Wonderful

Rating: Null/10 (30 June 2001)

SPOILER ALERT!!!
This film is well done and stands strongly in the field of the animation flops we've seen over the past few years. No matter what the naysayers on this page say, the movie has strong character development, a strong, coherent plotline, and a good moral to the story - Fiona will take love's true form when she is kissed, and the form isn't human - it's a very ruebenesque/voluptuous, green- skinned, gap-toothed, round-faced ogress. I think this is a good film for little girls who are entranced with Barbie, and little boys who think the girl with glasses in their class is "ugly." This is a film that could have a strong conversation between parents and their children emerge afterwards. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is the last animated film that I would point towards as having a strong female character for little girls to emulate. Now if we can see a mixture of Fiona's ogre looks and Belle's intelligence and common sense, we'd have a character that could be held up as somewhat more realistic than Barbie and Midge.
Is it witty? Yes. Is it silly? Yes. Can it be offensive? Yes (poor frog). Is it truthful? Depends on your point of view. But there's a point to it all. This is not a film you can sit idly by and watch - it takes some thinking on your part (unlike PEARL HARBOR).
Parents, I strongly suggest not taking children under 9 or so. You are the best judge in the matter, though - so I would say go to the movie first, then take your kids if they're ready.