In exactly one month, Beauty and the Beast the 2 Disc Standard Definition DVD will become available on DVD, though I have the pleasure of owning the new 3 Disc Combo Pack of the Diamond Edition right now…and so can you! Before you head out to buy it, check out what you’re getting below.
Release Date: 3 Disc Combo Pack October 5, 2010
DVD November 23, 2010
Feature Rating: G
Feature Running Time: 90 minutes
Set in and around a quaint French village during the late 18th century, Beauty and the Beast follows the fantastic adventures of Belle, a bright and beautiful young woman who finds escape from her ordinary life, and the advances of a boorish suitor, Gaston, by reading books. Meanwhile, off in a castle in the distance, a cruel young prince is cast under the spell of an enchantress who turns him into a tormented beast, while transforming his servants into animated household objects. In order to remove the curse, the Beast must discover a true love who will return his affection before the last petal falls from an enchanted rose. When Belle’s inventor father stumbles upon the Beast’s castle and is taken prisoner, Belle comes to the rescue and agrees to take her father’s place. With the help of the castle’s enchanted staff, she sees beneath the Beast’s exterior and discovers the heart and soul of a human prince.
Beauty and the Beast is a Disney classic that I grew up watching on VHS and loved. Though watching it now, there are many things that I see in a more profound light. For instance, the Beast is full of so much more rage than I had originally thought. I don’t remember being scared as a child, but watching now I can definitely see how children could be intimidated by the Beast. Also, I didn’t remember Gaston to be so incredibly conceited. Oh, yes, about that word, conceited…it seems like a big word (thinking back as a toddler) to use – but still very fitting. Aside from little things such as this, overall I still very much enjoyed the film. It’s music is timeless and it’s message so beautiful. It’s always interesting to watch films years after they have released to see how they hold up…and this film is a classic for a reason. So I highly recommend that all of you Disney fans pick this up before it goes into the vault!
DVD Bonus Features:
3 Versions of the Film: Special Extended Edition, Original Theatrical Release, Work in Progress Edition (The Latter Includes an Introduction by Producer, Don Hahn)
Disney Sing Along Mode
Commentary – The commentary for the special extended edition of Beauty & the Beast is conducted by directors Kirk Wide and Gary Trousdale, producer Don Hahn, and composer Alan Menken. There are a number of fascinating facts to learn about the making of this film in this commentary. One of those fun facts is that the prologue was written some 200 times before the final version! It’s very much an informational commentary but it works because the guys talk about everything viewers would want to know about all that it took to make this film. There are a few moments that will make you laugh but for the most part, it’s just about soaking in all of the new information. One moment that I did laugh at was how they admit that their logic went out the window when it came to the dancing flatware as every piece is not equivalent to a human being who was turned into flatware. I noticed that when I watched this film again and hoped that this would be addressed in the commentary, so it was quite funny that they did indeed realize this issue. Other interesting talking points include the debate about the length of Gaston’s chin, the Broadway show, Howard Ashman’s Streisand note to Paige O’Hara in the recording studio, and a song that originally was 11 minutes long but was ultimately cut from the film to name a few. As a Disney fan, you’d be doing yourself a disservice not watching this commentary. As if you need another reason to love this film…these guys will give you 100 reasons more.
Blu-Ray Bonus Features:
* All New Digital Restoration
* 3 Versions of the Film
* Disney Sing Along Mode
* Audio Commentary
* Composing a Classic
* Broadway Beginnings
* All-New Music Video
* Never Before Seen Alternate Opening
* Never Before Seen Deleted Scene
* Beyond Beauty – The Untold Stories
* Enchanted Musical Challenge Game
* Bonjour, Who Is This? Game
etc…
Fun Facts:
* Beauty and the Beast is the first of only two animated films ever to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture (the second is 2009’s Up).
* Beauty and the Beast won two if its six Academy Award® nominations, two Oscars in 1992 for Best Original Song (“Beauty and the Beast”) and Best Original Score, and two Grammy Awards in 1993.
* Beauty and the Beast was the first Disney animated film to inspire a Broadway stage production by the same name. Seven new songs were written for the stage musical and the musical was nominated for nine Tony Awards in 1994. The musical ran on Broadway for 5,464 performances until 2007, becoming Broadway’s sixth-longest running production in history.
Own Beauty and the Beast Diamond Edition now and the 2 Disc Standard Definition DVD November 23, 2010.