Originally Posted By Doobie This topic is for discussion of the October 21st Toon Talk Review of Beauty and the Beast Platinum Edition at: <a href="News-ID114620.asp" target="_blank">http://LaughingPlace.com/News-ID114620.asp</a>.
Originally Posted By TikiRoomer TK, good review. Come on, though... they could have asked Fox to let them use "See My Vest" from The Simpsons... err, maybe not. As to the "Original/Special/Work in Progress Editions" Disney is obviously going to be Lucasian and push the Special Edition first, after hey spent all that money. Furthermore, as many die-hard Disney adults as there are, it's still largely a kids release, and little kids really only care so much about the flow of a film by one number's addition. The film is still watchable, and the die-hards will lovingly tear through every detail of the disc anyway, and will easily find the other versions. But still, you're right overall. Even a simple go-between option, like on the Terminator 2 Ultimate Edition disc, would have been welcome (and not THAT difficult to add.) Finally, silly TK! You know eventually Disney will start releasing DVD editions of the Broadway shows when they have enough of them under their belt. THEN we'll see super-duper in depth extras involving the stage shows. Unless Disney has lost the urge to suck up money, and isn't planning any sort of video releases for the stage shows. If that's true, I'm not sure how to feel about that... Good review overall. Toon Talk is stil the most entertaining thing on LP.
Originally Posted By JeffG >> "Belle and the Beast continue the holiday festivities with the DVD debut of Beauty and the Beast: An Enchanted Christmas, available November 12th." << The November 12th release of "Enchanted Christmas" is a reissue, not the DVD debut of the title. This was actually the first traditionally animated title ("Nightmare Before Christmas" was the first animated release of any kind) that Disney released on DVD back in 1998. The original suggested retail price of the disc was $39.95 and it had no extras of any significance... -Jeff
Originally Posted By ToonKirby >Finally, silly TK! You know eventually Disney will start releasing DVD editions of the Broadway shows when they have enough of them under their belt. THEN we'll see super-duper in depth extras involving the stage shows. Unless Disney has lost the urge to suck up money, and isn't planning any sort of video releases for the stage shows. If that's true, I'm not sure how to feel about that...< One would hope, Tikiroomer. It's worked for Sondheim and (to an extent) Webber, so we'll see. >The November 12th release of "Enchanted Christmas" is a reissue, not the DVD debut of the title. This was actually the first traditionally animated title ("Nightmare Before Christmas" was the first animated release of any kind) that Disney released on DVD back in 1998.< Thanks Jeff, your right, although I thought "A Bug's Life" was the first Disney released DVD? For the record, the "Enchanted Christmas" DVD coming out next month will be a "special edition" with some extras. Thank you both for your comments.
Originally Posted By JeffG >> "Thanks Jeff, your right, although I thought "A Bug's Life" was the first Disney released DVD? " << "A Bug's Life" came out on DVD in April 1999. "Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas" came out on DVD in October 1998. "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (the movie-only version) was included in Disney's very first batch of DVD releases in December 1997. You can read much of the history of Disney's earliest DVD releases in the archives of The Digital Bits site: <a href="http://www.thedigitalbits.com/articles/oldstudionews/disney.html" target="_blank">http://www.thedigitalbits.com/ articles/oldstudionews/disney.html</a> -Jeff
Originally Posted By jasmine7 Wonderful review, TK! I absolutely love this movie & the musical, so I definitely would have liked to have seen more about the musical. Speaking of which, I read a brief on USA Today's website in their People section that said Disney is now working on a movie version of Broadway's B&tB. I hope it's as good as it is live. Here's hoping!
Originally Posted By Jim A live-action version of the stage version? That would be awesome! Great review TK! I totally agree with your comments concerning "Human Again." I really liked this set, though. One note, I think they were joking about the Regis Philibin casting on the director's commentary.
Originally Posted By Santa Monica Oh wow, read this review. It's very unexpected... <a href="http://www.chud.com/chudvd/reviews/beautybeast.php3" target="_blank">http://www.chud.com/chudvd/rev iews/beautybeast.php3</a>
Originally Posted By treelo Am I the only one who just doesn't think that BEAUTY & THE BEAST is the masterpiece everyone says it is? Sure, the enchanted objects are spectacular with their personalities and banter. But the script really stinks. The dialogue apart from the objects is really awkward. Gaston is a terribly weak villian. Lefou...come on! Disney wanted to create very human characters, and here is Lefou dancing on people's heads! And I really hate the fact that we see Belle nursing the Beast's wounds, they argue, they sort of make up. Boom! The next scene we see is Beast saying, "I've never felt this way about anyone." Where's the development, people? Sorry for this rant. I know it's an endearing film to most. But I'm more endeared to the simple films, films not bogged down with big production numbers...Bambi, Dumbo, Pinocchio. Even Aladdin doesn't seem as self-concious as B&TB in it's musical execution. Okay, feel free to rip me apart now.
Originally Posted By jdub To be sure, the film is full of holes, leaps and gaps-more than you even mentioned--but it's great enough in my opinion that it's among my favorite Diz movies.
Originally Posted By Jakijajah Just watched it today. Does anyone else have a problem with the clean up effect throughout the whole movie? It looks too...errr.. hard to say. I liked the blurry roughness of the original version. Still it's a true masterpiece.
Originally Posted By basil fan B&B falls somewhere in the middle of my Disney animated feature list. Except for Beast, the human characters seem over-mannered, if you get what I mean. And Lefou looks like he belongs in another movie. The character design is first-rate, & I like big production numbers. The humor is very basic, no surprises. But the romance angle is made much better than the norm by Belle's misanthropy & Beast's selflessness. Now *that's* a real love story. As far as the characters falling in love too fast, well, that's been standard procedure in practically every movie ever made since the beginning of celluloid. Real love takes time, but it's not that interesting to watch on the big screen. Jdub, you've said before about the plot holes in B&B, but I can't recall you ever posting them. Mind naming just a couple? Mouse Tales <a href="http://www15.brinkster.com/wtstsgalor/mice.html" target="_blank">http://www15.brinkster.com/wts tsgalor/mice.html</a>
Originally Posted By jdub Well, the most obvious holes to me are actually in the continuity department. Sharp eyes were not at work in the planning/editing process. In no order whatsoever... 1. At the end of "Belle": Gaston climbing the roof to catch up w/Belle. She is clear of the buildings--she has walked past them all--and in the next cut Gaston is dropping down from the building right in front of her. I'm sure most of us have caught this multiple times, as the progression is shown in about three angles. 2. Seasonal changes. I don't have any idea where that snowstorm came from, and I'm sure Lefou was a little taken off guard, staking himself out in front of Maurice's house one spring day, and by the time his patience pays off later that evening, he has become a human snowman. 3. Belle's door swings both ways. Check it out when she tosses Gaston's boots out. Again, I make these observations as a big fan of this film, which I think owes its success to Ashman & Mencken. I'm sure most LPers could name similar bloopers in every single Diz release.
Originally Posted By basil fan Thanks, jdub, I just wanted to know if you'd spotted any bloopers I hadn't. Technically, I wouldn't call Belle's door a plot hole, as it doesn't in any way affect the plot. And you're right, every animated feature is literally filled with bloopers. The seasons thing always bugged me, though the film starts in fall, not spring. It ends in the spring. The moviemakers intended the seasons to mirror Belle's emotional life, winter setting in when she is trapped in Beast's castle & spring returning when he is restored to his princely form. Although it seems as though the film only spans a few days, the intent, or so I've read, is that it lasts for months. Mouse History 101 <a href="http://www15.brinkster.com/wtstsgalor/history.html" target="_blank">http://www15.brinkster.com/wts tsgalor/history.html</a>
Originally Posted By Jakijajah The seasonal change bugs me too. On the other hand, the spell was suppose to effect the whole castle (the stained glass in the prologue is sunny on one half and stormy on the other). Maybe that's why the village is springish and castle - winterish. No wait. That wouldn't explain the blooming garden in Human Agin sequence, nor LeFou being a human snowman. Nevermind.
Originally Posted By hightp The one thing that always bothered me about the movie was that the Prince was turned into the Beast when he was only 11 years old. (It was never actually stated, but there are clues: If the beast doesn't find true love before the last rose petal drops which I thought was his 21st birthday <21 was mentioned in there somewhere>...Lumiere sings "10 years we've been rusting..." So 21-10=11. Having the fairy change an 11 year old into a beast seems a little harsh for my tastes. Also, the torn picture Belle finds in the Beasts room is of a young man, certanly over 11. One more thing, the Beast's castle is only a short distance away from the village, (well within a day's travel), so how come no one ever investigated it, or talked about it before? Well, these are the things that make up fairy tales.
Originally Posted By JeffG They did notice the age discrepency and changed the opening narration for the Broadway musical. In the stage production, the narration says that the rose will bloom for "many years" instead of specifying his 21st year. -Jeff
Originally Posted By basil fan Perhaps they should've made the enchanted characters immune from ageing. Then the Prince could've been 21 already when the spell hit him. He could stay a beast for 10 or a hundred years until the spell was broken. This would also elimiinate the problem with Chip, who, as a human, looks younger than 10. Could he have been born as a teacup? Kuzco, Disney's Bad Boy Hero <a href="http://www15.brinkster.com/wtstsgalor/kuzco.html" target="_blank">http://www15.brinkster.com/wts tsgalor/kuzco.html</a>
