Beauty and the Beast (Three-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo w/ DVD Packaging)
Beauty and the Beast (Three-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo w/ DVD Packaging)
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: 
(out of 609 reviews)
List Price: $ 39.99
Price: $ 26.99
Alice in Wonderland (2-Disc Special Un-Anniversary Edition)
- ISBN13: 0786936801811
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Celebrate a very merry un-anniversary in the whimsical, fun-filled world of Walt Disney’s masterwork of animation, music and fantasy — Alice In Wonderland Special Un-Anniversary Edition, a 2-disc set complete with never-before-seen bonus features. Follow Alice as she chases the White Rabbit on a magical journey into the fantastical world of Wonderland. It’s a topsy-turvy place that gets “curiouser and curiouser” as Alice’s madcap adventures introduce her to some truly unforgettable characters — the Mad Hatter, March Hare, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts and more. Filled with spectacular songs and dazzling animation, Alice In Wonderland Special Un-Anniversary Edition is a timeless classic your entire family will love.
Imaginatively rendered but slightly chilly, this 1951 Disney adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic is also appropriately surreal. Alice (voiced by Kathryn Beaumont) has all the anticipated experiences: shrinking and growing, meeting the White Rabbit, having tea with the Mad Hatter, etc. Characterization is very strong, and the Disney team worked hard to bring screen personality to Carroll’s eccentric creations. For a Disney film, however, it seems more the self-satisfied sum of its inventiveness than a truly engaging experience. –Tom Keogh
Rating: (out of 286 reviews)
List Price: $ 29.99
Price: $ 14.95
Tags: Beast, Beauty, Bluray/DVD, Combo, Diamond, Edition, Packaging, ThreeDisc
D. Litton
Review by D. Litton for Beauty and the Beast (Three-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo w/ DVD Packaging)
Rating:
Disney’s animated version of the classic tale, “Beauty and the Beast,” is every bit as enchanting as the “tale as old as time” that it tells, making its way into our hearts as well as motion picture history. Being the first film nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, as well as six nominations altogether, Disney proves that it has what it takes to make an animated feature enjoyable for adults and children. I remember watching the film as a small child, and now, as an adult, is hasn’t lost its luster, and everything is just as I enjoyed it before. Through brilliant animation and song, as well as some terrific voice talents, the story of unexpected love comes to new and exciting life. Small-town girl Belle is forced to head into the woods once her father turns up missing, bringing her to a gloomy, secluded castle where she finds him and his captor, a vicious-looking beast. Of course, the beginning of the movie explains the beast’s origins: he was once a selfish prince who, after turning out an old beggar woman, was transformed, given an enchanted rose, and told “if he could learn to love another, and earn their love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time.” This begins their rocky-turned-romantic relationship, as they begin to warm to one another. Meanwhile, the town brute, Gaston, has plans of his own, involving some sinister maneuvers involving Belle’s father in hopes that she will agree to marry him. Many have hailed this as the best of Disney’s films, and they wouldn’t be wrong in saying so, either. It’s easy to see why the movie has become such a success: there are elements at work in this film, just as in every other Disney film, only they seem to have taken on a small degree of maturity with this film’s creation. The animation is some of the best and most believable I’ve seen for an animated film in a long time. Most of the scenes involving solely characters is the same as most of Disney’s works, but there are scenes of pure life-like reality that have a special flare to them. The ballroom scene is one such scene: the camera angles sweep across a room filled with high-arched glass windows and a chandelier which looks as real as the words you’re reading on this page. Some nice effects go into the creation of the castle as well, especially in the end once everything returns to normal. The is one of the most moving Disney soundtracks to come along since that of “Cinderella” and “Pinocchio.” It is clear that composers were striving to capture the feeling and influence of their previous score for “The Little Mermaid,” and they truly succeed in doing so. The songs are delightful and will have kids and adults alike smiling and singing along. The score is the perfect underlining for scenes of romance as well as tension and suspense. In case you were wondering, three of the originally written songs were nominated for Academy Awards; that should say something. This is one of Disney’s most ambitious and successful projects, ranking alongside such cinematic achievements as the successes of “Citizen Kane” and “Gone With The Wind.” Winner of the Golden Globe Award for Best Picture, as well as its Oscar nominations, “Beauty and the Beast” is a hallmark of a time when movies were something that everyone, young and old alike, could enjoy on the same levels. This is the best picture of 1991.
Robin McDonald
Review by Robin McDonald for Beauty and the Beast (Three-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo w/ DVD Packaging)
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Jeez I hate to waste my opportunity to review this movie right now but the purpose of these reviews is to be helpful. The most helpful thing I can happily contribute is Disney is releasing Beauty and the Beast on DVD next year and plans to release each subsequent film on a one per year basis. That means Aladdin probably won’t be available for two years and Lion King for three. Its very frustrating to have to wait this long for these titles and hopefully public pressure will encourage them to accelerate the pace of the release. As far as the new Beauty and the Beast disc goes I believe you can expect to see some of the following supplements. Addition of the deleted song “Be Human Again” sung by the enchanted objects in the house after Belle arrives and they begin to have hope the curse will be broken…(This will not be added to the film itself) Pencil animated version of ‘Be Our Guest” where the song is sung to Maurice instead of Belle. Belle was swapped in to make the story flow better. Television promotional featurette for the film with interviews with Angela Lansbury Paige O’Hara and other cast members as well as animators Glenn Keane Will Finn and others. I suspect there will be a commentary, concept sketches and storyboard images. I am one of the few people to have seen this but I would love it if they would include as a hidden easter egg a joke animation from “Gaston.” When Gaston sings….and every last inch of me’s covered with hair” he pulls open his shirt and instead of the hairy chest is a pair of flouncy bosoms in a bra with tassels. I wouldn’t count on that one. Depending if they want to release a two disc version at the same or different price you might also get Beauty and the Beast the Work in Progress reel. Which is another full version of the film in an unfinished state shown in a limited pre-screening. Inserted throughout the film where it was not yet completed are either rough, cleanup pencil or storyboard sketches to fill in the gaps. Its a fascinating way to see the animation process in its various stages. As the disc is not finalized yet I can not say for one hundred percent sure what will be included. If it is like the new Snow White DVD there could be a heck of a lot more. I would not expect to see the DVD until next Summer at the very earliest and probably not ’til winter. I know many of you are wondering when? when? when? so I am sacrificing my opportunity to review one of my favorite films to let you know.
Mark Baker
Review by Mark Baker for Beauty and the Beast (Three-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo w/ DVD Packaging)
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Belle is bored with life in her village. Her only escape is her books, and she longs to have an adventure of her own. When her father heads out to a fair, he gets lots, and Belle finds him in an enchanted castle. The objects are thrilled, because if she and their master, the Beast, fall in love, they will all be freed from the enchantment. But will Belle be able to see past the outward appearance? And what about the handsome bore back home who wants to marry Belle?I feel in love with this movie the first time I saw it, and that love has only grown over the years. The story is the right mix of fun and uncertainty. Gaston was a wonderful addition to the mix because his story was the part I was most uncertain about the first time around. The artwork on the film catches your eye from the first shot of the castle, and doesn’t let go. Beside the incredible background shots are wonderful drawings of the characters. I especially love the boyish excitement they manage to give the Beast in several scenes. Finally, there’s the music. Every song adds to the story and is memorable in its own right.This DVD is perfect for any fan of this movie. Disc 1 includes three versions of the film. The first is the “in progress” version shown to the New York film festival 6 weeks before the premier of the movie in 1991. While it’s fun to have, I won’t be watching it regularly. The second version is the original release. And finally comes the special edition, with the added scene and “Human Again.” Ironically, this is probably my least favorite of the songs added to the Broadway version, but it does advance the story. And, there’s always the option of watching the original version. Obviously, the version that you are supposed to watch is the special edition, as the audio commentary and sing along bonus features only work with this option. All three come in Dolby 5.1 sound, which sounds great.The second disc features hours of bonus material. Most of it focuses on the making of this movie. Everything is covered, from original idea through characters and the Broadway version and special edition. Galleries show character designs over the course of the project. Also featured is the original treatments for “Human Again” and “Be Our Guest.” Celebrity voices give background on the original story and Disney versions of classic tales. And there’s a fun documentary as the stars of “Even Stevens” take a backstage look at all the work that goes into making a feature animated film.This is the only film so far to be nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture. Watching the film, the reason is clear. This is something the entire family can enjoy. Don’t miss your opportunity to catch this classic film.
Anonymous
Review by for Beauty and the Beast (Three-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo w/ DVD Packaging)
Rating:
The biggest flaw in this story … is that it makes a 45-year-old man cry like a child every time I watch it. My opinions on Disney movies vary — some are good, some are almost unwatchable — but “Beauty and the Beast” is the best work the studio has ever done.Why do I love this movie so much? I think it’s the music. In some musicals (animated or live), as soon as a song begins, the story comes to a grinding halt. (Can anyone remember one tune from “Mulan”?) But in this film, the music by Ashman and Menken advances the story marvellously. Animation and voice acting combine in a near-flawless performance, and the use of computer animation in the ballroom dance sequence was ground-breaking in its time.As for the added features, the added song “Human Again” is a wonderful fun number. I can understand why it was left out of the original version, but its inclusion really doesn’t detract from the story (it’s another big production number like “Be Our Guest”, not really essential to the plot, but helps us get to know the supporting characters).The “making of” features are fairly interesting; the on-disk games I can take or leave. But the film itself is still the gem, worth the purchase price all by itself; the standard by which all other Disney movies are measured.
Anonymous
Review by for Beauty and the Beast (Three-Disc Diamond Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo w/ DVD Packaging)
Rating:
How any fan of this fantastic film can accept this HORRIBLE transfer is shocking. The dvd supposedly contains not only the special edition but also the original theatrical edition, but the reality is that the mis-named “original theatrical” edition is a mutilated version that is definitely NOT the film shown in theaters in 1991. The colors were drastically changed, making brown things red, red things pink, and erasing all shadows into virtual non-existence.
Gone is the palette of beautiful rich colors that were used when the film was made. In their place we have a pastel, … saturday-morning cartoon palette where shadows don’t exist. Instead of keeping the brooding, gothic, mysterious castle that once existed, the dvd lightened it up so there are no more mysterious shadows. Now you can see everything quite clearly, including the Beast (when he was supposed to be lurking in shadows as a plot device).
The backgrounds were literally replaced with computer generated backgrounds for the imax presentation, which is fine for the special edition. But they also used the new backgrounds for the supposed “original theatrical” version as well. Oh, and did I mention that they went in with a computer to completely re-draw the characters to make them smoother? They used those altered images for the so-called “original theatrical” version, too. They also cut off the top and the bottom of the film to make the aspect ratio 1.85:1, when the original film was made in 1.66:1 (much closer to your actual “regular” tv shape). Add those changes to the edited dialogue (there is no more stuttering Beast) and the horrid pastel colors that replaced the vibrant colors that used to be, and you have one big mess. … – what Disney calls the “original theatrical” version is just the special edition without the human again sequence.
…
Don Eldredge
Review by Don Eldredge for Alice in Wonderland (2-Disc Special Un-Anniversary Edition)
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Because of critics’ reaction to Alice in Wonderland in 1951, it is written, Walt Disney actually apologized for the movie and soon after his television show became a hit a few years later, he showed it in its entirety on TV, thus relegating it to his “minor film” category. The movie has never been able to shake this image, and that is a shame. We should remember that “Wizard of Oz” wasn’t a giant box office hit in 1939, and only after it was made an annual event on television did it become a classic in the eyes of the public. “Alice in Wonderland” deserves far more attention than it has ever received. The characters are wonderful. The music is humable, even singable. It’s a short film that takes the viewer into a dreamland, and Disney’s animated version stands up against any of the other live versions that have popped up over the years. It’s time to give this movie the credit it deserves as a classic in animation. Watch it from a child’s point of view, with the amazing images of a cat that disappears, talking cards, and Alice constantly growing and shrinking. And then enjoy it as an adult for the dream world into which we are all swept. And furthermore, the DVD transfer is fantastic, with as many extras as one will find on a Disney non-special edition disc. Take another look at this one and be swept away.
Anonymous
Review by for Alice in Wonderland (2-Disc Special Un-Anniversary Edition)
Rating:
The story of the animated film is similar to that of the first book, but contains parts of the second book. Dozy Alice is so silly she follows trouble by chasing a talking rabbit down hs hole. At the bottom, she drinks an unknown substance which helps her get through a talking door into Wonderland. Here she meets the Dodo, TweedleDum and TweedleDee (who tell her the story of the Walrus and the Carpenter), the Talking flowers (watch out for the snobby Iris!), the Caterpillar and the Cheshire Cat. She even has un-birthday tea with the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. However, Alice gets caught up in a game of croquet with the Queen of Hearts, and later a trial. The whole thing becomes such a nightmare, Alice realises she’s had a dream while she dozed off.Firstly, I don’t know why loads of people think this film is cheesy. I know Alice isn’t for everyone, but when you look at the other films made based on Children’s classics by Disney (eg- Jungle Book, Hunchback of Notre Dame), you’ll see it’s more faithful than those films to the original. However if you have read the books and haven’t seen this film, some characters are missing (eg- Duchess, Mock Turtle, Knave of Hearts, White Knight). This may just think that Disney has ruined this classic forever. They haven’t. It’s the best adaption I’ve ever seen.Although I actually have the PAL version, I suppose the movie is just the same over in North America. The best bits are the Walrus and the Carpenter, the garden of singing flowers and flamingo croquet. And the Mad Tea Party is still the funniest part of a Disney classic. So buy this movie. Wether it’s a video tape or DVD.(I also live near Carroll’s birth place!)
Stanley Runk
Review by Stanley Runk for Alice in Wonderland (2-Disc Special Un-Anniversary Edition)
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Back in the day, Disney made some great animated films. In fact, you know it’s decent if it was made when Walt Disney was still alive. Now, it’s a money grubbing corporation cranking out flix and merchandise for $$ like Full Moon Productions. I mean, c’mon! Lion King 2? Little Mermaid 2? Lady and the Tramp 2? Aladdin 3? Cinderella 2? At least twenty different versions of 101 Dalmations? Lets wake up here. Disney used to put out some fantastic films, and Alice In Wonderland is right there at the top. It’s the most experimental and disturbing of the Disney features. It’s also hilarious! Naturally it doesn’t follow the book(s) 100%, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen an adaptaion of Alice that has(if Terry Gilliam got ahold of the rights, THEN you’d see something spectacular!). Some reviewers whine about how this is “boring”, “confusing” and “inappropriate for children.” Grow up, will ya? It’s Alice In Wonderland, not Eraserhead! What kind of adult is “confused” by a Disney film that my daughter can follow? Believe me, this movie will NOT corrupt or traumatize your child. You have the Stanley Runk guarantee on that. Unless your child is a genius and more educated in the ways of the world than you are, they will not pick up on any kind of drug references. And it won’t inspire your daughter to smoke a cigar if she sees a talking walrus doing it. My daughter and I watch this all the time. We laugh, we sing, we quote it, we have more fun with this film than any other Disney film. To my knowledge she hasn’t started smoking cigars yet. So put that in your hookah and smoke it, Mister! If you haven’t seen this(unlikely), pick it up for sure. It’s so enjoyable and made in a time when Disney took chances and didn’t adhere to the moronic P.C. formulas they do today.
Anonymous
Review by for Alice in Wonderland (2-Disc Special Un-Anniversary Edition)
Rating:
Yup, I got it yesterday, and watched everything on it. Here’s my feelings on this dvd. The Prevews
I really liked the previews on this dvd. Mulan 2 is a great one, and so is Mary Poppins. Home on the Range is ok. There is also a preview for the Brother Bear dvd, but it is almost the same as the original theatrical preview. It also has the “hot tub” trailer from Lion King 1.5. The Movie
This was a real refresher to me because I’ve only seen “Alice in Wonderland” once or twice when I was really young (like 3 or 4). My favorite part is when Alice sings “A world of My Own”. I also like the singing flowers in “The Golden Afternoon” and “The Unbirthday Song” (I remembered both of those songs from the Sing-along tapes I would watch over and over when I was younger). Overall I liked the movie. I liked the smoking caterpillar! The only parts I didn’t really like were the part with the Walrus and the Carpenter, and the croquet game followed by the Trial. The Virtual Tea Party
I did not like this at all! I felt like I was watching an episode of Barney! The only neat thing I discovered was if you click on the index of activities, you’ll see “cookie recipies”. Click on that, and there are three recipies fro Chocolate chip, Peanut butter, and Oatmeal cookies. I like to cook, so that appealed to me. The Sing-alongs
I really liked these since I have always loved Disney’s Sing-along Songs. It’s also neat beacause these sing-alongs (of “The Golden Afternoon” and “The Unbirthday Song”) show the film before it was restored. Speaking of the restoration, It’s WONDERFUL! They did such a great job! The “Alice Set Top Game”
One word, boring. This was even lamer than the tea party! It shows you, like 5 objects. Then, it asks you a question like “What does the Mad Hatter wear on his head?” You would then click on his hat….see, lame. “I’m Odd”
I liked the song, but I wish they created new animation and integrated it into the film. What they did was just use their animation of the Cheshire Cat that was in the movie, and try to make it fit the new song. The song itself though, is enjoyable and very pleasing to the ear. “Thru the Mirror”
This Mickey mouse cartoon was cute and interesting to watch. One Hour in Wonderland
I LOVED this! It was very enjoyable to watch. The story was, Walt had the Magic Mirror from Snow White, and he entertained the girl that voiced Alice and some other people with it by having the mirror show them parts of Disney movies and cartoons. These included, “The Silly Song” from Snow White, A Mickey Mouse cartoon where Mickey, Donald, and Goofy were all cleaning a big clock, Zip-a-dee-doo-dah plus a little more of Song of the South, and a Pluto cartoon where Pluto took a bone from a bulldog. After that, they showed Disney animators playing “Jingle Bells” with trumpets, tubas, and other wind instruments. That was very comical . At the end, it showed “The Unbirthday Song” from Alice in Wonderland. Throughout the show, it also showed old advertisements for Coca-cola, and they were amusing to see as well. The Alice Comedy
I didn’t think it was very good. It just showed a real girl, going through a dull cartoon world. I thought it got boring after the first 3 or 4 min, (it’s 8 minutes total). The Original Theatrical Trailers
They were nice. Walt’s TV introductions
They were nice too. “Operation Wonderland”
I really liked this “Behind the scenes” of Alice. I always look foward to this kind of stuff on Disney dvd’s. The Fred Waring Show
I liked the first part of this, where Walt talked briefly abot Snow White, Cinderella, and Alice. After that though, I didn’t like it at all. It was very weird seeing the people on the show act out some of the scenes in the movie. The Cheshire cat scene was particulary weird acted out with real people. Deleted Materials
These were very good. “From Wonderland to Neverland-Evolution of a song was neat since “Second Star to the Right” was originally written for Alice with different words. “Alice daydreams in the park” was ok, and the “Song demos” were very fun to listen to. Art Galleries
They are very nice pictures, but it would have been nice to see more. Well, that’s my review! I hope you enjoyed it!
Templeton C. Moss
Review by Templeton C. Moss for Alice in Wonderland (2-Disc Special Un-Anniversary Edition)
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This is one of the best DVDs to come out in a whlie. Though the movie it contains is not neccessarily Disney’s most readily accessible title (except for during the sixties when they found out it had gained popularity on college campuses, know-what-I-mean, nudge-nudge) it is two discs of pure Disney magic.Setting aside the feature, which we all know is one of the best adaptations of Lewis Carroll’s works (and if not the most accurate, certainly the most “watchable,” as it is just dark enough to keep that edge but…well, let me put it this way: have you SEEN another version of “Through the Looking Glass?” I need a stiff drink before getting into that) the real highlight of this disc is the special features.Two TV introductions by Walt, a 1950′s making-of featurette, vintage television programs includin the historic “One Hour in Wonderland” the first Disney TV show, a whole album’s worth of demos for songs that were never used, concept art galleries and more. This disc is an essential for anyone, like me, who is in love with Disney animation.If for no other reason than the “One Hour in Wonderland” show features a clip from “Song of the South.” It’s worth buying the whole disc just for that, since it’s the closest that movie’s ever going to come to a DVD release in this lifetime.