More Than Meets The Eye

Rating: 10/10 (1 January 2009)

We all know that animations tend to get overlooked, as many believe that they are directed towards the children audience. Well, in some cases that is true, but this one is anything but. The Lion King is widely considered the best animation of all time, and it certainly is spectacular, but Beauty and the Beast elevates the level of animations to an unprecedented level. To be honest, it doesn't feel like a child's tale at all, with some themes being rather mature (although there is no inappropriate for a child). As with all Disney animations, imagery and symbolism is frequent, but in this case it works flawlessly. Characterization is utterly spectacular, and the characters themselves are perfectly designed. The music is enthralling, and the character songs are once again top notch. While children will certainly enjoy this, adults will be even more astonished at how masterfully crafted this animation is. To this day, it is the only animation to be nominated for Best Picture, and it should have won that as it truly was the best film of the year. Believe me, this movie is that good. If you haven't seen it, do so as soon as possible, because there are only a handful of movies that are actually better than this. Remember, this might be an animation, but if you look past its exterior, and absorb the message of the film, you will discover that it is something much more...it is beautiful.