I start out the new year in style with my review of Beauty and The Beast 3D. Like Lion King, I'm pretty sure that everyone knows the story of Beauty and The Beast so this review will mainly focus on the 3D aspect of the film. Now, I haven't seen this film in ages, so getting to see it in a theater again was a real treat. The film about a beautiful, book loving woman and the Beast with a heart of gold is just as good as it ever was. It still manages to touch your heart and I'm surprised to say that it is without a doubt one of the best love stories ever. All the characters are still a joy to watch, and it is easy to get caught back up in the classic tale. Beauty and the Beast is still one of the best animated Disney classics around.
Now comes the difficult part, I HATE to bash on a universally beloved classic like Beauty and The Beast but as a burgeoning critic I must. The 3D to be sampled in this film is far from perfect. It felt like Lion King got the 3D down better than Beast did. The background shots (the opening shot of the wilderness, the shot of Belle running up a hill to sing, all the scenes in the dark creepy forest) are spectacular as usual, and some of the key scenes in the film (Be Our Guest, Maurice's initial trek through the woods, The Beast's fight with the wolves, The ballroom dance scene, and the Beast's transformation) succeed in stealing your breath away. The depth is beautiful and some of the rooms seem to stretch on for quite a bit (like the Library and the staircase, for example). Unfortunately, for most of Beauty and The Beast we are focusing on the human characters and the backgrounds are not as prominent. This is where the 3D slips up, the characters look awkward and sometimes disproportional and the 3D isn't always given ample time to shine like it should. Some of the exquisite shots that look so good in 3D only last for a mere 2-3 seconds, the effect is like passing by a beautiful, large room and only being able to catch a quick glimpse of it. It's actually somewhat frustrating.
The thing we must remember is that Beauty and The Beast was not a film made to be viewed in 3D( the 3D is not a perfect fit for the film). Beauty and The Beast was ready to be released in 3D several years ago, but never got the chance. This means that the 3D team had worked on the 3D transfer for quite a while (Beauty and The Beast was actually the first Disney film to be converted to 3D), which makes it all the more frustrating when we view the final product. I feel like Beauty and the Beast 3D could have been so much better than it is. That said, while the 3D version from the film may not be a perfect product, it is still a satisfactory one. No, you won't be throwing away dollars when you pay to see Beast in 3D....just don't expect to be overly impressed. Adjust your expectations. I'm happy to say that there is still much to enjoy in this old classic, especially when it looks brand new like it does now.
So, what I'm saying is expect certain scenes to steal your breath away, expect fantastic, deep rooms and backgrounds, and expect somewhat awkward human character work (the best character work in the film is the Beast's first entrance when he confronts Maurice, there are a few moments when some characters seem off...mainly the human ones). As I've said the best thing about Beast 3D is that it looks brand new.
So, go ahead and see Beauty and the Beast 3D if you feel so inclined. It's still a classic film that has stood the test of time surprisingly well (like most animated Disney films have).
3.5/5 STARS
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