Beauty and the Best

Rating: 10/10 (2 April 2006)

From the opening music, I was engaged. By the first song, I was loving it. By 'Be Our Guest' I was dancing. By 'Beauty and the Beast' I was crying, and by the end reprise I was happy again. I challenge anyone who dares say that this film doesn't contain everything a musical needs: a touching romance, an evil villain prepared to ruin her romance, fantastic songs and an award winning score (very deservedly), believable characters with no wooden voicing (Angela Lansbury singing absolutely beautifully) and how many decent films have been made into a successful Broadway musical? Only with Alan Menken, Howard Ashman (and a little help from Tim Rice). It is also a dawning, as this is the only villain in any film that I have fallen in love with. Gaston rocks, and if he was real, I would marry him without a doubt. I don't care if he is an animated character: Gaston is a very, very, VERY sexy tenor, and if no one else is attracted, then you can go to hell!