Editor Reviews:

Amazon.com essential video:
The film that officially signaled Disney's animation renaissance (following The Little Mermaid) and the only animated feature to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination, Beauty and the Beast remains the yardstick by which all other animated films should be measured. It relates the story of Belle, a bookworm with a dotty inventor for a father; when he inadvertently offends the Beast (a prince whose heart is too hard to love anyone besides himself), Belle boldly takes her father's place, imprisoned in the Beast's gloomy mansion. Naturally, Belle teaches the Beast to love. What makes this such a dazzler, besides the amazingly accomplished animation and the winning coterie of supporting characters (the Beast's mansion is overrun by quipping, dancing household items) is the array of beautiful and hilarious songs by composer Alan Menken and the late, lamented lyricist Howard Ashman. (The title song won the 1991 Best Song Oscar, and Menken's score scored a trophy as well.) The downright funniest song is "Gaston," a lout's paean to himself (including the immortal line, "I use antlers in all of my de-co-ra-ting"). "Be Our Guest" is transformed into an inspired Busby Berkeley homage. Since Ashman's passing, animated musicals haven't quite reached the same exhilarating level of wit, sophistication, and pure joy. --David Kronke --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Rating : - Disney's Animation Climax
Beauty and the Beast is simply the most transcendent animated film I have ever seen. Before it came out, I felt the same way about The Little Mermaid. When BATB came out I couldn't believe that TLM could be topped, but it was, and then some. There's no need to repeat all the other reviewers' remarks - I can only say I got into this thanks to my children, and I will be enjoying it for the rest of my life (along with a number of other Disney classics like Dumbo, Lady and the Tramp and Jungle Book). The characterizations, voice and animated, of all the characters is beyond description. This is the last Disney animated feature I've seen where I appreciated the computer-assisted animation (the ballroom scene is unbelievable). I consider Disney's output to have reached its absolute climax with this film - it's been all downhill since. You can see the difference once it became all computer-generated.