Disney Magic

Rating: 10/10 (4 October 2016)

There is indeed something magical about the animated films of the Walt Disney Studios. From their very first outing with SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN Dwarfs it was apparent. People talk about capturing lightning in a bottle but it was Disney who captured lightning in an inkwell. And while the studio now focuses almost solely on computer animation it was the hand drawn craftsmen of the past that were able to create an art form that remains stunning to this day.
It seems only natural that the Disney Studios, a group that was almost always ahead of the curve, would eventually change over to computer animation. While this is great on a technological level it is sad on another, the loss of an art form. Still, they've left behind so many movies to enjoy that it will never be completely lost. And this week the film that first combined the two styles is released in a 25th anniversary package, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.
Taken from the classic children's story the plot is fairly simple. The film begins with the tale of a young prince cursed for his selfishness by an enchantress and turned into a beast until he can find true love. It revolves around a young girl whose father is an inventor. A carefree young woman, Belle loves to read and is considered odd by most people in her small town. At the same time she catches the eye of Gaston, the good looking and conceited hunter in town.
Belle's father heads off to show his new invention nearby but on the way home loses his way and his horse and wagon. Chased by wolves he takes refuge at a nearby castle, invited in by the magical items in the house led by Lumiere, a candlestick, and Cogsworth, a clock. But the master of the house, the Beast, does not take kindly to strangers and throws him in his dungeon.
When the horse returns home Belle jumps aboard and has it take her to her father. Begging the Beast to allow her father to leave, she agrees to remain in his place forever. Thus begins a courtship between the two that begins in the worst way possible with the Beast, having spent his years alone, not knowing how to react to this young woman. As he learns how to behave, with the help of the magical items in the castle, he also learns to love Belle.
Back home Gaston, humiliated when Belle turned down his proposal, plots to force Belle into marrying him. He gets his chance to blackmail her when she returns home after leaving the Beast behind to rescue her father who was hoping to rescue her. While the townspeople think her father was loony and creating the Beast in his mind, Belle proves the Beast exist. This incurs the wrath of Gaston who leads the townspeople in an effort to destroy the Beast. Can love survive and bloom in this story? The movie works on so many levels. The best of these is the fact that it takes a story many grew up with, a children's tale of love and devotion, and stick to it rather than surround it with politically correct concepts. Many of today's films seem intent of making message pictures rather than entertaining ones. In doing so something is lost. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST was one of the last films from Disney that didn't attempt to do so and because of that I find it to be one of the last of their great animated films. It is story for the sake of story rather than an attempt to influence.
It also works as one of the great animated pieces in recent times, even if it is 25 years old. Can it really be that old? As I said earlier the movie was a combination of the classic hand drawn style of animation and computer generated animation. The ballroom scene heavily used the new animation style and because of it Disney Studios invested more into the new technology. When you watch something like FROZEN or ZOOTOPIA today it's because of this movie.
The creativity on display here is enormous. The use of various items in the Beast's castle as characters may not have been done here for the first time but it is some of the most entertaining. Everything from an armoire to a chipped teacup named Chip is brought to life and believably so. Images of brooms and mops from Disney's FANTASIA come to mind in certain scenes and that's a good thing.
Lastly there is the music here. With music by Alan Menken and words by Howard Ashman each and every song in the film is one that will find its way into your head and remain there for some time. "Belle" and "Gaston" capture the essence of each of the characters, helping round out who they are. "Be Our Guest" captures the fun seen in many of the classic Disney animated films. And the title track is a tremendous love song that remains popular to this day. That this film was the first to be adapted for the stage only makes sense.
The extras found in this package are the standard fare these days with nothing really standing out but it is the movie itself that makes this one worth adding to your collection. In addition to the blu-ray of the film a standard DVD version and digital version are included making it well worth the price. This is not a movie that will collect dust but rather one that can be enjoyed on occasion and definitely will be pulled out when the kids stop by. A treasure that is a must have for all.