see it again. 15/10