As you might expect from a "tale as old as time," Disney's 1991 classic "Beauty and the Beast" hasn't lost any of its magic over the last 20 years -- and a new 3-D release again lets audiences delight in its charms.
The movie builds on the sturdy foundation of the fairy tale: A strong-willed young woman offers, to save her father's life, to become prisoner of a cursed creature in an enchanted castle -- while the beast tries to overcome his animal tendencies to show his worth, and love, to her.
As written by Disney stalwart Linda Woolverton, the story transforms into something alternately funny and moving. Belle (voiced by Paige O'Hara) encounters not only the Beast (voiced by Robby Benson) but an array of enchanted objects: The suave French candelabra Lumiere (voiced by the late Jerry Orbach), the fastidious clock Cogsworth (voiced by David Ogden Stiers) and the no-nonsense teapot Mrs. Potts (voiced by Angela Lansbury). There's also high drama, as Belle's rejected suitor Gaston (voiced by Richard White) vows to mount the Beast on his already-crowded trophy wall.
Disney's animators, led by directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, brilliantly capture the story with bold colors and beautifully drawn characters. The most stunning animated work, even 20 years later, is the handling (by the late animator Bill Berg and crew) of the Beast, who is by turns ferocious, comical, regal and tender.
But the real magic of "Beauty and the Beast" is in the delightful songs, with tunes by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman (who died from AIDS before the film's 1991 release, and to whom the film is dedicated). It's well near impossible to hear Orbach's joyful rendition of "Be Our Guest" or White's pompous boasting in his solo, "Gaston" (such as the immortal lyric "I use antlers in all of my decorating!") without singing along -- just as it's a challenge to hear Lansbury's tender version of the title song without getting a lump in the throat.
After 20 years, and after all the parodies ("Shrek," "The Simpsons" and "South Park" have taken their shots) and imitators (e.g., "Tangled," whose characters appear in a short attached to the film), the radiance of "Beauty and the Beast" isn't diminished one bit.
See it again in a theater, and fall in love with it all over again.
movies@sltrib.com
Twitter: @moviecricket
www.facebook.com/themoviecricket; www.facebook.com/NowSaltLake
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As you might expect from a "tale as old as time," Disney's 1991 classic "Beauty and the Beast" hasn't lost any of its magic over the last 20 years -- and a new 3-D release again lets audiences delight in its charms.
The movie builds on the sturdy foundation of the fairy tale: A strong-willed young woman offers, to save her father's life, to become prisoner of a cursed creature in an enchanted castle -- while the beast tries to overcome his animal tendencies to show his worth, and love, to her.
As written by Disney stalwart Linda Woolverton, the story transforms into something alternately funny and moving. Belle (voiced by Paige O'Hara) encounters not only the Beast (voiced by Robby Benson) but an array of enchanted objects: The suave French candelabra Lumiere (voiced by the late Jerry Orbach), the fastidious clock Cogsworth (voiced by David Ogden Stiers) and the no-nonsense teapot Mrs. Potts (voiced by Angela Lansbury). There's also high drama, as Belle's rejected suitor Gaston (voiced by Richard White) vows to mount the Beast on his already-crowded trophy wall.
Disney's animators, led by directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, brilliantly capture the story with bold colors and beautifully drawn characters. The most stunning animated work, even 20 years later, is the handling (by the late animator Bill Berg and crew) of the Beast, who is by turns ferocious, comical, regal and tender.
But the real magic of "Beauty and the Beast" is in the delightful songs, with tunes by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman (who died from AIDS before the film's 1991 release, and to whom the film is dedicated). It's well near impossible to hear Orbach's joyful rendition of "Be Our Guest" or White's pompous boasting in his solo, "Gaston" (such as the immortal lyric "I use antlers in all of my decorating!") without singing along -- just as it's a challenge to hear Lansbury's tender version of the title song without getting a lump in the throat.
After 20 years, and after all the parodies ("Shrek," "The Simpsons" and "South Park" have taken their shots) and imitators (e.g., "Tangled," whose characters appear in a short attached to the film), the radiance of "Beauty and the Beast" isn't diminished one bit.
See it again in a theater, and fall in love with it all over again.
movies@sltrib.com
Twitter: @moviecricket
www.facebook.com/themoviecricket; www.facebook.com/NowSaltLake
)
