One of Disney's best

Rating: Null/10 (5 November 2000)

Beauty and the Beast is one of Disney's best animated motion pictures. It tells the classic tale of a selfish and greedy prince who as a punishment for his selfish acts was turned into a beast and would only turn back to human if he found the ability to love... and be loved back before the last petal of an enchanted rose fell. Then Belle, a beautiful young woman becomes his 'prisoner' to free her father from the Beast. As time goes by Belle sees that the Beast is not as bad as he seems and the Beast learns to control his temper.
Beauty and the Beast is a true masterpiece and an unforgettable film, that anyone of any age can love and appreciate. It features some of Disney's most unforgettable characters: Belle (beautifully voiced by Paige O'Hara), The Beast (very well voiced by Robby Benson), Lumiere the candlestick holder (voiced very lively to my surprise by Jerry Orbach of Law & Order), Cogsworth the clock (voiced brilliantly by David Ogden Stiers, who has also provided voices for Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Pocahontas) and of course cinema's nicest teapot, Mrs. Potts (voiced magnificently by Angela Lansbury, who perhaps was the first to provide a 'celebrity voice' for an animated Disney film). And I'd feel guilty if I didn't mention Chip, Maurice (Belle's wacky father) and of course one of Disney's sexiest characters the feather-duster, who Lumiere constantly flirts with. When it comes to bad guys, I would say that Gaston is probably the most realistic Disney villain- He is human, he has no supernatural powers yet he is such a horrible person- he would actually lock Belle's father up in an insane asylum and only let him out if Belle agreed to marry him. I have constantly found myself enjoying Disney villains but I can truly hate Gaston as he is cruelty in it's true nature. Another villain very realistic with no supernatural powers like him is 101 Dalmatians' Cruella De Vil.
And as for the music: Well, it rightfully deserved the Oscars for best score (provided by Alan Menken) and best song. It features unforgettable songs such as Beauty and the Beast and Be Our Guest. Beauty and the Beast is one of Disney's best achievements and most worthy of being called a masterpiece.