An admirable 84 minutes of animation

Rating: 8/10 (18 September 2007)

I was only five years old when this hit animated Disney flick came into theatres, and don't recall ever going to see any movies on the big screen when I was that young, so I obviously didn't see this one. A while later (I can't remember exactly when), I saw it on the small screen for the first time, and while I don't think I ever liked it as much as Disney's "Aladdin", it was enjoyable enough for me to watch several more times. Like many other Disney films, I'm still impressed with this one after rediscovering it.
An enchantress casts a spell on a selfish prince, turning him into an ugly beast! She leaves him a rose, which will bloom until he turns 21. In order to break this spell, he must learn to love and be loved in return before the rose's last petal falls. If he fails to do so, the spell will be permanent. In a nearby village lives an inventor named Maurice, and his daughter, Belle, a bookworm who is not happy living in this village. One night, Maurice gets lost in the woods, and searches for a place to stay for the night. He comes across a castle, and doesn't know this is the Beast's castle! When the Beast sees him, he locks him up! Belle looks for her missing father, and finds him there. She begs the Beast to set him free and take her instead, and he accepts this offer, so Belle is now his prisoner. His 21st birthday is drawing near, and with Belle in his life, he finally has the chance try and break the spell before it's too late, but will he succeed?!
While I don't like this Disney version of "Beauty and the Beast" as much as many others do, I can see why it's so popular. It may not have as much excitement as certain other Disney animated features, but it does have some (mainly towards the end, in my opinion). The movie also contains lot of humour, mainly thanks to Gaston (the rude, nasty man who wants to marry Belle) and Lefou (Gaston's silly assistant), as well as Lumiere and Cogsworth (two of the Beast's servants, one a candle and the other a clock due to the spell, who often get into fights with each other). Of course, the animation in the film is also something that deserves praise. So, while not the greatest film in Disney history, it's still one not to be forgotten!