Originally Posted By Doobie This topic is for discussion of the January 2nd Toon Talk Review of Beauty and the Beast Special Edition. This article is at: <a href="News-ID114290.asp" target="_blank">http://LaughingPlace.com/News-ID114290.asp</a>.
Originally Posted By Great Stone Dragon I saw this yesterday. I know what you mean ToonKirby when you point out the cons of blowing up an animated feature to such a large size. There were times when Belle's face (shown far in the distance) seemed nothing more than a rough circle with a line for where the two eyes would have been. Also, because they are now so large, some of the backgrounds appear very grainy. Thirdly, some of the quick moves may give you a head ache. Scenes such as the wolf fight, Beast moving very quickly, and the fight at the end can be hard on the eyes because the movement isn't created by as many frames. Lastly, though it may have just been the theater I saw it at, the sound track was often a split second ahead of the animation. When a 6 story Belle's pronunciation is slightly lagged or guns boom before they recoil, it's a little annoying. On the plus side, the color was fantastic, and it was great to see such beloved characters larger than life. I enjoyed the extra scene (though I hope they keep the original release version for the upcoming DVD). Overall, I'm glad I saw this version and found it very interesting as a "study" of animation. It offers a lot of positives and some striking negatives about what's great and not so great about animation. However, as of this moment, I'll probably skip the upcoming release of the IMAX Lion King next year.
Originally Posted By BeccasMommy A question for Kirby....do you know who did the narration at the beginning of Beauty and the Beast? It sounds very much like David Ogden Stiers in his "Charles Emmerson Winchester" voice...but in the credits I did not noticed it listed, but we also didn't get to stay to watch the credits since we were rushed out of the theater but that is a story for another day.
Originally Posted By HyperTyper IMAX screens are big, but shaped like TV screens (height and width roughly the same). How is the movie framed? Is it letterboxed, so the original wide-shot is seen, or is it blown-up and cropped on the sides, like the as is done for full-screen video? Also, I never got to see Fantasia 2000 on a large screen because it was released in official IMAX theaters only, and the large-format theaters in my area are all non-IMAX screens. Are there any plans to re-release Fantasia 2000 in all large-screen theaters?
Originally Posted By JeffG Actually, it is letterboxed. The letterboxing is just so slight that it is barely noticible on such a giant screen. The aspect ratio of IMAX is 1.43:1 while the aspect ratio of "Beauty and the Beast" is 1.66:1 (the European standard ratio). If you look very closely, you can see that the image doesn't quite go all the way to the top of the IMAX screen, but it is hard to see in a darkened theater. -Jeff
Originally Posted By DsneFan Sorry, but I don't agree with your B- rating. I found the experience to be breathtaking and magical. The "Be Our Guest" segment was cause for applause; the opening segment, the long shot when Belle is singing about "I want adventure in the great wide somewhere," and the ballroom sequence was particularly mesmerizing. We all enjoyed the addition of the Human Again segment and felt it blended quite nicely.
Originally Posted By PTerry I think the addition of Human Again was wonderful! But my favorite character has always been The Wardrobe. It was great to see more of her. I didn't care for the IMAX size of the film. This film was never ment to be seen in that detail. I can't wait for the DVD release.
Originally Posted By Buttons Mom I just saw Beauty and the Beast this afternoon. It is sort of overwhelming to see this movie blown up on such a huge screen. I didn't like the fact that the backgrounds are so grainy and some of the animation is pretty choppy. You notice a lot more detail though. Still one of my favorites all the way. The ballroom scene looks just simply awesome.
Originally Posted By PaulaInCa Can anyone tell me the latin phrase on the stained glass window? It looked like "vincit qui et vincit".
Originally Posted By Sapphire The Latin phrase has been discussed at Disney Ever Notice (a great discussion site relating to mistakes and in-jokes in the films); it translates as "He who conquers himself conquers."
Originally Posted By ToonKirby David Ogden Stiers also repeated his narration for the Broadway version. I too hope that the DVD has the original version, with the option of "dropping in" the new sequence (such as the "X-Men" DVD).
Originally Posted By AladdinAZ TK, I agree with you completely, there should be an option on the DVD to see the original or with the added scene.
