What I Love About Disney's Beauty & the Beast (1991)

I watched the special edition of Beauty & the Beast two months ago, and loved it. It is one of Disney's best movies, and one of my favorites. While the live adaptation of Beauty & the Beast is one of the hyped up movies this year, I think the animated version is still the superior Disney movie. I'm not here to tell you why but I will share the six things I love about Beauty and the Beast.

Belle is a smart and caring character.
Belle is very much a forward thinking character. She's a bibliophile, she wants more for herself instead of succumbing to what is expected of her. She's caring, but not overtly nice. She's very direct; she knows what she wants and isn't afraid to say it. She has a personality of a human being: that small moment when she was about to leave the beast in the cold, wounded, and her decision afterwards, is telling of what kind of a person she is. 
The supporting characters are amazing.
How can one not love the camaraderie between Lumiere and Cogsworth? Mrs Potts and Chip are so adorable! I do wish that the featherduster was given more lines because she does tend to appear in a lot of scenes, albeit an onlooker with the trio. Gaston and LeFou are solid characters as well.
The number of expressions during character close-ups give this movie a personal touch.
Maybe it's just me but I never noticed how there were a lot of close ups in this movie. Has this always been present in Disney movies? I like how this captures a lot of emotions from (mostly) Belle and (sometimes) the Beast and other characters. Belle has the best expressions. 
The musical numbers were well crafted.
The special edition has a new song sung by the castle's staff, and I like how this puts into context the romantic night Belle and Beast would be having later on. All musical numbers were flawless. Be Our Guest is my favorite number, followed by the mob song, and the Gaston number. 
The animation is stunning.
Everything was magical and regal. Despite the bleak setting (the castle being cursed and all), everything was colorful. 
The movie is timeless. 
The messages in this movie is still relevant today. It is also a movie that aged well throughout the years. Even the added five minute animation compliments the movie. It is one of Disney's best works, and it is amazing in every way. 

4 comments:

  1. Totally agree with everything you say as I wondered what was the point of the live-action version that Brittani totally destroyed in her review?

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    1. The live action would have been great if it was as wonderful as the animated film, but that one was a let down.

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    2. Man, fuck the live action version! lol. I love the animated film so much, they had so many great things to work with, and they just ruined it with the blandest lead.

      I love this post. This version is so great and it ages well. I still watch it.

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  2. Great list! I really liked the new live-action movie for a lot of reasons, but it does not beat the original - at all. Belle is the best, and the actors who voiced all the objects are one-of-a-kind. The animation is perfection, especially with the characters, and the music is timeless.

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