Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Genres

Animation, Fantasy, Musical, Romance

Directors

Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Paige O'Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White, Jerry Orbach, David Odgen Stiers, Angela Lansbury, Bradley Pierce, Rex Everhart, Jesse Corti, Hal Smith, Jo Anne Worley, Mary Kay Bergman, Brian Cummings, Alvin Epstein, Tony Jay, Alec Murphy, Kimmy Robertson, Frank Welker

Storyline

An arrogant young prince (Robby Benson) fall under the spell of a wicked enchantress who turned him into a beast until he learns to love and be loved. His only opportunity arrives when he meets Belle (Paige O'Hara).

Opinion

The new Disney live-action film left me with a bitter taste in my mouth and to fix that I rewatched this classic version. And, while I'm still not a big fan of it, this Beauty and the Beast is way better than Condon's dull movie.

The story, although simple, predictable and really nothing more than a love story, is charming, it has a nice pace and it's well executed. Also, it is engaging and it'll probably move you, even if you are a heartless bitch like me.

What truly stands out in this film, just like in any other Disney movie, are the characters. The two main characters, Belle and the beast, are nicely developed, but the most charming are easily the minor supporting characters such as Mrs. Pots, Chip and Lumiere. The villain though is a bit weak and not charming at all (the only thing the live-action did better in my opinion).

And the animation is great too. Actually, it's quite astonishing and along with the wonderful songs, it gives the film a magical feel.