To kick off 2002, Squibbles and I headed off to our local IMAX theatre to see the new digitally enhanced (and slightly expanded) version of Beauty and the Beast. We also brought along friend, and regular movie companion Yvette, who, I should note, was horrified that I had never seen Beauty and the Beast.
But as my regular readers all know, I’m a big Disney fan, everything from the classic animation right through the computer-generated Pixar worlds, this particular movie just happened to sneak past me, so it was with great anticipation that I made this the first film of the year.
The story is a classic — girl meets beast, girl hates beast at first, girl sees beast’s inner beauty, beast changes his ways and becomes the perfect man as girl’s love sets him free. Ahh, I love a good fairy tale!!
OK, OK, the premise is more than a little far-fetched, but it still makes for a terrific movie. Those Disney people are at their absolute best with this film, and the newly digitized version is simply amazing. The colors are stunning, the songs are a perfect fit and the ‘furniture’ maintains the right comic pace. As a bonus for the IMAX viewers (and no doubt the DVD buyers later this year) an extra song is added featuring the secondary characters in the beast’s castle, and it fits in seamlessly.
Just an all-around terrific viewing experience for kids and Disney-lovers, and one that has held up well over time.
Rating: A steaming hot bowl of porridge, 8/10