Grade: B-
It is a story that revolves around one enchanted rose, two lovers, and is considered by many to be referred to as “a tale as old as time”; most famously from the likes of lyricist Howard Ashman (who died 8 months prior to the release of the original animated classic), Angela Lansbury (Who was the original voice of Mrs. Potts), and the duo who sang the original title song, Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson. The original ‘Beauty and the Beast’ was an animated masterpiece that relied on beautiful animation, sweeping camera motions, and the energy of a classic Hollywood musical. It also went on to gain 2 Oscar wins (‘Best Music, Original Song – ‘Beauty and the Beast’, Best Music, original score), and 4 other Oscar nominations (including Best Picture, making it the first animated feature to achieve that category.) While this updated remake in Disney’s roster is visually stunning with its CGI effects that put last year’s ‘The Jungle Book’ to shame (At least in my opinion), the film also turns out rather clunky and doesn’t show us the energy that the original animated film had.
Jon Spencer Reviews 