Beauty And The Beast - Special Platinum Edition DVD Review
Posted by Jacob Ziegler on 10.21.2002
This tale as old as time has gotten the deluxe DVD treatment it so richly deserves.
Beauty and the Beast - Special Edition (Platinum Edition)
Release Date: October 8th, 2002
Beauty and the Beast, the only animated film to score a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars (plus five other nominations), has finally been given the deluxe DVD treatment it deserves. This 2-disc set contains no fewer than three versions of the film, plus a plethora of extra features. This is the first time the film has been released on DVD, and the fine folks at Disney have certainly got it right.
The Film
As its theme song says, the movie really is a “tale as old as time.” The movie opens with a narration showing an extremely vain prince, refusing to shelter an ugly old woman from a rainstorm. The old woman is in actuality a beautiful princess, a fact she reveals to him after he refuses her. She then casts a curse on the prince, turning him into a hideous beast. The only way the spell can be broken is for the Beast to learn to love someone, and for someone to learn to love him. A spell is cast upon the rest of the Beast’s castle as well, turning his servants into household objects, such as Mrs. Potts (a tea kettle), her son chip (a cup), and the delightful comic duo of Cogsworth (a clock) and Lumiere (a candlestick).
Of course the ending will be a surprise to no one who has not seen the film, and the heroine who gets us there is Belle. She is the absolute perfect woman, able to see the inner beauty of the Beast and ultimately break the spell. The only problem is that the town’s resident jerk, Gaston, has declared Belle will be his wife. Gaston is quite simply the finest character ever seen in a Disney film, delightfully sleazy and decidedly mean. His musical number (appropriately titled “Gaston”) is one of the true highlights of the movie.
Directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise have directed the film with style and grace. The animators did a wonderful job bringing the characters and locales to life. It is one of the most intricate animated films of all-time. Even with all the new kinds of animation out there, Beauty and the Beast still stands the test of time.
Video Quality
Wow. The film absolutely sparkles, and one can truly see how a VHS version of this movie would not do it justice. The crew went back to enhance and clean up the entire picture, frame by frame. Their work will not go unnoticed.
Audio Quality
The audio has of course also been touched up, and the results are spectacular. It was done with THX, and comes in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. While it is not an action film packed with explosions, the sound of this movie is very important, as it is packed with musical numbers. They are presented with the absolute best sound quality one could hope for.
As for the songs themselves, they are some of the most recognizable of the past decade. The aforementioned “Gaston” number, as well as the delightful “Be Our Guest” sequence and “Beauty and the Beast” shine through.
Special Features
Get ready to spend your day here. This DVD is positively packed with features, including three different versions of the movie. The original theatrical release is of course included, and that is the recommended version to watch. Another one is the IMAX version that came out earlier this year, including the new musical sequence “Human Again.” The third is a work-in-progress version that was shown at the 1991 New York Film Festival and received rave reviews. Several scenes are still in storyboard or line drawing format, but differences to the theatrical release are minimal.
The rest of the DVD is jam-packed with things like interactive games, commentary tracks (from directors Trousdale and Wise, producer Don Hahn, and composer Alan Menken), making of specials, music videos, and much, much more. That may sound like just an advertisement, but it is true. The amount of material is massive, more than enough to suit any extreme fan of this movie. It is one of the most comprehensive DVD releases ever put out, rivaling the Shrek set released last year.
The packaging is more than necessary (aren’t all DVDs) as it comes in a regular DVD case, with a larger cardboard slip case around that. Both cases have the exact same pictures and information, making the cardboard even more unnecessary.
Film: 9.0
Video Quality: 8.5
Audio Quality: 8.5
Special Features: 7.5
The 411: This is undoubtedly the best animated motion picture ever made. Its appeal can stretch from the very young to the very old, a film the whole family can watch without recognizing it as just a kid’s film. The video and audio transfers are astounding, and the extra features never seem to end. The three versions of the film are amazing, and this DVD set certainly does the film justice. For any who have not seen this film, it is highly recommended, and this DVD contains all anyone could ever want.
