Beauty and the Beast
Beauty and the Beast
Follow the adventures of Belle, a bright young woman who finds herself in the castle of a prince who's been turned into a mysterious beast. With the help of the castle's enchanted staff, Belle soon learns the most important lesson of all -- that true beauty comes from within.
匚卂尺ㄥ reviewedJuly 12, 2025
It's a gargantuan understatement to say that Disney has given us some of cinema's brightest gems. I don't need to list any of those movies, but Walt Disney's passion for animated stories that truly reached audiences of all ages was unlike anything that came before it, and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST continues to shine 33 years later.
So what exactly is it that makes this particular movie stand so tall in the world of animation? Simply put, everything works. Absolutely everything. The animation itself is luminous, the characters are fun and endearing, the music is ridiculously catchy, and the romance between Belle and the Beast is every bit as believable and affecting today as it was when it saw its initial release. In other words, it carries all of the elements that made Disney so legendary.
This is also a surprisingly funny movie, with sharp wit and scenarios that soar far beyond the realm of "fart jokes." I particularly loved the big "showdown" near the end of the movie, with an all-out riot inside the Beast's castle between our protagonists and Gaston's army that is both visually spectacular, exciting and unexpectedly hilarious.
Beauty and the Beast is a vivid reminder of why animation is such a powerful form of cinematic storytelling: anything can happen, and we buy into it. Walt Disney managed to break open our imaginations in unique and wonderful ways, giving us truly remarkable experiences we won't forget, and Beauty and the Beast remains in its rightful place as one of animation's best.