Beauty is beyond what's found on the outer. And falling in love is not as easy as getting attracted to looks & physical appearances alone. What it means to be more than just conventional in a such society and find a place where we belong. With this matured theme under grasp, Walt Disney Animation Studios tackle it through a beautiful classic storytelling in a musical feature animation, based off on the original French fairy tale.
Great characters give birth to a great, memorable film. Belle, Beast, Gaston, Lumière, Cogsworth, Maurice, Mrs. Potts & Chip are brought to life with amazing hand-drawn animation that defines looks & soulful voice acting! Speaking of voice acting, David Ogden Stiers' narration is what we call perfect! All the songs are smart methods used to flesh out these characters and cement their stable introductions or routines, and it surprises each time how conversations are blend into lyrics seamlessly.
Going into the story, we very well know from the beginning how the entire plot is going to play out. But, that doesn't mean the screenwriters take your attention for granted. There are fair amounts of hikes and lows. There is suspense, involving the forbidden West Wing. There's a ticking hourglass deadline to meet - the withering rose. Even the coincidences are pinned properly so that we won't feel it's forced. However, the story does hamper down a little once Belle (voiced by Paige O'Hara) is trapped in the enchanted castle.
Beast (voiced by Robby Benson) has the most complete character arc to fulfill. From a temperamental hooligan, to an adorable prince who learns how to love gently, to see what's inside a person and accepting things as they are, he has travel through a transformation. Sequences of the pair falling in love, acquainting with each other, before a mesmerizingly grand ballroom dance are pure magic!
While only some of the man-turned-furniture are unique & imaginative, the rest like the Featherduster & Wardrobe are okay. Chip (voiced by Bradley Pierce) is cute. Do note his lack of understanding as a kid about what's going on between Beast and Belle. Fantastic touch! But, his ability to ignite the invented machine to start is implausible. The kitchen utensils are already told to maintain silence during the secret dinner for Belle, so why was the 'Be Our Guest' inclusion necessary? Since there were already sufficient descriptions in the number 'Belle' for Gaston, an additional song for him at the bar is unneeded too. Although the 3D animation is minimal, it could have been easily avoided as it doesn't fit without oddity in a hand-drawn universe. Funny how a prince with reading disabilities has a chamber dedicated to books.
"I let her go. I had to. Because I love her."