BEAUTY AND THE BEAST 3D (USA 1991/2011) *****
Directed by Kirk Wise and Gary Troudsdale

The last Disney animated 3D re-issue of THE LION KING garnered the Studios over $100 million.  Hot on the heals of that success, the magical classic BEAUTY AND THE BEAST gets its makeover and should likely make a tidy profit for Disney Studios.

First released in 1991, it seems hardly any time at all but 20 years have flown since BEAUTY AND THE BEAST enchanted audiences around the world.  Arguably the best of the Disney animations ever, the film returns Disney to the roots of its fairy tale successes like CINDERELLA and SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST’s magic works time and again.  It is the ageless story of true romance, redemption and sacrifice, basic human elements audiences can identify with.  The film is also highly imaginative, brilliantly humorous and exciting as any action packed adventure.  But it is a musical at heart with songs like the Oscar winning title song written by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman (whom the film is dedicated to).  The film also won Menken an Oscar for Best Musical Score.

A prince (Robbie Benson) is turned into The Beast by an enchantress because of his heartlessness.  Unless he can find someone to truly love him before the last petal of an encased rose falls, he will forever remain a beast.  Enter a lost old man into his castle whom the Beast imprisons.  Belle (Paige O’Hara) begs the Beast to let her father go and to take his place instead.  But the imprisoned Belle touches the heart of the Beast and the two fall slowly in love, a beautiful love.  The rest of the story is history.  If there is anything to remind audiences that the original story is French (LA BELLE ET LE BETE), most of the villagers where Belle resides speak with a French accent (as does the narrator, David Ogden Stiers).

Humour, a key element in animated movies, is provided by the castle enchanted tea pot, her tea cup, a candelabra and a mantel cup.  The tea pot (Angela Lansbury) sings the title song of the film in the film’s grandest sequence.  (Celine Dion sung the radio version.) But funniest is Belle’s pompous suitor, Gaston (Richard White), prancing around in all his glory thinking himself the best catch in the world for Belle.

Though redone in 3D for the 3D generation, the film still stands well on its own in either the 3D or non 3D versions.  If making more money is an excuse to redo the film in 3D, at least audiences get a chance again to see this wonderful fairy tale on the screen.  Bring lots of Kleenex!