We all know the story – the beautiful Belle sacrificing her freedom to save her father; the arrogant princeling whose ill treatment of a poor old woman leads to being cursed to become a beast until he finds someone who can love him despite his ferocious appearance. The question is whether it’s worth seeing the film in 3D.
Short answer: Yes!
Beauty and the Beast is one of Disney’s best feature length animations. The hand drawn animation is top flight; the music is truly fine – the songs aren’t just songs, they help develop the characters and further the plot; the voice cast is perfect, and the pacing is just right. It is one of the absolute best Disney films ever made.
What does the 3D do?
Despite the film being animated, the 3D makes it seem like we are moving through the forest; when the dishes burst into Be Our Guest, it’s like being in the middle of a big, deliriously happy Broadway song and dance number; when the egocentric Gaston leans in on Belle in what he imagines is a romantic situation, he looms over us like a true movie villain leaning over Pauline on the train tracks.
In short, Beauty and the Beast 3D almost literally draws us into the film and makes it real for us [in each of the situations described above, and others, my fourteen-year old niece – who has seen the 2D version many, many times – was saying, ‘Cool!’].
For the parents out there, I’ll put it like this, it was well worth getting up at 7 am on a Saturday morning to see it.
Nuff said.
Final Grade: A+
Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Studios.