Review by John Delia
The last home video release of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast in 2011 came complete with 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital Copy. If your family has not obtained an updated release, this 25th anniversary edition of the animated feature offers more bonus features plus a peak at the all new live action telling of the fairy tale that has lived on for decades. The Disney’s Beauty and the Beast new live action film will be released in theaters March of 2017.
In a faraway land lives Prince Adam a powerful lord whose castle overlooks the valley of his realm. One day an enchantress seeks lodging from the cold offering the Prince a rose in exchange. But, the Prince refuses the old beggar lady who then casts a spell on his castle and turning Adam into a beast. To return to his natural self he must find love before the rose petals fall from the flower.
By now most children over the age of three have seen a version of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. For those families that have yet to enjoy the whimsical and dramatic story it’s filled with song, romance and a bit of vengeance. Sweet Belle lives in a village that’s in the kingdom of Prince Adam where she loves reading adventurous novels that allow her to escape her ordinary life. When her father gets held hostage by Prince Adam she sets out to rescue him.
The film received acclaim with Oscar and Golden Globe wins and broke the box-office record for an animated film in 1991. Glorious and sometimes very dramatic with an attack on the castle, the movie became a mainstay in the Disney Home Video family in 1992 on VHS. The medium however, would be replaced by DVD in years to come. It wasn’t until 2002 that the film was released on the new portable DVD disc and finally on Blu-ray in 2010.
Now on Blu-ray the 2016 release of the movie has become a part of the Walt Disney’s The Signature Collection. In this release of the Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD the box set features the Disney Movies Anywhere that allows a download onto your mobile and computer players. Along with some of the previous special features this box set includes new Bonus Extras including:
“Menken & Friends: 25 Years of Musical Inspiration†that offers some a look into the world of Disney’s greatest composers. Alan Menken, Stephen Schwartz, Kristen Anderson Lopez, Robert Lopez, and Lin Manuel Miranda are featured.
“The Recording Sessions†Vocal magic with the cast
“Always Belle†features Page O’Hara the original voice of Belle.
“#1074: Walt, Fairy Tales and Beauty and the Beast†Shows Walt Disney during the early development of Beauty and the Beast.
“25 Fun Facts about Beauty and the Beast†This short is hosted by Disney Channel favorites Gus Kamp of “Best Friends†and Kayla Maisonet “Stuck in the Middleâ€.
And more special features
Beauty and the Beast has always been a favorite of mine due to the music and songs like the lively “Be Our Guest†that gets stuck in my head every time I hear it. Winner of an Academy Award, “Beauty and the Beast†sung by Page O’Hara is still up there with the best show tunes ever and provides the heartrending theme for the film.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A family film that lives on for repeat viewing on Blu-ray/DVD. (A)
Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Paige O’Hara, Angela Lansbury, Robby Benson, Jerry Orbach, David Ogden Stiers, Jo Anne Worley, Richard White, Bradley Michael Pierce, Rex Everhart, Jesse Corti, Hal Smith, Alec Murphy
Directed by: Kirk Wise, Gary Trousdale
MPAA Rating: G
Genre: Animated, Family, Fantasy
Running Time: 1 hr. 24 min.
Original Theatrical Release Date: November 22, 1991
Video Release Date: September 20, 2016
Language: English (changeable to French or Spanish)
Reviewed Format: Blu-ray
Audio: 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio
Video: Widescreen, Aspect Ration 1.78:1
Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
Number of Discs: 2 Discs
Distributed by: Buena Vista Home Entertainment