3D Beauty & The Beast

Next year is the 20th Anniversary of one of Disney's most beloved animated films. We in Australia seem to be jumping the gun a bit on the films re-release in 3D to get some publicity before the film is re-released in DVD and Blu-ray next month.

I know for many people this is their favourite animated film of all time. There is also the fact that this is the first film to be nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars. Now don't get me wrong this is a brilliant film but I do not love it as much as everyone else. There is nothing terribly wrong with it, it is just that the film does not have the magic and enjoyment that I get from other animated films. You all know that my favourite animated film is 'The Nightmare Before Christmas', but of the other Disney animated films I prefer 'The Lion King' and 'Aladdin' more. Having said that this is still a brilliant film. The story is incredibly romantic which I love and is told in a nicely simple way with no padding. The characters are excellent too with a wonderfully empowering heroine. The comic support characters were not as great, for me, as other films. The real stand out though is the animation and design of the film. This brilliance is accentuated by the 3D in this new version. I was a little worried about the 3D look in a 2D animated film but I had nothing to worry about. The best scenes in the film are the two big musical numbers 'Beauty & The Beast' and 'Be Our Guest'. They looked so beautiful in 3D, especially the ballroom dance scene. So beautiful that I'm not afraid to say I had a tear in my eye. The only disappointing thing about the 'Be Our Guest' song is that it has been slightly ruined by years of watching 'The Simpsons'.

This film was made back when an actors name was not used to help sell the film. I think that came with Disney's next film 'Aladdin' when they cast Robin Williams and realised they could use a big name to sell a film. The cast are excellent and the voices really suit their characters visually. Jerry Orbach is the stand out as Lumiere and works wonderfully with David Ogden Stiers as a great double act. The wonderful Angela Lansbury I also loved, especially when she sings.

I know this may upset some people but I hope that Disney will convert a few of their other animated films into 3D. This is a classic film that should be seen on the big screen regardless of the format.