a wonderful and timeless musical

Rating: 8/10 (12 July 2006)

'Beauty and the Beast' is a classic love story that anyone will enjoy, whether you're a small child, a teenager, an adult, or an elderly person. It's a film that's charming, elegant, and sweet, not to mention funny. The songs are fantastic, and share the honor with 'Aladdin' and 'The Lion King' of having the best lineup of songs. I guarantee you'll remember at least three of them for years to come, including 'Be Our Guest', and the classic 'Beauty and the Beast'. The story follows Belle, a beautiful girl living in an rural area. She has always lived to assist her father, a desperate inventor who seems to be losing his marbles. When he goes off to an inventor's show and gets lost, Maurice's horse returns to Belle, and they set off to find him. Maurice is discovered in a colossal castle, filled with mysterious inhabitants, including the master, a fierce and horrifying beast. Belle persuades the Beast to take her instead of her father, and thus the story begins. Belle soon discovers there could be so much more to this beast than rage and hair (laughs). Filled with excellent actors including the late Jerry Orbach and Angela Lansbury, B&B is simply excellent, a beautiful romance that will attract any viewer to its unavoidable charm. As quoted in the song, it's a tale as old time, song as old as rhyme, Beauty and the Beast.
8/10 --spy