There’s always a small sense of hesitation that resides in some movie-goers when it comes to seeing a movie in 3D, especially if it’s a beloved 2D animated classic like “Beauty and the Beast.” The 1991 feature from Walt Disney Animation has been embraced with open arms by each new generation, so why the sudden desire to re-release it in 3D? If it brings an additional element to the story that makes audience members love it even more than before, then hooray for Disney. They’re able to succeed with properly converting “Beauty and the Beast” into 3D but there is some problems with it.
For those of you who don’t recall the story line, “Beauty and the Beast” begins with the Beast’s backstory where he was once a stubborn prince who denied shelter to a frail and unattractive older lady. When he refused to let her in, she reveals herself to be an enchantress who transforms the prince and the inhabitants of the castle into different creatures. The only way he can break the spell is to love a girl who will love him in return despite his figure. Years pass and Belle comes into his life, taking the place of her father who was held prisoner in the Beast’s castle in what turns out to be the greatest adventure she was looking for.
What We Already Love About “Beauty And The Beast”
“Beauty and the Beast” is easily one of the strongest of the Disney princess movies. It has a solid three act structure, a catchy set of songs created by Alan Menken with a magical blend of 2D animation and CG that still holds up to this very day. There’s never any point during the movie where it slows down to a snail’s crawl, drawing you out of the story. It’s short, sweet and is a truly great example of how Walt Disney Animation Studios was at the absolute height of their “golden age.” Not to mention the booming voice cast. To this very day Robby Benson’s voice as the Beast during the first act is still terrifying.
The 3D Conversion
Normally when you watch a movie that’s presented in 3D you tend to either love it or hate it after the first fifteen minutes. The conversion works, but at the same time you have to struggle to recognize it after the introduction. One of the plus sides of the conversion is just how incredibly crisp all of the drawings appear on the big screen. You really get to see the wonderful detail each animator took the time to make in every character and piece of background. But the fact that you have to continually strain your eyes in order to properly see the 3D for the remainder of the film is pretty bothersome, including a couple of shots where the conversion seems to split in half. The worst part of the use of 3D is how distracting it is when we finally get to the big transformation sequence at the end. It’s one of the most beautiful and moving scenes in the entire film, and the sparkly meteors are detracting you away from the transformation.
Final Thoughts On “Beauty And The Beast” 3D
“Beauty and the Beast” is one of the best Disney animated films to come out in the nineties. It still holds up to this very day but in the end the 3D conversion doesn’t bring anything additional to the movie.
Story: A
3D Conversion: D
Overall: B
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