Beauty and the Beast 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray Review
Aaron Walker
December 13th, 2016
It is strange to think about BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, the Oscar-nominated animated film that brought Disney animation back into the spotlight with incredible animation, storytelling, and a nearly flawless musical track and casting, as being the first of an era. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST was the movie that sparked the fire of animation with the public and made todays plethora of animated films possible. Consider: in 1991 Pixar hadn’t yet released Toy Story (that didn’t happen until 1995). There were no other major studios releasing animated features, and while Disney officially started the annual cycle with OLIVER & COMPANY in 1988 and THE LITTLE MERMAID in 1989, neither of those movies achieved the widespread critical and mainstream success of this 1991 film, which kicked off a string of amazing releases (most notably ALADDIN in 1992, THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS in 1993, and THE LION KING in 1994). It would be strange to someone who didn’t live during that time, now that we have multiple studios releasing 1-2 animated features every single year.
In 1991 computer animation was just being considered for animated films and finally being used for great special effects… I still remember watching a ‘making of’ feature on the BEAUTY AND THE BEAST VHS that discussed how they animated, with a computer(!), the ballroom dancing scene and I could barely believe it. I would posit that none of this would have been possible without the immense success of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, which has just been released on 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray, part of Disney’s regular re-release marketing plan for their films which makes sure they are constantly rolled out to a new audience of filmgoers. Sometimes I wonder why they release and re-release their movies so often, but when a gem like this comes along and my breath is taken away I am left wondering why I make such a fuss, and I’m instantly a child again.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is likely a well-known story to you by now, with the beautiful Belle falling victim to the prince-turned-Beast and forced to live in his castle so she can set free her ailing, inventor father. What then develops between she and the Beast is a friendship and then a blossoming love, told beautifully by the wonderful score and lyrics of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. The story enhances the classical telling of Beauty and the Beast adding an enchanted household of inanimate objects who serve the Beast and with the addition of a formal ‘bad guy’ in Gaston, all of which add depth to the story and gives the movie the elegant romanticism of the classic Disney-era animated features.
With a great script and a rousing musical score and numbers that would have been right at home on Broadway (and eventually were when BEAUTY AND THE BEAST was transitioned to the Broadway stage), BEAUTY AND THE BEAST was, and is, a breathtaking reminder of the joy of cinema. It takes the viewer to a different time and place in the way few animated features do by completely ensconcing us in the world of Belle and her father and the little town where they live and, later, the Beast’s castle. While the plot isn’t without holes, it is difficult to focus on them when the end product is so magical.
Watching BEAUTY AND THE BEAST on the 25th Anniversary Blu-ray release, part of the Disney Signature Series branding, is an incredible experience for any fan of the film or of animation in general. First off you get the movie along with an absolutely astounding number of special features that make this package truly remarkable, assuming you didn’t purchase it the first time it was released a few years ago in a Diamond edition Blu-ray (along with a 3D Blu-ray to go with it). Honestly, if you’re a fan of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST you can’t go wrong with this package, which once again proves Disney is the king of special edition releases. It is strange to think that BEAUTY AND THE BEAST was originally released in 1991, in part because the film has aged so well. It still represents the modern musical brought to life, though I wonder if it would be nominated for a Best Picture Oscar if it was released today. It would have my vote.
BLU-RAY REVIEW
Video: (1080p Widescreen 1.78:1) The video transfer is beautiful and nearly flawless on BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, which we have come to expect from every Disney Blu-ray.
Audio: (English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1) The audio for BEAUTY AND THE BEAST is breathtaking and immersive.
The Blu-ray features two additional versions of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST to enjoy with your family (or on your own). First, the Sing-Along Edition, which is available in English-only, and features a karaoke-style ticker with the lyrics at the bottom of the screen. The other is The Special Extended Edition of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1:31:44) which features some unreleased footage and song verses that were cut from the original presentation of the film. They do little to add but they don’t detract from BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.
Song Selection (22:52) The various songs from BEAUTY AND THE BEAST may be jumped to directly from the menu. Only available for the “Sing-Along” edition.
Audio Commentary (01:31:44) Only available on the Special Extended Edition of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, this commentary track was already featured on a past release of the film. Still, it is a worthwhile entry and quite interesting, especially this far removed from the release.
Always Belle (11:32) The actress who played Belle in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST remembers her involvement in the film and how it dramatically changed her life from there on.
Menken & Friends: 25 Years of Musical Inspiration (19:06) This feature puts together some Broadway heavyweights (like Lin Manuel-Miranda from 2016’s smash and Tony-award winning Hamilton) and puts them together with Steven Schwartz and Alan Menken to talk about how BEAUTY AND THE BEAST came together. This is one of the coolest features and a reminder Disney really goes all out putting together content for these anniversary releases, rather than regurgitating the same things over and over.
#1074: Walt, Fairy Tales, & BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (09:36) A retrospective on how Walt Disney’s travels through Europe opened his mind to their fairy tales as inspiration for Disney animation. It’s surprising to think that at one time Disney wasn’t known for this. This one is very interesting.
The Recording Sessions (03:48) a very short look back to the recording studio where all of the voices were laid down into tracks for BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Another awesome special feature from Disney that leaves you wishing for more.
25 Fun Facts about BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (05:24) A couple of current stars review some truly interesting trivia about BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST SNEAK PEEK (01:24) An incredibly brief look into the live-action film to be released in March 2017.
Classic Bonus Preview (00:43) This is a short preview of all supplemental materials available when you purchase (or redeem) the digital copy available with this set.
The BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Blu-ray package is an excellent one for any collector, fan, or family. There is nothing missing here and Disney once again knocks it out of the park on a Blu-ray release truly worth the price of admission. The package contains a Disney Movies Anywhere digital copy of the film which, if you have linked your iTunes and Ultraviolet accounts to the Disney service, will show up in both of those places as well.
